Challenges to the Food as Medicine Movement: Research and Resource Guide

Industry-Funded Studies

News Articles

• A Scary Amount of Nutrition Science Has Deep Ties to The Food Industry, Study Reveals: ScienceAlert. December 26, 2020
• Food-Industry-Backed Research Gives Results Funders Want, New Analysis Shows: Scientific American. December 16, 2020
• In the Most Popular Nutrition Journals, 1 in 7 Articles Have Food Industry Involvement: The Counter. December 16, 2020
• Study: Industry Funding Skews Nutrition Research: Food Processing. December 17, 2020
• Marion Nestle Warns About Industry-Funded Research: Food Print. October 18, 2018
• Before You Read Another Health Study, Check Who’s Funding the Research: The Guardian. December 12, 2016
• The Food Industry’s Influence In Nutrition Research: NPR. September 17, 2016
• 50 Years Ago, Sugar Industry Quietly Paid Scientists To Point Blame At Fat: NPR. September 13, 2016

Peer Reviewed Articles

• The Characteristics and Extent of Food Industry Involvement in Peer-reviewed Research Articles from 10 Leading Nutrition-related Journals in 2018: PLOS One. December 16, 2020
• How Coca-Cola Shaped the International Congress on Physical Activity and Public Health: An Analysis of Email Exchanges between 2012 and 2014: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. December 16, 2020
• Industry-Funded Research and Bias in Food Science: SSRN. September 14, 2020
• Research Partnerships Between Coca-Cola and Health Organizations in Spain: European Journal of Public Health. October 1, 2019
• Sponsorship of National and Regional Professional Paediatrics Associations by Companies that Make Breast-milk Substitutes: Evidence from a Review of Official Websites: BMJ Open. August 10, 2019
• Are Industry-funded Charities Promoting “Advocacy-led Studies” or “Evidence-based Science”?: A Case Study of the International Life Sciences Institute: Global Health. June 3, 2019
• Association of Industry Ties with Outcomes of Studies Examining the Effect of Wholegrain Foods on Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis: BMJ Open. May 19, 2019
• Public Meets Private: Conversations Between Coca-Cola and the CDC: The Millbank Quarterly. March 2019
• The Influence of Industry Sponsorship on the Research Agenda: A Scoping Review: American Journal of Public Health. November 2018
• Science Organisations and Coca-Cola’s ‘War’ with the Public Health Community: Insights from an Internal Industry Document: Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. September 2018
• Food Industry Sponsorship of Academic Research: Investigating Commercial Bias in the Research Agenda: Public Health Nutrition. August 30, 2018
• Coca-Cola – A Model of Transparency in Research Partnerships? A Network Analysis of Coca-Cola’s Research Funding (2008-2016): Public Health Nutrition. June 2018
• Interpreting Evidence in General Practice: Bias and Conflicts of Interest: Australian Journal of General Practice. June 2018
• Research Interactions between Academia and Food Companies: How to Improve Transparency and Credibility of an Inevitable Liaison: European Journal of Nutrition. April 2018
• [Food Industry Funding and Epidemiologic Research in Public Health Nutrition]: Gaceta Sanitaria. March-April 2018
• Complexity and Conflicts of Interest Statements: A Case-study of Emails Exchanged between Coca-Cola and the Principal Investigators of the International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment (ISCOLE): Journal of Public Health Policy. February 2018
• Study Sponsorship and the Nutrition Research Agenda: Analysis of Cohort Studies Examining the Association Between Nutrition and Obesity: Public Health Nutrition. December 2017
• Comparison of Online Marketing Techniques on Food and Beverage Companies’ Websites in Six Countries: Global Health. October 26, 2017
• Study Sponsorship and the Nutrition Research Agenda: Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials Included in Systematic Reviews of Nutrition Interventions to Address Obesity: Public Health Nutrition. December 19, 2016
• Association of Industry Sponsorship With Outcomes of Nutrition Studies: JAMA Internal Medicine. December 2016
• Food Industry Funding of Nutrition Research: The Relevance of History for Current Debates: JAMA Internal Medicine. November 2016
• Food for Thought? Potential Conflicts of Interest in Academic Experts Advising Government and Charities on Dietary Policies: BMC Public Health. August 5, 2016
• The Relationship Between Study Sponsorship, Risks of Bias, and Research Outcomes in Atrazine Exposure Studies Conducted in Non-human Animals: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis: Environment International. July–August 2016
• Corporate Funding of Food and Nutrition Research: Science or Marketing?: JAMA Internal Medicine. January 2016
• A Cross-sectional Analysis of HIV and Hepatitis C Clinical Trials 2007 to 2010: The Relationship between Industry Sponsorship and Randomized Study Design: Trials. January 22, 2014
• Industry Sponsorship and Research Outcome: A Cochrane Review: JAMA Internal Medicine. April 8, 2013
• Vested Interests in Addiction Research and Policy. Why Do We Not See the Corporate Interests of the Alcohol Industry as Clearly as We See those of the Tobacco Industry?: Addiction. April 2013
• Reducing Potential Bias in Industry-funded Nutrition Research: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. September 2009
• What is the Food and Drink Industry Doing in Nutrition Conferences?: Public Health Nutrition. July 1, 2009
• Funding Food Science and Nutrition Research: Financial Conflicts and Scientific Integrity: Nutrition Reviews. May 2009
• Funding Food Science and Nutrition Research: Financial Conflicts and Scientific Integrity: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. April 8, 2009
• Alcohol Research and the Alcoholic Beverage Industry: Issues, Concerns and Conflicts of Interest: Addiction. February 2009
• Evaluating Solutions to Sponsorship Bias: Journal of Medical Ethics. August 2008
• An Analysis of the Clinical Development of Drugs in Norway for the Years 2000 and 2004: The Influence of the Pharmaceutical Industry: European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. August 3, 2007
• Relationship between Funding Source and Conclusion among Nutrition-Related Scientific Articles: PLOS One. January 9, 2007
• Does Industry Sponsorship Undermine the Integrity of Nutrition Research?: PLOS Medicine. January 9, 2007
• Food Company Sponsorship of Nutrition Research and Professional Activities: A Conflict of Interest?: Public Health Nutrition. January 2, 2007
• Industry-funded Research and Conflict of Interest: An Analysis of Research Sponsored by the Tobacco Industry through the Center for Indoor Air Research: Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law. 1996

Food Insecurity

News Articles

• Food-insecure Families Need Help Getting Nutritious Meals: Orlando Sentinel. March 18, 2021
• ‘Food Pharmacies’ In Clinics: When The Diagnosis Is Chronic Hunger: NPR. November 28, 2019
• Adults With Disabilities, Especially Mental Health Disabilities, Are at a Higher Risk for Food Insecurity: USDA Economic Research Service. September 5, 2017
• Success Spurs Expansion of ‘Neighbor Carts’ Program: Northwestern Medicine News Center. April 25, 2013

Peer-Reviewed Articles

• A Decade of Nutrition and Health Disparities Research at NIH, 2010–2019: American Journal of Preventive Medicine. April 22, 2022
• Food Insecurity and Delayed or Forgone Medical Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: American Journal of Public Health. April 13, 2022
• Food Insecurity Among Households with Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results from a Study Among Social Media Users Across the United States: Nutrition Journal. August 30, 2021
• Food Insecurity and Child Health: Pediatrics. October 2019
• Lessons Learned from Implementation of the Food Insecurity Screening and Referral Program at Kaiser Permanente Colorado: The Permanente Journal. October 5, 2018
• Food Insecurity and Mental Health Status: A Global Analysis of 149 Countries: American Journal of Preventive Medicine. April 27, 2017
• Veggie Rx: An Outcome Evaluation of a Healthy Food Incentive Programme: Public Health Nutrition. August 19, 2016
• Food Insecurity And Health Outcomes: Health Affairs. November 2015
• A Cross-Sectional Exploration of Food Security, Depression, and CHAOS in Low-Income Households with Children: Journal of Applied Research on Children. 2015
• Knowledge and Practices of Ohio Nurse Practitioners Regarding Food Access of Patients: Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. June 22, 2006

Health Claims and Marketing

News Articles

• False Advertising Lawsuits are Ramping Up in Food and Beverage: Food Dive. August 23, 2021
• Brain Food: Ingredients That Help With Stress And Focus: MindBodyGreen. June 15, 2021
• $10.5m Fundraise Helps GEM Take On ‘Reductionist’ Supplement Industry with Whole Food Bites: Food Navigator. May 11, 2021
• The Woman-founded Brand Apothékary Uses Food as Medicine for the Body: In the Know. March 18 2021
• Sakara Life Raises $15M for its Plant-Based Organic Meal Delivery and Wellness Brand: AlleyWatch. March 2021
• Just How Natural Are ‘Natural Flavors,’ Anyway?: Huffpost. August 26, 2020
• Kind Bar ‘All Natural’ Class Action Can Move Forward, NY Judge Says: Top Class Actions. February 14, 2019
• Superfoods Are a Marketing Ploy: The Atlantic. October 23, 2018
• Is ‘Natural Flavor’ Healthier Than ‘Artificial Flavor’?: NPR. November 3, 2017
• The Flavorists: Tweaking Tastes and Creating Cravings: CBS 60 Minutes. November 27, 2011

Peer-Reviewed Articles

• Adolescents’ Media Usage and Self-Reported Exposure to Advertising Across Six Countries: Implications for Less Healthy Food and Beverage Marketing: BMJ Open. 2022
• “Natural” Food Claims: Industry Practices, Consumer Expectations, and Class Action Lawsuits: Food and Drug Law Journal. 2021
• A Recipe for Chaos and Confusion: Consumers, Companies, and Courts are Hungry for Improved US Food and Beverage Regulations: UIC Law Review. 2021
• Measuring University Students’ Beliefs Toward Healthy Snack Selection: Journal of American College Health. March 24, 2020
• Consumer Beliefs About Healthy Foods and Diets: PLOS ONE. October 15, 2019
• Who Buys Products with Nutrition and Health Claims? A Purchase Simulation with Eye Tracking on the Influence of Consumers’ Nutrition Knowledge and Health Motivation: Nutrients. September 12, 2019
• “Isn’t it All Unnatural Anyway”? Labeling of Flavorings and Consumer Understanding: Ernaehrungs Umschau. August 14, 2019
• The Dilemma With the Soy Protein Health Claim: Journal of the American Heart Association. June 27, 2019
• Smart Food Policy for Healthy Food Labeling: Leading with Taste, not Healthiness, to Shift Consumption and Enjoyment of Healthy Foods: Preventive Medicine. February 2019
• Perspective: Structure-Function Claims on Infant Formula: Advances in Nutrition. May 2018
• What is an Unregulated and Potentially Misleading Label Worth? The Case of “Natural”-Labelled Groceries: Environmental and Resource Economics. 2018
• Regulating Inherently Subjective Food Labeling Claims: Environmental Law. 2017
• The “Natural” vs. “Natural Flavors” Conflict in Food Labeling: A Regulatory Viewpoint: Food and Drug Law Journal. 2017
• Consumer Judgments of Explicit and Implied Health Claims on Foods: Misguided But Not Misled: Food Policy. February 2015

Patient Understanding of Nutrition

News Articles

• More Than a Third of Adults Admit to Making Choices About Diet Based on Social Media: The Mirror. April 26, 2022

Peer-Reviewed Articles

• The Insta-diet: Current Allergy & Clinical Immunology. March 2021
• Social Media Influencer Rhetoric and the Domestication of Health at Every Size on Instagram: Rhetoric of Health and Medicine. October 24, 2022
• Sorting the Healthy Diet Signal from the Social Media Expert Noise: Preliminary Evidence from the Healthy Diet Discourse on Twitter: International Journal ofEnvironmental Research and Public Health. November 18, 2020
• TikTok is Proof that We Can’t Outrun Toxic Diet Culture: The Queen’s University Journal. July 27, 2020
• Inflaming Public Interest: A Qualitative Study of Adult Learners’ Perceptions on Nutrition and Inflammation: Nutrients. January 28, 2020
• Promoting Evidence Based Nutrition Education Across the World in a Competitive Space: Delivering a Massive Open Online Course: Nutrients. January 28, 2020
• Sorting the Healthy Diet Signal from the Social Media Expert Noise: Preliminary Evidence from the Healthy Diet Discourse on Twitter: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020
• A Call for a Public Health Agenda for Social Media Research: Journal of Medical Internet Research. December 19, 2019
• Consumer Beliefs about Healthy Foods and Diets: PLOS ONE. October 15, 2019
• Selling Health and Happiness: How Influencers Communicate on Instagram about Dieting and Exercise: BMC Public Health. August 6, 2019
• Information Exchange in Social Networks for Health Care: Journal of Consumer Marketing. August 2019
• Social Media Influencer Marketing and Children’s Food Intake: A Randomized Trial: Pediatrics. April 2019
• Food Trends and Popular Nutrition Advice Online – Implications for Public Health: Online Journal of Public Health Informatics. September 21, 2018
• Medical Nutrition Education, Training, and Competencies to Advance Guideline-Based Diet Counseling by Physicians: A Science Advisory From the American Heart Association: Circulation. April 30, 2018
• Advertisers Love Influence Marketing: ANA Study: Association of National Advertisers. April 3, 2018
• The Role of Influencer Marketing and Social Influencers in Public Health: Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. September 2017
• Trends and Disparities in the Prevalence of Physicians’ Counseling on Diet and Nutrition Among the U.S. Adult Population, 2000–2011: Preventive Medicine. August 2016
• The Association between Social Media Use and Eating Concerns among US Young Adults: Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2016
• The Role of Body Image in the Relationship Between Internet Use and Bulimic Symptoms: Three Theoretical Frameworks: Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking. September 17, 2015
• The State of Nutrition Education at US Medical Schools: Journal of Biomedical Education. August 6, 2015
• Negative Comparisons About One’s Appearance Mediate the Relationship Between Facebook Usage and Body Image Concerns: Body Image. November 17, 2014.
• Misleading Health-Related Information Promoted Through Video-Based Social Media: Anorexia on YouTube: Journal of Medical Internet Research. February 2013
• The Impact of Lifestyle Medicine Continuing Education on Provider Knowledge, Attitudes, and Counseling Behaviors: Medical Teacher. May 2013
• Health Literacy and Public Health: A Systematic Review and Integration of Definitions and Models: BMC Public Health. January 2012
• Definition of Health 2.0 and Medicine 2.0: A Systematic Review: Journal of Medical Internet Research. November 6, 2010
• Barriers to Providing Nutrition Counseling Cited by Physicians: A Survey of Primary Care Practitioners: Nutrition in Clinical Practice. October 2010
• Nutrition in Primary Care: Current Practices, Attitudes, and Barriers: Canadian Family Physician. March 2010
• Consumer Perception and Insights on Fats and Fatty Acids: Knowledge on the Quality of Diet Fat: Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism. 2009
• Health 2.0 and Medicine 2.0: Tensions and Controversies in the Field: Journal of Medical Internet Research. 2008
• Health and Modernity: The Role of Theory in Health Promotion: Springer-Verlag. 2007
• Diet and Physical Activity Counseling During Ambulatory Care Visits in the United States: Preventive Medicine. October 2004
• Health Literacy: Implications for Family Medicine: Family Medicine. September 2004
• Health Education as Social Policy: Health Education & Behavior. March 1974

Miscellaneous

Opposition Editorials

• Hey, Hippocrates: Food Isn’t Medicine. It’s Just Food. STAT, August 7, 2017
• Food Isn’t Medicine, Here’s Why It’s Dangerous to Believe It Is: Huffington Post, January 13, 2020
• The “Food as Medicine” Doctrine Hurts More Than it Helps: Allure, August 8, 2019
• The Exaggeration That is “Food as Medicine”: Science Blogs, June 8, 2015

Unproven Food Treatments for COVID-19

• ‘There’s No Quick Fix For COVID’; Doctors Bust Myths Around Steam Inhalation: The Better India. April 26, 2021
• No Evidence Drinking Tea Can Cure or Relieve Symptoms of COVID-19, Doctors Say: AFP Fact Check. September 2, 2020
• Experts Say Eating Garlic Does Not Prevent COVID-19 — and Onions are No Cure Either: AFP Fact Check. March 27, 2020
• Indian Health Authorities Refute Myth that Juiced Vegetables Can Cure COVID-19: AFP Fact Check. March 23, 2020
• Bananas Do Not Nelp Prevent the Coronavirus: Associated Press. March 18, 2020
• Doctors Refute Misleading Online Claim that Consuming Boiled Ginger can Cure Novel Coronavirus Infections: AFP Fact Check. March 16, 2020
• False Claims that Drinking Water with Lemon can Prevent COVID-19 Circulate Online: AFP Fact Check. March 12, 2020
• ‘No Meat, No Coronavirus’ Makes No Sense: The Wire India. February 2, 2020