Fighting Nutrition Misinformation: Where Are We At?
Elise explores why nutrition misinformation has become so pervasive and persuasive, drawing on insights from science of persuasion as well as examining how misleading messages are packaged, why nutrition creates particularly fertile ground for doubt and confusion, and how influencers use relatable narratives to build trust and override scientific evidence. The session breaks down the underlying logic of misinformation to gain a deeper understanding of both the scale of the problem and the tools available to counter it.
Originally presented at the Member Led Meeting Decoding Nutrition Misinformation: Separating Fact from Fiction, held in Dublin on 27 November 2025.
Instructor
Elise is a Cognitive Linguist specialising in how persuasive communication shapes reasoning over the long term. Her research focuses on misinformation and polarisation, building on earlier work examining the language of conflict. Elise currently studies patterns in nutrition and health-related misinformation, as well as the dynamics of social media language and how they influence the way people think about food, health, and broader societal issues. As a co-founder of FoodFacts.org, Elise combines fact-checking with media literacy building, helping people understand not only what is inaccurate but why misleading messages are persuasive. Elise is committed to empowering people with accurate, accessible information about food so that they can make informed decisions.
