XNB252 Food and Nutrition Across the Lifecycle

Assessment Name

Assessment 2 Essay (Critique)

Description

Your task is to critically evaluate a nutrition product and its promotional messaging, similar to those you may encounter in everyday life. Nutrition products are often marketed to specific life stages and age groups, and their claims can sometimes conflict with evidence-based recommendations. By deepening our understanding of these issues and staying informed about current trends in both information and misinformation, we can better provide timely, evidence-based advice to counter misleading messages.

This is an authentic assignment designed to mirror real-world professional practice in pharmacy and nutrition. As future health professionals, you will be expected to stay current with emerging health products and critically evaluate their claims against the latest scientific evidence—skills that are essential for making informed recommendations to clients and patients.

Due Date

See the Assignments Section on Canvas for details of due date

Length

• Critique- 1000 words, +/- 10% (this excludes in-text references, use of tables or figures and ref list).

• Literature Matrix – maximum 2 pages (adhering to formatting requirements)

• Media bite component– Media bite maximum 150 words; reflection 300 +/- 10%words; Generative AI prompts- unlimited words

Weighting to overall

35%

Individual or Group

Individual

Eligible for 48-hour extension

Yes

How will I be accessed?

Refer to Qualitative rubric (7 – 1) (attached and on Canvas)

Learning outcomes measured

1. Identify and interpret the key issues and strategies relating to nutrition, promotion of health and wellbeing, and chronic disease prevention across each stage of the lifecycle in Australia and globally [XN43, XN45 CLO-1,2].

3. Develop food-based solutions to nutrition problems including designing food plans for promotion and maintenance of optimal health for different age groups [XN43, XN45 CLO-3].

4. Demonstrate professional communication skills of targeting to a specific audience, evidence-based decision-making, developing professional judgement and reflection [XN43, XN45 CLO-4].

Moderation

This assessment item will be moderated before marks are released.

What you need to do

TASK

This section outlines how to structure and approach your critique of a nutrition product and its promotional messages, ensuring your work is evidence-based and aligned with relevant guidelines. You will be assigned a food product to critique (Please see CANVAS for the product you have been allocated. The actual links will be in Appendix 1 at the end of this document).

1. Critique

Write an essay critiquing this product, addressing all the points below. You are not required to use section headings. They are used here to guide you.

Introduction

• Briefly introduce the assigned product: Name, type (food or supplement), and its main advertised purpose.

• Describe the company: Include its mission, values, and overall purpose (e.g., promoting wellness, targeting specific health concerns).

• Other products: List other notable products on the company website, highlighting any patterns (e.g., focus on weight loss, sports nutrition, children’s health).

• Demographics: Specify the target age range, gender, and other characteristics (e.g., “women aged 35–55 interested in weight management”).

• Socioeconomic status: Use clues from website imagery, testimonials, pricing, and social media engagement to infer the intended audience (e.g., products priced for higher-income consumers, or testimonials from athletes).

• Health focus: Identify the key health benefit promoted (e.g., “supports immunity,” “improves gut health,” “boosts energy”). Is the product claiming multiple health benefits?

• Promotional Messaging such as:

o Language and graphics: Note emotive words (e.g., “supercharge,” “essential,” “clinically proven”), imagery (e.g., happy families, athletes), and design features (e.g., gold medals, scientific icons).

o Information presented: Summarise how the website presents information to attract the target group (e.g., before-and after photos, testimonials, expert endorsements).

Main Critique

• Identify the main ingredient: Choose one ingredient ONLY, that is central to the primary health claim (e.g., probiotics for gut health, vitamin C for immunity). The only time you should consider more than one ingredient is if they synergistically work to provide the health benefit such has prebiotics/probiotics or iron+ vitamin C.

• Required daily amount: State the recommended daily intake for the benefit.

• Peer-reviewed evidence: Present findings from original studies and reviews on whether the ingredient delivers the claimed benefit at the promoted dosage.

• Compare to product claims: Highlight any discrepancies between the scientific consensus and the company’s promotional statements.

• Potential risks: Note any adverse effects or risks associated with the ingredient, especially at high doses or in specific populations.

• Regulatory Assessment

• Claim classification: Has the company made any general or high-level health claim according to Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) definitions:

o General level health claim: Relates to a nutrient and its effect on health, but not serious disease (e.g., “supports immune function”).

o High level health claim: Relates to a nutrient and a serious disease or biomarker (e.g., “reduces risk of heart disease”).

• Compliance: Assess whether the claim is substantiated and allowed under FSANZ. Has the company used any misleading language would cause the consumer to believe in a perceived benefit?

Conclusion

• Take-home message: Summarise your overall assessment—does the product deliver on its claims? Are the claims evidence-based and compliant with regulations?

• Food-based alternatives: Recommend affordable, whole-food alternatives that provide similar nutritional benefits (e.g., “For vitamin C, two serves of fruit per day, selecting options high in vitamin C such as oranges, strawberries, and capsicum instead of supplements”).

• Nutrition advice: Support your recommendations with relevant guidelines such as, but not limited to:

o Australian Guide to Healthy Eating

o Australian Dietary Guidelines

o Infant Feeding Guidelines

o NHMRC Clinical Practice Guidelines for Overweight and Obesity: Encourage healthy eating, physical activity, and evidence-based interventions for weight management.

o DASH diet

2. Literature Matrix

The is no limit to the number of sources of literature you should include in your critique. From your list of sources, select five (5) of the best PRIMARY SOURCES i.e. original research and not reviews that supported your critique, to include in this table. You will be provided a template to summarise and review the 5 primary literature sources.

3. Media bite (intended for the target audience)

• Use Copilot (Generative AI) to produce a 150-word media bite for use in social media that summarises your findings. The media bite will have three distinct sections, and written in very simple but persuasive language that could be easily understood (grade 4 level):

• What is the promise?

• What is your finding?

• What is your food- based recommendation?

• Use the template to provide the following information:

• Provide a list of all the prompts you needed to give Copilot to generate a media bite that accurately reflects your 1000- word essay and key findings. List ALL tries.

• If you are unhappy with what AI generated, you can write it yourself- please state this in your reflection as part of the first point.

• Following this, you are required to write a 300-word reflection on your experience using generative AI to condense a scientific essay to a media bite in lay language. In your reflection, please address the following points:

o Evaluate the use of AI: Discuss two strengths and two limitations you encountered when using AI to create the media bite. If you had to write it yourself, then this will be discussed as a limitation of AI.

o Consider ethical and practical issues: What are any ethical concerns or challenges related to accuracy, bias, or transparency when using AI-generated content in health communication.

o Explain how you translated scientific evidence: Describe how you balanced presenting scientific information clearly and persuasively in a short format using AI.

o Share your learning experience: Explain what you learned about using AI tools and how this might impact your future communication skills as a health professional.

4. References

Include a full list of references at the end of your document. Use QUT APA referencing throughout your critique, matrix table and media bite. They can all be presented in the one reference list. Use CITE|WRITE for guidance https://www.citewrite.qut.edu.au/

What you need to submit

One Microsoft Word document that contains the following items in order:

• An evidence-based critique of the product and its promotional message(s)

• A literature matrix of 5 primary research papers which support your critique (use template provided)

• A media bite and reflection informed by your critique (use template provided)

• Complete list of references used in QUT APA format.

Formatting

• Margins: 2cm

• Font: Calibri

• Font size: 11 for critique and media bite; 10 for the table

• Spacing: 1.15 line spacing for critique, everything else is single-spaced

How to submit

See the Assessment details page on Canvas for submission details.

Academic integrity

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic and professional standards and as a QUT student you are expected to undertake your academic work and assessment in a manner which is consistent with the principles of academic integrity (QUT Student Code of Conduct). A breach of academic integrity includes all forms of cheating, as well as contract cheating, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and obtaining an academic concession through misrepresentation. Failure to maintain appropriate standards of academic integrity may be dealt with as academic misconduct and result in significant penalties. For further information see:

• Academic Integrity 

• Academic integrity policy 

Academic concessions

QUT supports students who experience events that impact upon their study with a range of concessions, including assignment extensions and deferred exams. For further information see.

• Assignment extensions 

• Deferred exams 

• Special consideration

• Student academic concessions policy 

Use of Generative AI tools

As per the assessment description, the Media Bite will be generated using Gen AI using a tool of your choice. In addition to this, you may use Gen AI for:

• Understanding assessment instructions

• Studying the topic

• Brainstorming

• Structuring outlines or frameworks

• Proofreading

• Making text more succinct

• Editing

• Getting feedback

Using Gen AI to produce the main essay is strictly prohibited. Where large sections of the essay have been flagged as generated by AI, these sections will not be marked.