BERKELEY - We've read that eating a diet high in carbohydrates and low in fat is the best way to lose weight, but we've also heard the opposite is true. We've been told to drink eight glasses of water a day, but some doctors now question that advice. The list goes on.

"Nutrition in the News," one of this fall’s Freshman Seminars, will help students make sense of conflicting news articles about various nutrition or diet regimens.

Nancy Hudson, a lecturer in the Department of Nutritional Sciences & Toxicology in the College of Natural Resources, will use news clips from around the country in class as well as a local newspaper’s weekly food section. "Our goal is to develop critical reading skills," she said. "We'll be looking at what is being said in these articles and discuss whether or not it would be worthwhile to change our eating and drinking habits based upon the facts presented."