Critical Thinking
Briefly summarize the claim and the evidence to support the claim(s) made in the popular media.
The popular media is a magazine that has focused on food as medicine. The author of the magazine has presented evidence that has been used to support the claims that have been made about food as medicine. The evidence that the piece of information presents is about foods and the impacts that they have on the body of a human (Healthline, 2020). Foods are divided into different categories, and each of the categories has an impact on the body of a human being. For example, when the body of a human being takes in proteins, they are used to promote growth and repair injured muscles. The media has stated that when a person takes foods that are rich in nutritional value, he or she avoids getting illnesses. Also, the case that one is suffering from a deficiency illness, one can take foods that are rich in the nutrients that the body is lacking. Given the fact that the food nutrients will help to eliminate the deficiency, it becomes evident that foods have the power to cure.
Identify at least one aspect in the popular media that increased your skepticism.
The approach that the author of the media took raises the alarm. The author has done a good job of presenting facts that are associated with food nutritional values and components. However, the author does not state the exact illnesses that particular foods are supposed to heal. For example, a person with diabetes is given insulin. In this case, it is clearly known that insulin is used by people with diabetes. The media fails to state the type of food that one should take to recover from a specific illness (Healthline, 2020). When an author takes an indirect approach to an issue, there are possibilities that the author is trying to hide some of the facts that are associated with the topic of research.
Discuss examples of possible bias and/or faulty reasoning.
The possible bias that was demonstrated in the media pertains to the relationship between health and nutrition. The food that a person eats affects his or her health. It is from this idea that the author concluded that food could be used to cure illnesses.
Briefly summarize the claim(s) and the evidence to support the claim(s) made in the journal article.
The article claims that the accumulation of fat in the liver is fostered by the food that a person eats. It, therefore, becomes imperative to ensure that people consume foods that have lesser fats. The article presents evidence to back up the claims (Marchesini, Petta, & Dalle Grave, 2016). The authors have stated that weight loss is one of the best ways of dealing with fatty liver disease. In the process of losing weight, the food that a person takes plays an essential role. When one continues to take a lot of carbohydrates, and fatty foods, losing weight becomes a challenge. However, when one focuses on whole meals, fruits, and vegetables, it becomes easier to lose weight. In this case, it is the diet of a person that helps one to deal with fatty liver disease, and therefore, credit goes to the food that one eats.
Compare the strengths and limitations of the evidentiary processes in both articles.
The two pieces of information have the same strengths. In each piece, there is data to support the claims. The authors have also presented facts about foods and their nutritional value to the body of a human (Healthline, 2020). When it comes to limitation, the popular media has taken an indirect approach to the issue at hand. The media tries to state that because foods have nutritional values to promote a healthy life, they can be utilized as medicines. The limitation of the second article is that it does not argue the point from a curative perspective but from a preventive perspective (Marchesini et al. 2016). The introduction of certain foods in the body can prevent one from contracting certain illnesses. However, it is not scientifically proven that when a person eats certain foods, they cure him or her of a specific illness.
References
Healthline. (2020). Can Food Act as Medicine? All You Need to Know. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/food-as-medicine
Marchesini, G., Petta, S., & Dalle Grave, R. (2016). Diet, weight loss, and liver health in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: Pathophysiology, evidence, and practice. Hepatology, 63(6), 2032-2043.