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Written by JJ Barnes
I interviewed Dr Joan Salge Blake about her work in nutrition, what inspired her to start podcasting, and the work that goes into making her hit podcast, Spot On!
Tell me a bit about who you are.
Dr. Joan Salge Blake EdD, MS, RDN, LDN, FAND, is a nutrition professor at Boston University (BU), sought after speaker and journalist, and the host of Spot On!, the award-winning, nutrition, health, and wellness podcast. She has received the 2020 Media Excellence Award from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She has also been awarded the prestigious Whitney Powers Excellence in Teaching Award from the University twice. She has lectured at both the BU School of Medicine and BU Goldman School of Dental Medicine and a sought-after speaker at conferences globally.
Joan is the author of Nutrition &You, Pearson Education (2023), Nutrition & You: Core Concepts to Good Health, Pearson Education (2010). She is the co-author of Nutrition: From Science to You, Pearson Education(2018).
She has conducted over 2,500 interviews on numerous nutrition topics in media outlets such as: New York Times, Food Network, Newsweek, Washington Post, Forbes, Prevention, WebMD, Parade, Consumer Reports, MsNBC, Boston Globe, CBS, The Early Show, CNN, NBC News, CBS News, and NPR Readers Digest, Cosmopolitan, People, Parade, Cooking Light, Parents, Fitness, Parenting, Shape, Self, Weight Watchers, Woman’s World, Health, Redbook, Family Circle, Martha Stewart Living, Rachel Ray, Working Mother, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, More, Sports Illustrated, Woman’s Day, All You, More, and O Magazine.
She was named by Good Housekeeping Magazine as the expert to follow on Twitter for healthy eating.
How and why did you start podcasting?
Nutrition and health misinformation has been spreading like a furious virus throughout the media. An International Food Information Council Foundation food and health survey uncovered that 80 percent of consumers are confused about conflicting food and nutrition information, to the point that they are doubting their food choices[i].
Research published in BMC Public Health found that the majority of young adults in this study used online resources when seeking information about nutrition, which have been shown to be laden with misinformation based on pseudoscience[ii].
Podcasting has become another outlet for individuals to obtain nutrition and health information. According to Pew Research Center, the audience of podcast listeners in the United States, ages 12 and older, has grown from a mere 9 percent in 2008 to 44 percent in 2018.
As podcasting continues to grow, it will become extremely important that credible nutrition and communication professionals be in this media sphere in order to educate and protect the public from nutrition and health quackery.
Motivated by these startling statics, the nutrition, health and wellness, Spot On!, podcast was created, which covers the latest nutrition, health, and wellness topics, trending from the media headlines, to give the listener accurate, science-based, and usable information.
What is your current podcast called, and how did you come up with the name?
My podcast is called Spot On! as it is well, spot on, to provide you with accurate nutrition, health, and wellness information that meets your needs.
What platforms can we find Spot On! on?
All major podcast platforms, including Apple, Spotify, Stitchers, and Google Play.
What is Spot On! about?
Spot On!, covers the latest nutrition, health, and wellness topics, trending from the media headlines, to give the listener accurate, science-based, and usable information.
Do you host Spot On! alone, or have guest hosts/partners?
I host it alone.
Do you edit Spot On! or have someone who does it for you?
I have someone edit it for me.
Do you script Spot On!, or just chat as you go?
I do both.
How has Spot On! changed or developed since you began?
It has become more conversational.
What are you biggest challenges with Spot On!?
Recording during the pandemic.
What are your favourite podcasts to listen to?
I love to listen to podcasts that are motivational and inspiring.
How and where do you promote Spot On!?
I promote them on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter along with all of the media outlets available at Boston University.
Do you earn money from Spot On!, or is it a hobby?
I don’t receive any income, but it’s more than just a hobby. I do it to protect the consumer against all of the nutrition, health, and wellness misinformation that is in the media.
What’s something you never expected about podcasting? What have you learned that surprised you?
I enjoy talking with experts in the fields and making the episodes engaging so that the listener will be empowered after each episode. I am so happy when people tell me that they learned something from listening to each episode.
What is the first piece of advice you would give to anyone inspired to start podcasting?
Follow your passion and your audience will follow you.
And, finally, are your proud of what you’re accomplishing with your podcast? Is it worth the effort?
Yes. It is a lot of work, but Spot On! has over 105,000 plays in the short time that I have been doing this. It is my hope that the information has helped the listener. This makes it all worth it.
Pop all your work, website and social media links here so the readers can find you:
Instagram and Twitter: @JoanSalgeBlake
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpotOnDrJSB/
Website: http://blogs.bu.edu/salge/
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