Thanks for your replies, here's more food for thought
Today's Daily Sun article (03-05-14) in the Lifestyle section (D) might be a good example of industry teaching/influencing dietitions: On the front page of today's lifestyle section the heading read: "Eating To Stay Young", written by a USF doctor/dietition.
In the article, dairy-foods were recommended "to help maintain bone health."
The FDA does not allow the dairy industry to make this claim because it has never been scientifically proven to their satisfaction. So why do dietitions regularly promote dairy products for bone health?
If the dairy industry can't prove that dairy "helps maintain bone health" then it's safe to say that dietitians can't prove it either. So why do dietitians dutifully keep promoting it over and over again? It must be that the dairy industry is teaching this to dietitions and finding various ways to bring their influence to bear. They can encourage others, third parties, to say what they are not allowed to say themselves.
This, in my opinion, illustrates the power that the food industry has to insert itself into the field of nutrition education.
You might ask, "what harm can it do?" Well, for one thing, it gives fales hope to those who are fighting against osteoporosis. They could be eating other foods that would be more helpful to their condition, rather than wasting their time with dairy products. And how many parents buy dairy-foods for their children thinking that dairy builds strong bones? It represents a lost opportunity to eat better.
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