PERSPECTIVE:

Challenges of translating observational evidence into dietary guidance

A recent study (“Fried potato consumption is associated with elevated mortality: an 8-y longitudinal cohort study”) in the American Journal of Nutrition generated dialogue about the role of potatoes in healthy lifestyles and, importantly, the impact of observational research on public health recommendations. You may want to read a perspective on this study and frequently cited challenges of epidemiologic research that can often be translated into over-generalized recommendations about specific foods and diets.