Barriers to Nutrition Decisions

Barriers to Nutrition Decisions

Joy Stepinski, MSN, RN-BC

February 1, 2026

Humans make thousands of decisions every day. Decisions are not just life-changing choices we face, but also the countless small decisions we make almost automatically and instantaneously throughout each day. We decide at what time to get up each morning, what clothes to wear, how to brush our teeth, and the tasks we set out to accomplish until the end of the day. Part of our daily routine is the food we decide to put into our mouths. The choice of nutrition is one of the most important ones we can make for our body’s health. Yet often, these choices are the most difficult. Many barriers exist when deciding on healthy diets, including knowledge, busy schedules, and energy depletion.

To gain insight about nutrition, where does one look? There is an abundance of information, often with mixed messages. Which diet is the best? There is the keto diet, blood type diets, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, and the paleo diet, among many others. Food packages often claim that their product contains the most essential food elements, such as high vitamin C, the best taste, or the most nutritious ingredients. Which marketing claim is factual?

The United States government just unveiled new nutrition guidelines. Components include prioritizing protein, using nutrient-dense fats from whole foods, and consuming food low in carbohydrates. Yet a recent article in Newsweek stated that the new guidelines “are under scrutiny after it emerged that some of the experts behind the recommendations have financial ties to the beef and dairy industries,” [1] such as the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Seafood Nutrition Partnership, and the National Dairy Council.

Nutrition guidelines should focus on promoting a healthy body, rather than being centered on marketing strategies. In 2024, the Commonwealth Fund released findings comparing the health outcomes in the United States with those of 10 other nations. The results were alarming, as the organization stated that the U.S. underperforms when meeting the healthcare needs of its citizens and lags behind peer countries in health outcomes. For example, the United States scored worst on health outcomes and highest on healthcare spending compared to other high-income countries, such as Germany, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Americans also live the shortest lives. Agricultural funding, political strategy, and marketing gimmicks simply do not support the health of the human body. When considering health, the most important food choices reflect longevity, vitality, and freedom from disease whenever possible.

In the book The China Study: Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, and Long-term Health by T. Colin Campbell [3], the author states that a good diet is “the most powerful weapon we have against disease and sickness” (p. 3). After all, Americans are estimated to consume approximately one ton of food annually [4]. Eating a healthy diet can prevent and sometimes reverse debilitating diseases, like heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. Other illnesses like cancer, autoimmune diseases, vision, and more are influenced by food. For example, Campbell’s research showed that a diet low in casein, an animal protein found in cow’s milk, can inhibit the initiation of cancer when exposing animals to a carcinogen called aflatoxin.

Other research findings support these claims. Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn documented his outcomes in Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease [5]. He highlighted that nearly all money spent on disease pays for treating symptoms. On the other hand, nutrition can address the cause of heart disease, the number one killer in the United States. His program instructed that patients strictly consume only vegetables, including leafy greens, fruits, legumes, and whole grains. Findings showed that heart disease could be stopped and reversed through food alone. With this knowledge, patients had an option separate from surgical procedures and interventions.

Dr. Neal Barnard reported his findings about the effect of food on diabetes in the book Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes [6]. Barnard discussed that the current management of diabetes largely limits the amount of carbohydrates a person consumes. Carbohydrates provide glucose, the main energy source of the cell. Yet carbohydrates are

not the cause of diabetes. The real problem is too much fat. Fat inhibits the ability of insulin to do its job of allowing glucose into the cells. The goal in diabetes is not to manage blood sugar, but instead create an environment where insulin can function well. To do this, people build their plates around whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruit while avoiding animal foods, added oils, and foods with high glycemic index (i.e., white bread). Barnard’s research has shown that diabetes can be reversed, along with complications of the disease.

Knowledge truly is power. When deciding on which food to eat, diet should not be the culprit for disease. A diet should bring longevity and years of health. These three examples show profound health implications. As the famous quote from Hippocrates states, let food be thy medicine. Next month, we will investigate other barriers to nutrition decisions.

To be continued….

References

1.      Afshar, M. F. (2026, January 8). Experts behind new food pyramid have ties to beef, dairy industries. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/experts-behind-new-food-pyramid-ties-beef-dairy-industries-11328283

2.      Blumenthal, D., Gumas, E. D., Shah, A., Gunja, M. Z., & Williams II, R. D. (2024, September 19). Mirror, Mirror 2024: A portrait of the failing U.S. health system — Comparing performance in 10 nations. The Commonwealth Fund. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2024/sep/mirror-mirror-2024

3.      Campbell, T. C., & Campbell, T. M. (2006). The China Study: Starting implications for diet, weight loss, and long-term health. BenBella Books, Inc.

4.      Aubrey, A. (2011, December 31). The average American ate (literally) a ton this year. NPR. https://www.kunc.org/npr-news/2011-12-31/the-average-american-ate-literally-a-ton-this-year

5.      Esselstyn, C. B. (2007). Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease. Avery.

6.      Barnard, N. D. (2017). Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes. Rodale.