Researcher at KU School of Health Professions seeks ways to increase nutritional literacy

Spend an hour on any social media platform and you’re likely to stumble upon some nutritional advice intended to grab and hold your attention. Some of the current trends include drinking chia water, following a baby food diet or even eating dog food for protein. None of these are supported by science, but many influencers are well rehearsed and engaging.

Being nutritionally literate can help you sort food fact from fiction. “Nutrition is a fairly complex science,” said Heather Gibbs, Ph.D., associate dean for student affairs at the University of Kansas School of Health Professions and associate professor in the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition. “It is a chemistry of food meeting the chemistry and physiology of the body. The misinformation makes it difficult for people who don’t have the complex knowledge of food and human chemistry to be able to understand the science and nuances of nutrition.”

Nutrition literacy research examines the capacity of people to understand and then apply nutrition information to help them make informed food choices. Gibbs, a registered dietitian for 25 years, said the power of someone else’s experience can be useful while also perhaps harmful to the public’s understanding of what’s true. “People have their own experiences with food and draw their own conclusions about what they want to share … but it isn’t always backed by science.”

For example, a recent analysis by MyFitnessPal, which partnered with Dublin City University in Ireland, revealed that only 2.1% of nutrition content on TikTok is accurate when compared with public health and nutrition guidelines.

Nutritional literacy is having the ability to obtain, process and understand nutrition information to make beneficial dietary decisions. Gibbs said the basic elements of being nutritionally literate include reading and understanding food labels as well as being able to critically evaluate that information.

Gibbs’ recent studies focus on two groups and their caregivers. The first is a 12-week pediatric intervention for children 1-5 years of age and a parent caring for them.

One component of this study is an online map illustrating how and where nutritional choices are made: the home, the store and restaurants. Participants learn how to read food labels and calculate which choices best work with their goals. There are tours of a grocery store, nutrition quizzes for the parents and games for kids. Weekly texts help families set goals like mastering food labels.

Through these activities, parents begin to recognize themselves as role models. “It is the caregivers who experience the struggles with feeding times and picky eaters,” Gibbs said. “They are the ones who know what is practical for them … and having more information allows them to make those important decisions.”

Another study focuses on patients with dementia, and in a departure from typical research of this kind, there is also a focus on their caregivers.

“While the main focus of this online intervention is nutrition literacy, it also focuses on exercise, healthy sleep, stress management and social connectedness,” Gibbs said. The caregivers are typically spouses, and because these are activities that they can do together, both can receive the benefits, she added.

Transforming your eating habits can be a long process, but Gibbs said it is important for long-term health. “Start by sticking to the basics,” she said. “A plant-based diet is the best option because you don’t have to navigate the packaging. The best proteins are lean meats, beans, healthy dairy, soy and fish.” She added that at any time in a person’s or family’s food journey, she recommends meeting with a dietitian, which may be covered by insurance.