On the heels of a
recent survey showing 60 percent of people have trouble
finding accurate food and nutrition information online, the
American Dietetic Association has revamped its Web site,
hoping to help the public make healthful choices about what we
eat and drink.
Eatright.org offers
the latest findings, discussions and tips on everything from
food safety to shaving calories off your restaurant order. If
you're among those searching for a reliable online resource,
here are five reasons to check out the ADA's new site.
1. Diet reviews. This
section looks at popular diets (South Beach, the 4-Day Diet,
the Flat-Belly Diet, among others) and reviews them from a
medical standpoint. A member of the ADA summarizes the diet's
claims and strategies, lays out its nutritional pros and cons,
and offers a bottom-line critique on whether it's a sound
dietetic choice.
2. Question of the
day. What is the shelf life of canned vegetables? Is
lactose-intolerance the same as a milk allergy? Can pizza be
healthy? A new query is posed and answered every one to two
days, often with a link to other resources if you're looking
for even more information.
3. Find a dietitian.
Enter your ZIP code and specialty needs (e.g., celiac disease,
weight control), and the site will provide a list of qualified
dietitians and their contact information.
4. "Weigh
In" blog. Registered dietitians blog about tackling a
loved one's eating habits, helping kids navigate snack time,
the earthquake in Haiti and other timely topics. The comment
section — often the most fun part of blog reading — is
sparse at this point, but that might improve as the site
attracts more readers.
5. Disease management
and prevention. It can be hard to get your general
practitioner to discuss diet's role in various diseases, so
this section — with information on autism, cancers, kidney
disease and others — is a great place to turn for answers.