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The Journal of the American Osteopathic... May 2016
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International Journal of Obesity (2005) Jul 2014Systematic studies have shown that providing individuals with larger portions of foods and beverages leads to substantial increases in energy intake. The effect is... (Review)
Review
Systematic studies have shown that providing individuals with larger portions of foods and beverages leads to substantial increases in energy intake. The effect is sustained over weeks, supporting the possibility that large portions have a role in the development of obesity. The challenge is to find strategies to effectively manage the effects of portion size. One approach involves teaching people to select appropriate portions and to use tools that facilitate portion control. Although tools such as portion-control plates have been shown in several randomized trials to improve weight loss, limited data are available on whether education and tools lead to long-term changes in eating behavior and body weight. Another approach is to use preportioned foods (PPFs) to add structure to meals and minimize decisions about the amount of food to eat. A number of randomized controlled trials have demonstrated the efficacy of both liquid meal replacements and solid PPFs for weight loss and weight loss maintenance, but it is not known if they lead to better understanding of appropriate portions. Although portion control is important for weight management, urging people simply to 'eat less' of all foods may not be the best approach as high-energy-dense foods disproportionately increase energy intake compared with those lower in energy density. A more effective strategy may be to encourage people to increase the proportion of foods low in energy density in their diets while limiting portions of high-energy-dense foods. If people lower the energy density of their diet, they can eat satisfying portions while managing their body weight.
Topics: Diet, Reducing; Energy Intake; Feeding Behavior; Humans; Meals; Portion Size; Serving Size; Size Perception; Weight Loss
PubMed: 25033958
DOI: 10.1038/ijo.2014.82 -
American Journal of Preventive Medicine Feb 2017This paper provides a historical background for the current nutrition issues faced by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The Food Stamp Program...
This paper provides a historical background for the current nutrition issues faced by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The Food Stamp Program evolved into SNAP during a period when U.S. diets, particularly those of the poor, became less healthful. During the 1960s, the U.S. (Kennedy-Johnson era) addressed malnutrition first with a pilot project focused on retail sales and cash food stamps, which showed that low-income consumers purchased relatively healthy foods for a fairly high-quality diet. Southern politicians in the House of Representatives wanted a program similar to an earlier subsidized commodity distribution program. The pilot provided the evidence northern urban politicians sought, and they held the farm bill hostage until southern rural interests agreed to an unfettered Food Stamp Program that allowed purchases directly from retailers. A final Food Stamp Program law was incorporated into the farm bill and passed. This program shifted in 1977 to a full cash benefit system later, first using food stamps to act as cash and later an Electronic Benefit Transfer program. The program was designed at a time of a very healthful diet of lower-SES Americans. As diets of lower-income Americans changed and the entire food system shifted, the program has not been adjusted in any manner. Today, 50%-66% of the calories in the American diet, particularly that of low-SES Americans, come from highly processed foods containing excessive refined carbohydrates, sodium, unhealthy saturated fats, and added sugar. The SNAP design has not responded to these shifts in diet and the powerful interests controlling our food system. This twist in the U.S. diet and food system presents a major dilemma to those attempting to form a healthy food program based on the results of an effective pilot project.
Topics: Commerce; Diet; Feeding Behavior; Food Assistance; Food Supply; Humans; Nutritive Value; Poverty; United States
PubMed: 28109411
DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2016.08.018 -
Nutrients Jul 2022Studies suggest a decreasing trend in the consumption of meat products and a growing interest in vegetarian diets. Medical support may be relevant, especially when...
Studies suggest a decreasing trend in the consumption of meat products and a growing interest in vegetarian diets. Medical support may be relevant, especially when switching to a vegan diet. Our objective was to describe the beliefs and attitudes of primary care physicians toward vegetarian diets. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among general practitioners and pediatricians thorough a questionnaire including socio-demographic characteristics, specific care to vegetarians, and the risks and benefits of vegetarian diets according to physicians. Out of the 177 participating physicians, 104 (59%) have seen at least one vegetarian patient in consultation in the last three months. Half of the physicians declared that they would dissuade their patients from switching to a vegan diet ( = 88, 51%) and 14% ( = 24) from switching to an ovo-lacto-vegetarian (OLV) diet. Most physicians ( = 141, 88%) did not feel informed enough about these diets. Physicians thought that the most frequent deficiencies for OLV and vegan diets were iron (76% and 84%, respectively) and protein (45% and 79%, respectively). These results highlight the fact that French primary care physicians feel concerned by this subject and need more information on these diets. Specific recommendations would be useful to support their practice and relationship with vegetarians.
Topics: Cross-Sectional Studies; Diet; Diet, Vegan; Diet, Vegetarian; General Practitioners; Humans; Pediatricians; Vegetarians
PubMed: 35956277
DOI: 10.3390/nu14153101 -
International Journal of Environmental... Mar 2021Two aspects that characterize the Mediterranean diet (MD) are "what" and "how" we eat. Conviviality relates to "how" we eat and to the pleasure of sharing meals with...
Two aspects that characterize the Mediterranean diet (MD) are "what" and "how" we eat. Conviviality relates to "how" we eat and to the pleasure of sharing meals with significant people. The most studied concept is "family meals", which includes conviviality, which involves "enjoying" family meals. Given the lack of research on convivial family meals in Mediterranean countries, the purpose of this qualitative study was to analyze the family meal representations and practices of families with 12- to 16-year-old adolescents to assess whether they responded to a pattern of conviviality, and to examine their association with MD adherence. Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted and food frequency and family meal questionnaires were administered. A food pattern analysis was carried out and digital photos of meals were analyzed to examine eating habits and meal composition, respectively. The findings showed that parents believed family meals are a space for socialization and communication. Items relating to the conviviality of family meals identified in the study were meal frequency, meals at the table, lack of digital distractions, pleasant conversations, and time spent on family meals. Attention should be paid to conviviality in Mediterranean families when designing multi-approach strategies to promote healthy eating among adolescents.
Topics: Adolescent; Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Child; Diet; Diet, Healthy; Diet, Mediterranean; Family; Feeding Behavior; Humans; Meals
PubMed: 33802507
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18052499 -
Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical... 2008Since 1970s, the economic and social development in South Korea, as well as dietary pattern, has undergone various changes. Concerns for the decreased nutrition quality... (Review)
Review
Since 1970s, the economic and social development in South Korea, as well as dietary pattern, has undergone various changes. Concerns for the decreased nutrition quality and physical activities among Koreans, especially young population, call for a need of a holistic approach in national food and nutrition policy. The National Health Promotion Act of 1995 included national interventions and programs to deal with nutrition-related chronic diseases and obesity prevention. A nation-wide monitoring system, which includes nutrition and health examination survey, is being built and run by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and its affiliated organizations every three years. The Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) is another key agency undertaking national food and nutrition policies. The KFDA recently promulgated the national strategic plans for improving food safety and nutrition, focusing on children. Nutrition labelling policy for processed food is managed by KFDA and various education programs are developed and disseminated to enhance the awareness of nutrition labelling. The agency also makes standards and regulates foods for special dietary uses and health functional food. The Rural Development Administration (RDA) is responsible for maintaining the food composition database. Finally, the National School Lunch Program is mainly governed by the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development. The above central government agencies along with regional health centers are making efforts to promote the healthy eating habits in addition to constructing healthy environment by making laws and programs and by research and social marketing.
Topics: Diet; Food Labeling; Health Promotion; Humans; Korea; Nutrition Policy; Nutrition Surveys; Schools
PubMed: 18296374
DOI: No ID Found -
Nutrients Mar 2021Obesity and other diet-related health conditions have received much attention in the public health literature over the past two decades. This study investigates the...
Obesity and other diet-related health conditions have received much attention in the public health literature over the past two decades. This study investigates the relationship between household food budget shares at different food outlets with diet quality and weight-related health outcomes in the United States. Our analysis used event-level food purchase data from the national household food acquisition and purchases survey (FoodAPS). We find that, after controlling for observables, food purchase location is significantly associated with diet quality and body mass index (BMI). Our findings indicate that larger food budget shares at convenience stores and restaurants are linked with poor diet quality based on the healthy eating index-2015 (HEI-2015) scores and higher BMI. We further explored potential heterogeneity on outcomes of interest across income groups. Results suggest heterogeneous effects may exist across income groups: low-income households, who spent a larger share of their food budget at convenience stores and fast-food restaurants are related to poor diet quality and more likely to be obese. Our findings will help improve understanding of the causes of diet-related health problems and may illuminate potential avenues of intervention to address obesity.
Topics: Body Mass Index; Child, Preschool; Commerce; Consumer Behavior; Diet; Female; Humans; Income; Male; Middle Aged; Obesity; Socioeconomic Factors; United States
PubMed: 33804858
DOI: 10.3390/nu13041046 -
Nutrients Jan 2024Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is defined as the co-occurrence of at least three of the following metabolic disorders: abdominal obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, low... (Review)
Review
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is defined as the co-occurrence of at least three of the following metabolic disorders: abdominal obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), high blood glucose, and hypertension. The treatment of MetS involves lifestyle changes, including following an appropriate diet. In addition to weight reduction, it is crucial to search for optimal nutritional patterns that are highly effective in optimizing other MetS markers, such as glucose and lipid metabolism, and reducing blood pressure. To date, the effects of a Mediterranean diet and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet on MetS have been extensively evaluated. Recent epidemiological studies suggest that plant-based diets (PBDs) may be effective in treating MetS; however, there is still a lack of experimental data. This review aims to analyze the potential benefits of different PBDs on MetS determinants based on the available studies. The findings may help personalize dietary interventions and improve patient care for those with MetS.
Topics: Humans; Metabolic Syndrome; Diet, Plant-Based; Diet; Obesity; Dietary Approaches To Stop Hypertension
PubMed: 38201994
DOI: 10.3390/nu16010165 -
European Journal of Nutrition Aug 2023To reduce the environmental impact of Western diets, a reduction of meat consumption and a substitution by plant-based protein sources is needed. This protein transition...
PURPOSE
To reduce the environmental impact of Western diets, a reduction of meat consumption and a substitution by plant-based protein sources is needed. This protein transition will affect the quantity and quality of dietary protein. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the protein adequacy of diets optimized for nutritional health and diet-related greenhouse gas emission (GHGE).
METHODS
Data from 2150 adult participants of the Dutch National Food Consumption Survey were used, with diet assessed using two non-consecutive 24 h dietary recalls. Utilizable protein of current diets per day was based on meal composition and the Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score and was compared to protein requirements. Optimized diets were derived as linear combinations of current diets that minimized GHGE and maximized the Dutch Healthy Diet 2015 score, with/without constraints to keep dietary change within 33% of current consumption. Protein adequacy was evaluated in both current and optimized diets.
RESULTS
In all age and gender strata, the healthiest diets had higher GHGE, the most sustainable diets had the lowest dietary quality, though higher than current diets, and protein adequacy remained sufficient. When limiting dietary change to 33% of current consumption, in the most promising trade-off diet GHGE was reduced by 12-16%. The current diet provided 1.4-2.2 times the required amount of utilizable protein.
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that a realistic aim for the next decade might be to reduce diet-related GHGE to 12-16% of the current levels without compromising protein adequacy and diet quality. To achieve global targets, upstream food system transformations are needed with subsequent dietary changes.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Energy Intake; Diet; Greenhouse Gases; Diet, Healthy; Environment
PubMed: 36949232
DOI: 10.1007/s00394-023-03135-7 -
Journal of the American Heart... Sep 2021Background Biological mechanisms underlying the association of a healthy diet with chronic diseases remain unclear. Targeted proteomics may facilitate the understanding...
Background Biological mechanisms underlying the association of a healthy diet with chronic diseases remain unclear. Targeted proteomics may facilitate the understanding of mechanisms linking diet to chronic diseases. Methods and Results We examined 6360 participants (mean age 50 years; 54% women) in the Framingham Heart Study. The associations between diet and 71 cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related proteins were examined using 3 diet quality scores: the Alternate Healthy Eating Index, the modified Mediterranean-style Diet Score, and the modified Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet score. A mediation analysis was conducted to examine which proteins mediated the associations of diet with incident CVD and all-cause mortality. Thirty of the 71 proteins were associated with at least 1 diet quality score (<0.0007) after adjustment for multiple covariates in all study participants and confirmed by an internal validation analysis. Gene ontology analysis identified inflammation-related pathways such as regulation of cell killing and neuroinflammatory response (Bonferroni corrected <0.05). During a median follow-up of 13 years, we documented 512 deaths and 488 incident CVD events. Higher diet quality scores were associated with lower risk of CVD (≤0.03) and mortality (≤0.004). After adjusting for multiple potential confounders, 4 proteins (B2M [beta-2-microglobulin], GDF15 [growth differentiation factor 15], sICAM1 [soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1], and UCMGP [uncarboxylated matrix Gla-protein]) mediated the association between at least 1 diet quality score and all-cause mortality (median proportion of mediation ranged from 8.6% to 25.9%). We also observed that GDF15 mediated the association of the Alternate Healthy Eating Index with CVD (median proportion of mediation: 8.6%). Conclusions Diet quality is associated with new-onset CVD and mortality and with circulating CVD-related proteins. Several proteins appear to mediate the association of diet with these outcomes.
Topics: Cardiovascular Diseases; Chronic Disease; Diet; Diet, Healthy; Diet, Mediterranean; Dietary Approaches To Stop Hypertension; Female; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Middle Aged; Mortality; Proteomics; Risk Factors
PubMed: 34482708
DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.121.021245