Anyone who has spent some time talking with me about food and cooking knows that I am a strong advocate of learning how to do things for yourself and understanding how the food we eat impacts our lives. I think it's great for people to make their own mayonnaise, even if they usually get it in a jar from the grocery store. I think filleting a whole fish is the sort of undertaking that teaches you about how that fish is put together and why certain methods of cooking are more highly suggested for it than others.
But what is a well-intentioned person supposed to do when they open their newspaper, headline website, or turn on the nightly news and several conflicting stories, studies, or the like are facing them? Well, not to be too obnoxious about it all, but that well-intentioned person should gather the information presented, gather more information if necessary, and think for themselves. Just like spending time in the kitchen with your food will give you insights you aren't going to get at a restaurant or with a microwave dinner, taking the time to digest the information given to you by various news and research sources will also present insights to you if you take the time to think about what's being offered.
I could likely write a small tome on this topic, but another writer I enjoy already covered this territory quite well. Take a wander over to his blog, Ruhlman.com to get some insight into why he's jumping mad (please excuse his mild use of profanity, but I'm on board with his frustration) about America's serious eating disorder.