FSCN1013: Dietary Supplements: scientific, regulatory, and cultural aspects

Dietary supplements are commonplace in modern life, especially in the United States, furthermore the dietary supplement industry is a multi billion dollar industry with relatively little government oversight and regulation. Many factors have spurred the use of dietary supplements such as changes in dietary patterns, growing focus on preventative healthcare, marketing & social media (e.g., celebrity and athletic endorsements & consumer anecdotes), and increased accessibility through e-commerce, but there has been little philosophical work on the ethical issues surrounding these. This course is designed to encourage students to critically examine and reflect on these factors as well as dietary supplement use across cultures and the appropriation of traditional medicines and knowledge for commercial gains. Students will also evaluate information on dietary supplements for performance, strength, weight loss, and the treatment of diseases or delay of disease onset and assess the ethical decision making related to the marketing and use of supplements for these purposes.

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