Engaging the Public To Build Trust in Science: Strategies for Nutrition Professionals To Understand and Respond to Misinformation

Chair(s)

• 

  Lisa Troy, PhD

  Associate Professor
  University of Massachusetts Amherst, School of Public Health and Health Sciences
  Amherst, Massachusetts, United States

  Disclosure(s): No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Moderator(s)

• 

  Alison Steiber, PhD, RDN (she/her/hers)

  Chief Mission, Impact and Strategy Officer
  Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
  Fort Collins, Colorado, United States

  Disclosure(s): Administration for Community Living: Grant/Research Support (Ongoing)

Speaker(s)

• 

  William Hallman, PhD (he/him/his)

  Distinguished Professor
  School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, School of Human Ecology
  Rutgers University
  New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States

  Disclosure(s): No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
• 

  Kevin Klatt, PhD, RD (he/him/his)

  Assistant Professor
  University of Toronto
  Toronto, Ontario, Canada

  Disclosure(s): American Society for Nutrition (ASN): Advisory Committee/Board Member (Ongoing)
  Gates Foundation: Consultant (Ongoing)
• 

  Kris Sollid, RD (he/him/his)

  Senior Director, Research & Consumer Insights
  International Food Information Council
  Baltimore, Maryland, United States

  Disclosure(s): No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
• 

  Tamar Haspel (she/her/hers)

  Columnist
  The Washington Post
  Marstons Mills, Massachusetts, United States

  Disclosure(s): No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

The nutrition and public health communities are experiencing a misinformation crisis - characterized by information that asserts or implies claims that are inconsistent with the accepted scientific evidence - often delivered through digital media in a highly politicized environment. Misinformation about nutrition, food, and health is attributed to limited literacy about the scientific approach within a rapidly evolving digital media ecosystem. Misinformation threatens the credibility of trained professionals to deliver science-based messages in the public interest. This session will explore the changing communications landscape; analyze the nature of the creation, spread, and impact of false or misleading information influencing the public’s knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about nutrition and health; and offer resources, skills, and strategies to engage stakeholders and the public to build trust and effectively communicate facts with positive framing to counter science misinformation.

Presentations:

• 4:30 PM - 4:35 PM ET

  Welcome - Engaging the Public To Build Trust in Science: Strategies for Nutrition Professionals To Understand and Respond to Misinformation
  

  Chair: Lisa M. Troy, PhD – University of Massachusetts Amherst, School of Public Health and Health Sciences
• 4:35 PM - 4:40 PM ET

  Introduction and Framing - Engaging the Public To Build Trust in Science: Strategies for Nutrition Professionals To Understand and Respond to Misinformation
  

  Moderator: Alison L. Steiber, PhD, RDN (she/her/hers) – Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• 4:40 PM - 4:50 PM ET

  How Deceptive Discourse Shapes Nutrition & Public Health Debates
  

  Speaker: William K. Hallman, PhD (he/him/his) – Rutgers University
• 4:50 PM - 5:00 PM ET

  From Research to Reality: Communicating Nutrition Science
  

  Speaker: Kevin Klatt, PhD, RD (he/him/his) – University of Toronto
• 5:00 PM - 5:10 PM ET

  What the Public Believes
  

  Speaker: Kris Sollid, RD (he/him/his) – International Food Information Council
• 5:10 PM - 5:20 PM ET

  Why Humans are Resistant to Change Despite Evidence to the Contrary
  

  Speaker: Tamar Haspel (she/her/hers) – The Washington Post
• 5:20 PM - 5:55 PM ET

  Panel Discussion / Questions and Answers - Engaging the Public To Build Trust in Science: Strategies for Nutrition Professionals To Understand and Respond to Misinformation
  

  Chair: Lisa M. Troy, PhD – University of Massachusetts Amherst, School of Public Health and Health Sciences

  Speaker: William K. Hallman, PhD (he/him/his) – Rutgers University

  Speaker: Tamar Haspel (she/her/hers) – The Washington Post

  Speaker: Kevin Klatt, PhD, RD (he/him/his) – University of Toronto

  Moderator: Alison L. Steiber, PhD, RDN (she/her/hers) – Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

  Speaker: Kris Sollid, RD (he/him/his) – International Food Information Council
• 5:55 PM - 6:00 PM ET

  Wrap-Up and Key Takeaways - Engaging the Public To Build Trust in Science: Strategies for Nutrition Professionals To Understand and Respond to Misinformation
  

  Moderator: Alison L. Steiber, PhD, RDN (she/her/hers) – Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics