Retano, Lorena

Writing 2
Wilson
12/7/15

WP2 Revision

Gaining weight in college is easy. From Cup of Noodles, Hot Cheetos, and all you can
eat dining commons the notorious freshman fifteen isn't the only weight you should be
worried about gaining in college. Of course you, being a second quarter undergraduate
student, probably already know this. In an attempt to make healthier choices I decided to take
Nutrition for Health taught by Professor Amy Jaimieson. Using the theories I learned in
another class I am currently taking, Writing 2, I was able to determine the writing and
rhetorical conventions of the discipline. Through the writing and rhetorical conventions of the
discipline it was apparent that creating a connection to public health is important to the
discourse community of Nutrition for Health.
According to John Swales author of The Concept of Discourse Community discourse
communities are "groups that have goals or purposes, and use communication to achieve these
goals." Discourse communities use writing as a major part of their communication therefore
they have writing conventions, or a framework of guidelines, so members within the discourse
community can better understand each other. To determine the writing conventions of the
discourse community of Nutrition I analyzed the academic article Recent Judgments on
Health Claims and Regulations by Leonie Evans published in the academic journal European
Food and Feed Law and an article assigned in class, Carbohydrates published by the
American Council on Exercise. In the academic article Recent Judgments on Health Claims

and Regulations the writing is rigid in structure and in the word choice. The article has an
abstract and then is divided into subtitles and the tone of the author is formal and objective.
An example of this would be, " "Monsterbacke" is a fruit quarke ( dairy product for kids) that
contains the same amount of calcium, 31mg, as ordinary cow's milk. The fruit quark contains
105 kcal, 13g sugar and 2.9g of fat per 100g while ordinary cow's milk has 64 kcal, 4.7g sugar
and 4.5g fat. On top of the packaging is the advertising slogan "As important as a daily glass
of milk." " It is apparent that in order to be able to understand the comparison of the two
products and of the significance of the comparison one would have to be an expert in
nutrition. On the other hand, in the article Carbohydrates the writing conventions observed
were different. Carbohydrates the writing had a clear layout but was a lot less formal. It broke
down the concept of carbs into something anyone could understand. This led me to the
conclusion that in this discourse community there are texts meant for experts in the field as
well as texts meant for novices. The idea that the discourse community creates texts like
Carbohydrates and not just academic articles like Recent Judgments on Health Claims and
Regulations shows that the discourse community wants the general public to understand
nutrition.
Carbohydrates by the American Council of Exercise was written for a broader
audience to understand and is less focused on research. The social action accomplished by the
article Carbohydrates is educating the public about basic nutrition. This simplicity of this
article shows that the discourse community cares about the public's understanding of
nutrition. For instance, the article states " Carbohydrates (carbs) are an important part of a
healthy diet. Not only do carbs give us the energy that we need to live, but they also improve
digestion, promote heart health, and lower our risk for certain cancers." The word choice
used in this article is simple to understand and appeals to the public by making them want to
live a healthy life. This article appeals to logos (persuasion through logical information)

because it persuades people to keep reading if they want to live a healthier, which most people
do. Just as this text uses logos to influence transfer to public health, so Professor Jamieson's
lecture draws upon logos by making the topic personal for students.
The use of the rhetorical convention, logos, was determined during a class observation.
Professor Jamieson uses logos by sharing personal stories that revolve around a lesson that
convinces students to choose one lifestyle versus the other.For instance, in her lecture on
diabetes she used an iclicker poll to determine how the students knew about diabetes. AFter
this she went on to tell a story about a friend she knew who got type two diabetes from
making unhealthy lifestyle choices. No person wants to get type two diabetes therefore this
story appealed to the student's logic about making healthier choices. Professor Jamieson also
uses logos by presenting information using charts and graphs. Charts and graphs presenting
statistical information allows the student to visually see how a food will affect their body.
Because Professor Jamieson an expert in the discourse community of nutrition constantly tries
to appeal to her students logic to make healthier choices it is apparent that public health is
important to the discourse community.
Through analyzing different areas of the class Nutrition for Health and the discourse
community it belongs to one can determine how well the writing and rhetorical conventions
reflect on the purpose of the discipline. An indication that public health is important to the
discourse community is the course description of ESS3 Nutrition for Health- The ESS3
course is designed to prepare students with the basic knowledge and understanding regarding
nutrition. Emphasis is on basic nutrition principles, proper diet, food selection and making
healthful food choices." The purpose of the discipline reflects that the discourse community
wants to expand the audience nutrition to more than just experts. You do not need to be
prepped with any previous knowledge to be able to understand the level of nutrition that is

being taught in this course. The rhetoric conventions as defined by the field notes of the class
observation and the writing conventions determined from two texts of the discipline fulfill the
purpose of both the discourse community and the class. The writing conventions dedicated to
different areas of the discourse community allow for the public to get accommodated with the
basic principles of nutrition through beginner nutrition texts and through this lead them to
nutrition texts that are meant for experts. The rhetorical conventions that help fulfill the
purpose is logos. By creating a connection between the material and the students and
presenting logical information through charts and graphs students are able to learn what the
instructor intends for the students to learn.

Works Cited
1. "Carbohydrates." Understanding Nutrition. 14th ed. Canada: Cengage Learning, 2013. N.
pag. Print.
2.Evans, Leonie. "Recent Judgments on Health Claims and Regulations." European Food and
Feed Law 9.4 (2014): 233-40. Academic Search Complete [EBSCO]. Web. 10 Nov.
2015.