Are you ready for a healthy lifestyle but you’re stuck on where to get reliable information? Well look no longer! Today I am going to be giving you some tips on how to find credible sources of information about healthy dieting and exercise!
First off, you can find just about anything on the internet, but it can be increasingly difficult to find information that is reliable. When researching topics related to health and fitness, it is important to note that not all the sources you find may be credible. Some sources need to be met with caution because dieting and exercise can actually be detrimental to health if not done in a safe manner. Dieting and exercise is all about balance (especially with busy college schedules) so it is important to approach a healthy lifestyle with knowledge about how to determine if a source is credible or not. Here are some tips about researching health!
Scientific articles and literature reviews are a great source when you are looking for facts and real studies conducted about health and fitness. For example: Google scholar is a credible resource that contains many studies involving healthy diet and exercise regimens in college students. For example, a study by Lowry (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749379799001075 ), shows the prevalence of obesity in college students and the importance of implementing programs to increase student awareness.
Another great source… blogs! (obviously). Blogs are great way to get information about any topic of your choice in a personalized and casual approach. There are thousands of blogs created from professionals in the health industry and novices who are just passionate about living a healthy lifestyle. If you’re needing some more inspirational blogs besides this one, you can click here to visit the list of Top 20 Health and Fitness blogs. The key to finding relevant information and determining if it is accurate or inaccurate, is to see if the blog is related to or published by the population of interest (aka college students)!
Social Media: This can be a fantastic way to find information about health and fitness! There are tons of health and exercise influencers who are certified and active on social media. For example, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest are all social media platforms that are used by passionate health advocates to promote healthy living!
Have you ever heard of ChooseMyPlate.gov ? The United States Department of Agriculture created this organization that promotes healthy-eating lifestyles. This source is incredibly reliable and it is implemented all around the U.S.
Determining credibility: With so many resources available online, it is wise to consider the credibility of the sources you find online. A good way to determine if a resource is reliable is by checking the author(s). This will give you an idea of the context this research is coming from and if it can be trusted. Also, scientific studies and research journals are very credible because they provide specific data and research related to the topic of your choice.
Thank you, and I hope you all find these tips to be helpful!
Food, Fiber, and Fitness 