Build Up Catch Up - 5/5/2023
Red Flags of Pseudoscience, ARFID, Job Posting Guidelines, Memes & More!
Red Flags of Quacks and Quackery
If we made a list of all the different quacks and promoters of pseudoscience, it would never be complete, because a new one springs up on social media almost every minute. Familiar to most are: Oz, Axe, Hyman, Gwyneth Paltrow and Mercola….but it’s probably a better idea to learn to identify some of the buzzwords, red flags and signs of pseudoscience and quackery so you can spot these fearmongers and fearmongering sites on social media and websites for yourself.
Some words and phrases that may be red flags are: root cause, holistic, functional, hormone balancing, inflammation, boost the immune system, adrenal fatigue, leaky gut. Also look for a store on a website that sells things like: diet/lifestyle/wellness books, supplements, detoxes, and cleanses.
Podcast Pick:
Dr. Nick Tiller: “Ten Health &Wellness Buzzwords Every Skeptic Should Know”
Additional Resources:
Book recommendations:
Timothy Caulfield - “Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything?”
Articles:
Food Science Babe - “5 Basic Science Concepts to Help You Spot Pseudoscience”
Dr. Nicola Guess - “How Do You Know if an Expert is Legit”
Quackwatch: “Thirty Ways to Spot Quacks and Vitamin Pushers”
Website - Red Pen Reviews checks nutrition books for scientific accuracy, reference accuracy and healthfulness.
Bottom Line: Be aware of woo words, pseudoscience, quackery and logical fallacies …be skeptical for your sake and to better advise your patients/clients/customers and family members.
ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder)
If this term is unfamiliar to you, it may be because:
The use of this term didn’t begin until 2013 when it was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders- 5th edition (DSM-5) in the “Feeding and Eating Disorders” section.
Previously ARFID was known as “Selective Eating Disorder”
Both children and adults can be diagnosed with ARFID.
ARFID is similar to anorexia nervosa in terms of food restriction BUT there is no component involving a desire for thinness or body image.
What are the characteristics or warning signs of ARFID?
Risk Factors
Treatment
Like all eating disorders, ARFID treatment involves a team approach with a physician, dietitian and therapist with experience and specialization in eating or feeding disorders.
Podcast recommendation
The SeasonED RD - “ARFID Conversations - Listen and Believe”
Groups for dietitians to join:
Build Up Dietitians PEDIATRICS
Build UP Dietitians Eating Disorders and Counseling
Bottom Line: If you hadn’t heard about ARFID before, here’s your chance to learn more!
Job Posts
We now require all job postings in our Build Up Jobs Group to include a link/URL to the position (no “DM me for details” posts) and the hourly rate range/salary range. We think this will help with transparency. Realize that pay rates can depend on a variety of factors:
-Geographic Location
-Additional benefits and perks (e.g. car allowance, gym membership, education allowance)
-Level of responsibility/supervision/seniority
-Additional certifications/degrees
-Type of business (e.g. non-profit, retail, industry, clinical, public health)
(In case you want to follow us on LINKEDIN)
Book Nook Pick
“Hunger: An Unnatural History” - Sharman Apt Russell
“Food fascinates us. Yet the opposite is also true. Hunger fascinates us.”
This book by Russell discusses many of the issues around hunger. How hunger strikes by suffragettes were used for power and political purpose. The shocking hunger studies that took place during World War II in the Warsaw Ghetto. The infamous Minnesota Experiment on starvation and how it affected the participants. How eating disorders and starvation changes our bodies, our mental health and even our genes.