Yucatecan nutrition expert criticizes media health reports

By Juan Carlos Avila, Nutritionist.

A graduate of the Universidad Marista de Mérida, with Social Service and several collaborations on investigations in the area of Nutrition Management of the National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition Salvador Zubirán and the Texas Biomedical Research Institute, Specialist in Public Health by the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán.

In the past few days there was published a note in a local newspaper, which now we have lost our confidence about its prestige, in that article 5 foods were designated as “destroyers of the metabolism”. As a nutritionist, I am deeply offended when news of this kind reaches the population. The media should support the fight we are having daily against obesity and malnutrition, issuing nutrition recommendations based on scientific evidence.

To you as a reader I ask you to demand in each article the scientific evidence that supports this idea, the clinical experience of the one who recommends them, and think about that ​​each person is different and the needs between one person and another are not the same, and therefore the recommendations are not part of an absolute truth.

To all health professionals, I write to you in order to promote the curiosity of each one of you, and when you are faced with a problem of clinical decision, look for the best information available, which provides enough scientific evidence to support them.

Publishing articles that relate to diet and public health status is a big responsibility. There are even some recommendations from “experts” based on studies that lack quality. I urge those media to rely on scientific associations before publishing such common sense articles, and invite those who write these articles to think a little about the harm they cause to society.

Finally, I thank all nutritionists and health professionals who have been promulgated against this type of article. I hope these media soon see their lack of awareness and the public demand quality information.

L.N. Juan Carlos Avila López

Public Health Specialist

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