One of the perks of being a librarian is having easy access to guides like
Choice, where subject experts review books, websites, and other resources. I often use the books reviewed in
Choice to add to the collection here at Newman Library, but this week,
Choice reviewed several free, really cool websites that I just had to share with you all:
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010
Available:
http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/DGAs2010-PolicyDocument.htm
Of the three sites I'm discussing here, I'm guessing that the
Dietary Guidelines is the one that you may already be familiar with. This site represents the federal government's evidence-based recommendations for promoting health. This is the 7th edition of the
Dietary Guidelines, and includes an executive summary with key recommendations, 6 chapters detailing healthy eating practices, and some consumer-specific information.
USDA Nutrition Evidence Library
Available:
http://www.nutritionevidencelibrary.gov/
The USDA NEL provides a "key resource for making food and nutrition research available to all Americans." Essentially, this site provides the systematic reviews that inform federal policies and documents, such as the
Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The A-Z index that is part of this resource actually provides the systematic review questions that researchers used to review, evaluate, and synthesize food and nutrition related research. If you don't have access to the
ADA Evidence Analysis Library, this resource might be a good alternative.
Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity
Available:
http://www.nutritionevidencelibrary.gov/
According to its website, the Rudd Center at Yale "assess, critiques, and strives to improve practices and policies related to nutrition and obesity so as to inform and empower the public, to promote objective, science-based approaches to policy, and to maximize the impact on public health." The page provides a list of
hot topics, and discusses research revolving around a number of various perspectives on food policy and obesity. Explore it for some interesting reading and ideas about how research projects can inform and change policy.
