COURSE IV: Post Modern Dietetics

In the introduction we first acknowledge the profound elemental nature of what we call nutrition; through death, life is nourished. Something as simple as knowing what as humans we are to eat, has become a fraught arena of conflicting ideologies, investments, biases, misinformation and marketing. In this confusion we review different frameworks for understanding what ‘is’ and reorientate to the ‘scientific method’. The invitation here is to bring awareness and curiosity to each of our biases, keeping heart and mind open to learning.

In Post Modern Dietetics, we look at what lies behind the so-called ‘science’ of nutritional research and dietetics. Starting by revisiting the scientific method,we look at the design of trials, how ‘evidence’ is assessed, and review 9 important means for establishing causality – the Bradford Hill Criteria. This highlights the challenges in reaching conclusions from epidemiological research on nutrition. Distortions in interpretation are elucidated, particularly that of relative and absolute risk. The important landmarks in the development of the ‘Food Pyramid’ are noted, including the role of Kelloggs, Ancel Keys and the McGoven report. Understanding these powerful interests helps us begin to recognise patterns at play in the realm of nutrition and health ideologies.