Deck 2: Evaluating Nutrition Information

Question 1

Which of the following statements is true?

A)Scientific studies to investigate the same question can have different findings.
B)Dietary recommendations are generally based on the findings of one team of nutrition researchers.
C)Since 1970,nutrition information has undergone few updates,because scientists have discovered all of the nutrients and determined their functions.
D)When interpreting results of their studies,researchers generally seek to include some bias into their analyses.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following statements is true?

A)Dietary recommendations are generally based on the findings of one well-respected team of nutrition researchers.
B)Since 1995,nutrition information has undergone few updates,because scientists have discovered all of the nutrients and determined their functions.
C)A scientist's professional affiliations and sources of financial support may influence his or her research findings.
D)The results of one study are usually enough to convince the majority of nutrition scientists to adopt new ideas about nutrition-related topics.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

A nutrition researcher adds 30 mg of the mineral iron to the daily diet of 50 4-week-old laboratory mice.After 10 weeks,the scientist takes blood samples from each mouse.According to his findings,the mice developed abnormal levels of certain enzymes in their red blood cells.Based on this information and your knowledge of scientific research,what would you tell him?

A)He should prepare a research article that describes his study and its results for submission to a peer-reviewed
Nutrition journal.
B)He should consider his findings as an observation and redesign the study to include a control group.
C)He should report his findings to other nutrition scientists,so they can repeat his study and confirm the results.
D)He should call a press conference and report his findings to the public,so they can avoid consuming excess iron.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following kinds of studies would be the best to use to identify lifestyle factors that may be related to the development of liver cancer in an adult population?

A)Retrospective study
B)Single-blind study
C)Double-blind study
D)Experimental study

Question 5

A scientist adds 5 mcg of the mineral cadmium to the daily diet of 100 4-week-old laboratory mice.After 12 weeks,the researcher weighs and takes blood samples from each mouse.According to her findings,the mice lost weight during the 12-week period,and they have abnormal levels of certain hormones in their blood.Based on this information and your knowledge of scientific research,what would you tell the researcher about her findings?

A)Her results are very interesting,and she should report her findings to nutrition scientists,so they can repeat her study and confirm the results.
B)She needs to conduct more tests on the animals' blood,because her findings are incomplete.
C)The findings are not meaningful or valid because of the way she designed her study.
D)The findings need to be summarized in a research article for submission to a peer-reviewed nutrition journal.

Question 6

Which of the following statements is true?

A)The EPA regulates the labeling of dietary supplement.
B)The FDA can recall a dietary supplements when there is evidence that it is harmful.
C)Medicinal herbs must undergo testing for safety and effectiveness by the FDA before they can be marketed.
D)Manufacturers of dietary supplements must inform the FTC about negative health reports that may have resulted from the use of their products.

Question 7

Scientists who investigate lifestyle factors that influence the prevalence of obesity among different population groups are conducting a(n)____ study.

A)technological
B)epidemiological
C)in vitro
D)pathological

Question 8

Scientists enroll 500 healthy adults in a study and collect dietary and other lifestyle information about the group.After 6 years,the scientists determine that study participants who ate at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily were less likely to develop high blood pressure than participants who ate fewer than 5 servings of these foods daily.This study is an example of a(n)____ study.

A)prospective
B)nutritive
C)retrospective
D)introspective

Question 9

A group of registered dietitians is planning to conduct a scientific study to investigate the effects of eating honey on school-age children's behavior.At first,the researchers will ______.

A)make observations
B)analyze the hypothesis
C)identify relationships between variables
D)gather data

Question 10

Which of the following statements is true?

A)The results of one study are usually enough to convince nutrition scientists to adopt new ideas about nutrition-related topics.
B)Dietary recommendations are generally based on the findings of one team of nutrition researchers.
C)It is not unusual for similar studies,especially those involving human subjects,to have different findings.
D)Since 1970,nutrition information has undergone few updates,because scientists have discovered all of the nutrients and determined their functions.

Question 11

Researchers at a major American university plan a 10-year scientific study to investigate lifestyle factors that contribute to heart disease.Which of the following activities is likely to be a component of their research efforts?

A)Establishing a place for the subjects to live for the duration of the study.
B)Posting significant findings at the main researcher's Internet web site
C)Submitting an article describing the study to a peer-reviewed journal
D)Contacting the local news station to report their findings

Question 12

A group of scientists suspects that certain dietary practices are partially responsible for different rates of hypertension among adults of different ethnic/racial groups.To test their hypothesis,the researchers examine data concerning the different population groups' hypertension rates and their past dietary practices.This research is a _____ study.

A)retrospective
B)case-control
C)prospective
D)hypothetical

Question 13

Over a 2-year period,a team of scientists records the eating behaviors and physical activity patterns of a group of healthy 8-year-old children to determine whether these factors are associated with weight gain.This study is an example of a(n)____ study.

A)retrospective
B)in vitro
C)prospective
D)case-control

Question 14

Which of the following kinds of studies would be the best to use when designing a scientific investigation to determine whether there is an association between consuming diets high in sodium during adolescence and developing high blood pressure in adulthood?

A)Observational study
B)Single-blind study
C)Double-blind study
D)Experimental study

Question 15

A group of nutrition researchers interviews 100 adults who have chronic high blood pressure to determine whether there is an association between consuming diets low in calcium during adolescence and developing high blood pressure in adulthood.This study is an example of a ____ study.

A)retrospective
B)prospective
C)case-control
D)macrosomatic

Question 16

According to the observations of a nutrition scientist,laboratory mice are healthier when their diet contains physiological levels of vitamin D than when their diet lacks the micronutrient.The scientist hypothesizes that mice will be less likely to develop cancer when they consume a diet that supplies megadoses of vitamin

A)plan a retrospective study involving at least 5,000 laboratory mice to test the vitamin D and cancer hypothesis in mice
B)design a double-blind study to test the vitamin D and cancer hypothesis in mice
C)set up an experimental epidemiological study to test the vitamin D and cancer hypothesis in mice
D)conduct a controlled laboratory experiment to test the vitamin D and cancer hypothesis in mice
D)Based on this information,the scientist is ready to ______.

Question 17

Which of the following statements is false?

A)A person with a PhD who promotes drinking vinegar as the cure for lung cancer is practicing quackery.
B)According to scientific research,most dietary supplements provide considerable health benefits.
C)Disclaimers are clues that a product is not likely to live up to your expectations or the manufacturer's claims.
D)The RDN credential is legally protecteD.

Question 18

A medical researcher reads an article in Today's Health-Conscious Woman magazine about the benefits of using the phytochemical capsaicin to treat knee pain.She asks 10 people with arthritic knees to rub a cream that contains the phytochemical on their knee joints for 2 weeks.At the end of the 2 weeks,the researcher asks the subjects whether their knee pain improved,stayed about the same,or worsened during the treatment period.After collecting responses from the people,the researcher reports the results of her study during a popular TV show that is hosted by a doctor.Based on this information,which of the following statements is true?

A)The researcher subjected the results of her study to peer review.
B)The researcher did not divide the subjects of her study into control and treatment groups.
C)The researcher reviewed scientific literature regarding the use of capsaicin to treat knee pain.
D)The researcher used a standard scientific design for research involving human subjects.

Question 19

A nutrition researcher would like to determine whether women who take fish oil supplements during pregnancy give birth to babies who score higher on basic intelligence tests when they are 5 years of age than the 5-year old children that were born to women who did not take the fish oil supplements during pregnancy.This kind of research is a(n)_____ study.

A)case-control
B)in vivo
C)prospective
D)double-blind

Question 20

A group of scientists conducts a scientific study to investigate dietary factors that influence the development of obesity.Which of the following activities is not likely to be a component of their research efforts?

A)Posting findings at the main researcher's Internet website
B)Collecting data and analyzing results
C)Submitting an article describing the study to a peer-reviewed journal
D)Making observations and formulating a hypothesis

Question 21

A group of scientists would like to determine lifestyle factors that are associated with the development of asthma among American children.Based on this information,the researchers should design a(n)_____ study.

A)double-blind
B)in vivo
C)epidemiological
D)conventional

Question 22

Generally,epidemiological studies ______.

A)prove positive correlations
B)establish causation without experimentation
C)involve in vitroexperimentation
D)cannot determine cause-and-effect relationships

Question 23

Which of the following observations is an example of a positive correlation?

A)When a population's intake of plant foods decreases,the percentage of obese people in that population increases.
B)When a population's vitamin D intake decreases,the percentage of people in the population that have healthy immune systems decreases.
C)When a population's level of vitamin C in white blood cells increases,the percentage of people in the population who develop scurvy decreases.
D)When a population's level of physical activity increases,the percentage of people who develop heart disease decreases.

Question 24

Having a control group enables researchers to ______.

A)avoid using harmful interventions when testing control subjects' responses
B)provide specific treatments to participants of the group
C)explore possible hypotheses for future research efforts
D)compare findings of the control group with those of the experimental group

Question 25

Derek takes protein supplements before and after his workouts.He told his workout partner that he became 200% stronger within a couple of months after he added the supplements to his diet.His report about the effects of the supplements is an example of a(n)______.

A)variable
B)anecdote
C)case report
D)factoid

Question 26

Which of the following kinds of studies would be the best to use when investigating whether cigarette smoking influences weight gain?

A)Double-blind
B)Cohort
C)Conventional
D)Single-blind

Question 27

Which of the following observations is an example of an inverse correlation?

A)As a population's intake of beta-carotene increases,the population's tissue levels of vitamin A increase.
B)Children who consume 3 cups of vitamin D milk daily develop stronger bones than children who drink fewer than 3 cups of vitamin D milk each day.
C)When population increases its daily consumption of whole-grain products,the population's frequency of daily bowel movements increases.
D)Women who smoke 5 or more cigarettes each day during pregnancy are more likely to give birth to underweight babies than women who smoke fewer than 5 cigarettes a day during pregnancy.

Question 28

Which of the following observations is an example of a positive correlation?

A)When teenage girls increase their intake of iron-rich foods,the percentage of the girls who have iron deficiency decreases.
B)When a group of 6-year-old children increase their physical activity level to 60 minutes a day,the children's muscle mass increases.
C)When a population consumes more fruits and vegetables,the percentage of people in that population with scurvy decreases.
D)When older adults increase their daily intake of vitamin D,the percentage of the adults that develops infections decreases.

Question 29

Scientists in a Central American country are studying factors that may be associated with delayed physical growth among a group of low-income children.The children live in a region of the nation that has high levels of lead in drinking water.This study is an example of a(an)____ study.

A)conventional
B)uncontrollable
C)epidemiological
D)introspective

Question 30

A physician who hosts a popular TV show makes several nutrition-related claims during one of the programs.Which of the doctor's claims is a "red flag" of unreliable information?

A)Niacin cures pellagrA.
B)Not all doctors are nutrition experts.
C)The "placebo effect" often occurs in controlled studies involving human subjects.
D)Kava cures migraine headaches.

Question 31

Which of the following observations is an example of an inverse correlation?

A)When children eat three or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day,their blood levels of vitamin C increase.
B)When members of a population increase their consumption of milk and milk products,their risk of bone fractures decreases.
C)When pregnant women gain more weight than average,they are more likely to give birth to babies who are heavier than average.
D)As children increase their physical activity level,they develop greater muscle mass than children who are less active.

Question 32

Dylan takes garlic pills to lower his blood cholesterol level,and he recommends the pills to his friends,because he thinks the supplement is helpful.Dylan's nutrition-related advice to his friends is an example of a(an)______.

A)peer review
B)introspection
C)subjective bias
D)anecdote

Question 33

Which of the following observations is an example of a positive correlation?

A)When women gain less weight than average during pregnancy,the birthweights of their babies tend to be lower than average.
B)When a group of children increases their physical activity levels,the percentage of the children who contract cold infections decreases.
C)When a population's intake of green tea increases,the percentage of lung cancer cases in that population decreases.
D)When members of a population consume fewer fruits and vegetables,their risk of high blood pressure increases.

Question 34

Zack takes 500 mg of vitamin C daily.He advises his friends to take vitamin C supplements because,he claims,the vitamin protects him from cold viruses.His claim about the usefulness of the vitamin is an ______.

A)in vitro assumption
B)in vivo report
C)introspection
D)anecdote

Question 35

Scientists study 200 adults who have type 2 diabetes,and 200 adults who have similar characteristics but do not have the disease.For 18 months,the researchers collect lifestyle information on all the study participants.According to the study's findings,the adults with type 2 diabetes were 25% less physically active than their counterparts who did not have type 2 diabetes.This is an example of a(n)_____ study.

A)prospective
B)anecdotal
C)case-control
D)inverse relationship

Question 36

Emily has brittle fingernails that crack and split easily.Emily's mother advises her daughter to take gelatin pills 3 times/day,because she has heard the practice strengthens fingernails.The mother's nutrition-related advice about the benefit of taking gelatin pills is an example of a(n)

A)hypothesis.
B)testimonial.
C)anecdote.
D)placebo.

Question 37

The host of a radio program makes a "red flag" claim about a nutrition-related product,because the claim is generally an indication that the information about the product is unreliable.The radio program host said,______.

A)"According to the FDA,this product is classified a dietary supplement,because it contains vitamins"
B)"All ingredients in this product have been scientifically tested and clinically proven"
C)"This product contains sugar and certain artificial color and flavor additives"
D)"The ingredients in this product are listed on the label"

Question 38

Phil is a participant in a study designed to examine the effects of taking a dietary supplement on muscle tissue development.Phil suspects he is in the experimental group,because he is certain his muscles are bigger and stronger as a result of taking the product supplied by the researchers.When the study is completed,Phil learns that he did not receive the dietary supplement.Phil thinks the researchers made a mistake-he is certain his muscle mass increased while he took the supplement.According to this information,Phil's belief that his physical condition improved while he participated in the study is an example of ______.

A)an anecdotal report
B)human subject bias
C)participant fatigue
D)the placebo effect

Question 39

A researcher wants to identify lifestyle factors that increase the risk of stomach cancer in men.His study design involves enrolling 250 adult men who have stomach cancer,and 250 men who are cancer free,but have similar characteristics and backgrounds as the men who have stomach cancer.The researcher collects and analyzes information about each participant's lifestyle.Based on this information,what kind of study is the researcher conducting?

A)Cohort
B)Case-control
C)In vivo
D)Experimental

Question 40

Scientists would like to conduct a study to identify lifestyle factors that are associated with delayed physical growth among a group of low-income American children.Which of the following research designs would be the best for the researchers to use when designing their study?

A)Human in vivo experimental
B)Epidemiological
C)Double-blind
D)Interventional

Question 41

Actress Lotta Talent appears in commercials endorsing the herbal supplement Hoodia for weight loss.Her endorsement is an example of a(n)______.

A)anecdote
B)factoid
C)purport
D)testimonial

Question 42

The government agency that enforces consumer protection laws by investigating false or misleading health-related claims is the ______.

A)Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
B)Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
C)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
D)Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Question 43

Which of the following statements is false?

A)In general,personal websites,such as blogs,are not reliable sources of nutrition information.
B)When evaluating claims for dietary supplements that appear at a website,be wary of products that include promises for quick remedies.
C)The Internet is generally a reliable source of nutrition information,because information posted at websites has been peer-reviewed.
D)Websites with .edu in their addresses are likely to provide reliable nutrition information.

Question 44

A person claims his newly invented device treats cancer without surgery,medication,or other forms of conventional medical therapy.However,people who have used the device report that it was not helpful,and it may have harmed them.According to this information,the inventor's claims and his device are

A)intuitive.
B)quackery.
C)legal.
D)unbiaseD.

Question 45

Which of the following statements is true?

A)Pseudoscience is the scientific study of the causation and treatment of chronic diseases.
B)Registered dietitians are not required to update their knowledge of nutrition and dietetics regularly.
C)The First Amendment of the U.S.Constitution often protects people who spread nutrition misinformation.
D)In the United States,only registered dietitians can provide nutrition information legally.

Question 46

Which of the following observations is an example of a negative (an inverse)correlation?

A)When a group of children eat more sugary foods,the percentage of children in the group who develop two or more decayed teeth increases.
B)When a group of adults increases their intake of fruits and vegetables,the percentage of people in the group who have high blood levels of vitamin C levels increases.
C)When a group of older adults increases their intake of high-fiber foods,the percentage of people in the group who develop intestinal cancer decreases.
D)When a group of people decreases their physical activity levels,the percentage of people in the group with healthy levels of body fat decreases.

Question 47

A magazine advertisement for a weight-loss product includes before and after photos of a woman who supposedly lost 50 pounds in 3 weeks while taking the product.The bottom of the ad includes the statement,"Results are not typical." This statement is an example of a(n)______.

A)placebo
B)disclaimer
C)anecdote
D)testimonial

Question 48

A popular women's magazine has an article about the health benefits of consuming calcium-rich foods.If the article's author has the credentials _____ after his or her name,the article is likely to be a reliable source of nutrition information.

A)MD
B)PhD
C)RDN
D)DN

Question 49

Scientists conduct a study in which 100 adults with chronic diarrhea are divided into 2 groups of 50 people.One group is given a supply of yogurt that contains a certain kind of bacteria,and the other group is given yogurt that is bacteria free.The study's participants and researchers do not know which group of subjects has the bacteria in the yogurt and which group does not.The scientists instruct the participants to eat the entire 8 ounces of yogurt once a day for a month and record the their bowel habits.This is an example of a(n)____ study.

A)double-blind
B)hypothetical
C)introspective
D)uncontrolled

Question 50

During a television interview,Dr.Ima Quack provides the following statement,"Most Americans suffer from nutritional-deficiency diseases and will develop cancer within the next 10 years because they are not taking my megavitamin formula therapy." Dr.Quack's statement is an example of a(n)______.

A)scare tactic
B)personal observation
C)medical hypothesis
D)intuitive deduction

Question 51

Which of the following websites is most likely a source of biased and unreliable nutrition information?

A)dietsnomore4u.com
B)purdue.edu
C)eatright.org
D)choosemyplate.gov

Question 52

A popular fitness magazine has an article about the health benefits of high-fiber diets.If the article's author has the credentials _____ after his or her name,the article is likely to be a reliable source of nutrition information.

A)MD
B)MS
C)RD
D)DN

Question 53

Which of the following periodicals features peer-reviewed articles?

A)Journal of the American Medical Association
B)National Geographic Magazine
C)Ladies Home Journal
D)Men's Journal

Question 54

Researchers are conducting a study to determine the effects of zinc supplements on the human immune system.The study involves providing pills that contain zinc to one group of human subjects,and pills that do not contain zinc or other active ingredients to another group of people.The pills that do not contain zinc are

A)placebos.
B)supplements.
C)probiotics.
D)antidotes.

Question 55

The professional football star Andro "The Man" McGraw claims the dietary supplement AminoProFix helped him build muscle mass quickly and safely.His endorsement of the product is an example of ______.

A)a scientifically valid claim
B)peer review
C)a testimonial
D)unbiased reporting

Question 56

Which of the following statements is true?

A)People who describe themselves as nutritionists are registered dietitians.
B)In general,registered dietitians are reliable sources of nutrition information.
C)Pseudoscience is the practice of medicine without proper training and credentials.
D)In the United States,a person can obtain a PhD in nutrition only by graduating from an accredited institution of higher learning.

Question 57

Researchers are conducting a study to determine the effects of vitamin C on the human immune system.The study involves providing pills that contain vitamin C to one group of human subjects,and pills that do not contain vitamin C or other active ingredients to another group of people.The pills that do not contain the vitamin are ______.

A)supplements
B)probiotics
C)placebos
D)antidotes

Question 58

A group of researchers wants to determine whether certain dietary factors are associated with the risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).The scientists follow a group of 500 healthy newborn babies for 10 years and collect health information as well as dietary practices for each child.At the end of the study period,the scientists analyze the data for correlations between the children's dietary practices and their likelihood of being diagnosed with ADHD.This is an example of a _____ study.

A)prospective
B)retrospective
C)factorial
D)hypothetical

Question 59

A magazine article about weight-loss diets includes false information about the process of digestion that uses scientific-sounding terms to make it seem factual.The faulty information is an example of ______.

A)mislabeling
B)pseudoscience
C)hypothesizing
D)bias

Question 60

Researchers are conducting a study to determine the effects of vitamin D supplements on the adult human immune system.The study involves providing pills that contain vitamin D to one group of human adults,and pills that do not contain the vitamin or other active ingredients to another group of adults.The pills that do not contain vitamin D are ______.

A)placebos
B)interventions
C)distractors
D)antidotes

Question 61

The ____ is responsible for ensuring the safety and effectiveness of medications.

A)FTC
B)NRC
C)EPA
D)FDA

Question 62

Pellagra is an infectious disease.

Question 63

Dr.Joseph Goldberger's scientific finding about the cause of pellagra was not welcomed by members of the medical community.

Question 64

Which of the following conditions are signs or symptoms of pellagra?

A)Mental confusion and scaly skin sores
B)Blurred vision and dry eyes
C)Constipation and mild fever
D)Nasal congestion and trouble breathing

Question 65

The vitamin effective in treating pellagra is ______.

A)niacin
B)biotin
C)ascorbic acid
D)vitamin K

Question 66

The physician who studied pellagra in 1914 was ______.

A)Joseph Lister
B)Robert Cook
C)Joseph Goldberger
D)Joseph Smith