1. Being a Health Literate Consumer (3:04)
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2. A health literate consumer carefully evaluates health products and services.

3. health consumer
advertising
comparison shopping
warranty

4. Take Charge of Your Health
You can learn to make good consumer choices.
Being a smart shopper is especially important when it comes to making choices about health products and services.

5. Making Informed Choices
It’s up to you, as a health consumer, to make informed buying decisions.
Health consumer
Someone who purchases or uses health products or services

6. Making Informed Choices
Probably the most important influence you need to be aware of as a consumer is advertising.
Advertising
A written or spoken media message designed to interest consumers in purchasing a product or service

7. Making Informed Choices
Being a health-literate consumer means being aware of and knowing how to evaluate hidden messages in advertising so you make informed purchasing decisions.

8. Evaluating Products
There are two effective ways to sharpen your consumer skills when buying health products:
Do some comparison shopping before you buy.
Read product labels.

9. Labels give you important information about what a product contains.
Product Labels
The Product’s Name
Labels give you important information about what a product contains.
Its Intended Use
Directions
Warnings
Manufacturer’s Information
The Amount
Active and Inactive Ingredients

10. A second great tool for smart health consumers is comparison shopping.
Judging the benefits of different products by comparing several factors, such as quality, features, and cost

11. Comparison Shopping
Here are some criteria to consider when judging health products and services.
Cost and Quality
Features
Warranty
Safety
Other People’s Opinions
Consumer Organization Product Ratings

12. Before buying an expensive product, ask about the warranty.
Comparison Shopping
Before buying an expensive product, ask about the warranty.
Warranty
A company’s or a store’s written agreement to repair a product or refund your money if the product doesn’t function properly

13. Evaluating Information and Services
To evaluate health information or services, ask yourself these questions:
Does this information come from a valid source?
Does the service come from a respected provider?
If the source is a Web site, who pays for the site? Is it a reputable organization? What is the purpose of the site?

14. After You Read Reviewing Facts and Vocabulary
Who is a health consumer?
A health consumer is anyone who buys a health-related product or service.

15. After You Read Reviewing Facts and Vocabulary
How does comparison shopping make you a smart consumer?
Sample answer: It allows you to get a good-quality product at a reasonable price; it allows you to identify and obtain the features in a product or service that you most want; it ensures that you are buying safe products.

16. After You Read Reviewing Facts and Vocabulary
Define warranty.
A warranty is a written agreement to repair a product or refund your money if the product does not function properly.