CONSUMER HEALTH & MARKETING

TECHNIQUES
 WHAT IS CONSUMER HEALTH?

Consumer health deals directly with you

as the purchaser of health related
products and services being informed
about health information that will have a
direct effect on your heath.

A science that deals directly with

ensuring that you select health products
and services wisely. Being able to know
warning signs for faulty products is a
main role within consumer health.
 FRAUDULENT HEALTH PRODUCTS

• Health fraud is defined as the deceptive promotion or

sale of a produce being represented as effective to
prevent, diagnose, or cure an illness or condition, or
some other health benefit, but has not been proven safe
and effective for these purposes
• Scams or frauds are all around. They claim
misinformation that may make a product too good to be
true. This is why it important to do prior research
before starting a product or speak to your healthcare
provider.
• Also, knowing the warning signs can prevent you from
falling victim to health fraud
 KNOW THE WARNING SIGNS

• Following claims and phrases are considered to be “red flags”

• The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) advises consumers to look out for these when
deciding whether to try an unknown or unproven health product:
• Miraculous Cure
• Quick Fix
• Ancient Remedy
• New Discovery
• Scientific Breakthrough
• Secret Ingredient
• Natural Cure
• Quick and Painless Cure
• No-Risk Money-Back Guarantee
 DECEPTION TACTICS

• False Claims: Claiming that the product has no side effects or associated symptoms when using the product
• False Expectations: Claiming that the product will bring about results that are “too good to be true”
• Promising Simple Solutions to Complex Problems: That doing everyday things such as sleeping will have results on
something completely unrelated such as weight loss
• Not Providing Scientific Research to Support Claims: Looking to a foreign country saying that results have been
discovered there.
• Criticizing the Medical Establishment: Saying that the medical community doesn't’t want you to know about a
product. They claim to be a conspiracy against the medical community that they would withhold the information
from you.
• Money-back guarantees: Company offers money back guarantee with the knowledge that most people wont take
the time or effort to try to get their money back
• Cures or Miracles: The company advertises that the product that will fully cure a disease or provide miracle work.
But, then if you search the bottle, fine print will state that the produce will not a cure or miracle
• Celebrity Endorsements: Companies will hire famous spokes people to get you to connect the product with the
celebrity and that they actually use it.
• Mass Media Marketing: The product is sold mainly through television, radio, newspapers, and magazine products.
 PLACEBO EFFECT

• The placebo effect is a physical or emotional

change that is not actually due to the
properties of a medication, treatment, or
substance. But is in relation to a persons
thoughts that the product should work.

• With consumer health, it is important to

realize that the placebo effect is real. Meaning
that certain vitamins, enhancers, or weight loss
pills may not actually work. It could be a
mental reaction making you THINK that the
product is actually working.
 HEALTH LITERACY

The degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain,

process, and understand basic health information and services
needed to make appropriate health decisions.

Individuals who have good health literacy must have the ability
to
Read and Identify Credible Health Information
Use Technology to Access Health Information and Services
Understand Numbers in the Context of their Health Care
Make Appointments and Fill Out Forms
Gather Health Records and Ask Appropriate Questions
Advocate for Appropriate Care
Navigate Complex Health Insurance Programs

Around 9 out of 10 adults have difficulty using the everyday

health information that is commonly available
 FEDERAL PROTECTIONS

• The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) is the first protection

agency for consumer health. The main responsibilities are:
• Protecting the public health by ensuring that foods are safe and
properly labeled, and that drugs, vaccines, and other biological products
and medical devices intended for human use are safe and effective
• Protecting the public from electronic radiation
• Ensure that cosmetics and dietary supplements are safe and labeled
• Advancing the public health by helping to speed product innovations
• Helping the public get accurate, science based information they need to
use medicines, devices, and foods to improve their health
 FEDERAL PROVISIONS

• The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) is the second

governmental agency involved in product safety and
regulations.
• The mission is to prevent business practices that are
anticompetitive or deceptive or unfair to consumers
• To enhance informed consumer choice and public
understanding of the competitive process
• To accomplish this with out burdening business activities that is
legitimate
• The FTC collects complaints about companies, business
practices, identity theft, and episodes of violence in the
media
 DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS

• A dietary supplement is a product taken by mouth that contains a

“dietary ingredients”. These include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and
herbs.
• The FDA recommends that if you are using or thinking about starting
to use a supplement, you should:
• Check with your healthcare provider or dietitian about any nutrients that
may needed to be added to your diet
• Ask your healthcare provider to ask you to differentiate between reliable
and questionable information
• Return back to the warning sings. Ask if the information sounds too good to
be true
• Unrealistic or exaggerated
• Uncertain claims
 PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER

• A primary care provider is a doctor or physician that you see for common medical
problems.
• This individual cares for the majority of your nonemergency care, learns your health history,
recommends test and screenings needed to maintain health and detect illness, and to notice
changes in your health.
• When selecting a primary care provider (PCP), it is important to ask the following
questions:
• Is the office staff friendly or healthful? Do they return your calls?
• Are the office hours convenient to your schedule?
• How easy is it to reach the provider? Do they use email?
• Does the provider has a conservative or aggressive approach to treatment?
• Does the provider use a lot of tests?
• What do colleagues and patients say about the provider?
 HEALTH INSURANCE RUNDOWN

• Health Insurance is a formal agreement to provide and/or pay for

medical care
• Health insurance policies describe which medical services are covered by
the insurance company
• Not all medical services are covered by insurance, which means there
will be some out of pocket (you pay for yourself) costs.
• There are four categories of health insurance: Bronze, Silver, Gold,
and Platinum. Each plan is different with how you and the plan share
costs
• You will pay a monthly bill to your insurance company every month, even
if you don’t use any services that month.
• One will typically pay out of pocket costs when you get care
 DIET AND NUTRITION

• Diet and nutrition play an important role in the development and

progression of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease,
stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, and some forms of cancer
• Obesity and osteoporosis can also be decreased upon with proper eating
and nutrition habits.
• Good nutrition habits play a role in maintaining good health and
preventive measures towards chronic disease
• Healthy eating is defined as: the practice of making choices about
what you eat with the intention of improving or maintaining good
health
• This means following recommendations on a nutritional diet
• But, there are misconceptions about what constitutes a healthy diet,
with many different outlooks being available (such as fad diets)
 NUTRITION

• Nutrition: the science of food, the nutrients and the

substances therein, their action, interaction, and balance in
relation to health and disease, and the process by which the
organism ingest, digest, absorbs, transports, utilizes, and
excretes food substances
• Food choices tend to be impacted by reasons other than
nutritional content, such as:
• Personal factors, including pleasure or preference,
emotional comfort, values, attitudes, social pressure,
image, habit, ethnic and cultural background, availability,
convenience, and cost.
 NUTRIENT BREAKDOWN

• Nutrients
• Nutrients are found within the foods we eat. Which is why it’s important to pick foods that are considered to be healthy,
because they will provide more nutrients. Nutrients help to perform major functions in the body, such as providing energy,
help regular body processes (such as digestion) and build and/or repair tissues.
• Digestion
• Digestion is a process which everyone should be familiar with. It is the process of food being broken down within the body.
This occurs during a series of complex mechanical and chemical reactions. Mechanical meaning the process by which you eat
food, where the teeth are used to chop food into smaller pieces for swallowing. Chemical meaning that saliva is mixed in with
the food particles to break it down into nutrients
• Macronutrients
• Macronutrients are also found within the food you eat. They are found in three forms: carbohydrates (such as your breads,
pastas, etc.), fats (oils, butter, etc.) and proteins (lean meats, nuts, etc.). These are required to provide fuel for the body’s
energy requirements, or to help you perform everyday tasks without exhaustion.
• Micronutrients
• These are nutrients that are required in smaller amounts of the body (micro) than when compared to the macronutrients.
These include vitamins, minerals, and water. The micronutrients play an important role in activating the release of the energy
accumulated by the macronutrients known as human metabolism.
 NUTRIENT BREAKDOWN PART 2

• Calorie
• Amount of heat it takes to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius. Think of this in terms of energy. When talking
about heat, it is in relation to energy. Calories are just a measurement, so don’t be confused by this. Calories help to inform an individual
how much “fuel” or energy should be provided by the food. It is important to pick foods that are high in good calories, meaning there are
not a lot of unnecessary fats or sugars. These foods may leave you feeling full, but will not provide you with a lot of energy. Energy is
provided by carbohydrates, proteins, and fats (the macronutrients).
• Essential Nutrients
• These are nutrients that the body CANNOT make itself, meaning they must come from food. These are things such as vitamins, minerals,
water, and some fats.
• Non-Essential Nutrients
• These are nutrients that can be made by the body, meaning it is not crucial they are obtained from food.
• Proteins
• One of the most essential nutrients that the body uses more than any other nutrient. The role of proteins includes new growth and to
build proteins within the body, such as hormones and antibodies (to ward off diseases). They also help to replace worn out cells within
the body. Sometimes known as “body-building nutrients” due to the role they play within the body processes.
• Amino Acids
• Amino acids are the makeup of proteins. Amino acids contain atoms of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. The body can make some
amino acids, but there are eight that the body CANNOT make, which are known as essential amino acids. Complete proteins are those
which contain all 20 of the essential amino acids (examples include: eggs, milk, meat, fish, poultry, and soybeans).
 TYPES OF FIBER

• Dietary fiber is a term for carbohydrate polysaccharides of

plants that cannot be digested by the stomach or small
intestines. It is not an essential nutrient but does have
health benefits in relation to maintenance and disease
prevention
• Insoluble fibers are not dissolved in water or metabolized
by the intestines. These are what help feces easily pass
through the body due to making them softer and clumped
together
• Soluble fibers are dissolved in water and CAN be
metabolized in the large intestines. These fibers help in
draining cholesterol from the body
NUTRITION LABEL

1. Servings
Serving size and servings per container are listed at the
top. These are now in larger and bolder print on the
newer label. Serving size has been updated to reflect
what people actually eat and drink today
2. Calories
These are now bolder and larger
3. Fats
“Calories from fat has been removed” because research
has shown that the different types of fat consumed are
more important
4. Added Sugars
Now required to be listed in grams and as a percent of
daily value. The new label now includes sugars that have
been added to the product
5. Nutrients
Vitamin D and Potassium are now required on the label.
Vitamin A and C have been removed because
deficiencies in these are rare.