Economic development and its influences and risks for nutrition, cuisine and health

This paper reviews the evidence on some of the major trends in economic development at a global level and assess their influence on food, nutrition and health. Food and nutrition are themselves broad topics, and each is influenced by a myriad of local and international forces, making them both interesting and important, but also challenging in their complexity. It is especially difficult to deal with such a vast and complicated terrain in such a short paper, and one must inevitably deal only superficially with a number of complex areas. This paper will review a number of key forces for change in the global system, with a focus on the implications of each for food and nutrition. Each area is central to the experience of economic, social and political development, particularly in the period since 1945, and each is tied in various ways with that complex and interrelated set of changes that we call globalisation. Seven key factors will be explored: global population growth, leading to strong pressures on world availability of arable land and food; increasing integration in the global economy, as measured through such things as trade, financial flows and information exchanges, and with specific implications for the food industry and for trade in food products; growing gaps between rich and poor countries; similar increases in disparities between rich and poor segments within individual countries; the rapid growth of cities in the developing world, resulting in massive challenges for the food supply systems of many nations; the growth within some countries, for example in a number of Asian countries, of a "new middle class" with distinctive patterns of consumption; and, high levels of population movements between countries resulting in the creation of significant communities of immigrants in a number of nations. Examples will be drawn from the two regions familiar to the author, Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, but with a particular emphasis on East Asia.     

Cultural and western influences on the nutrition transition in Thailand

The impact of economic development and urbanisation on nutrition and dietary changes in transitional countries has been well researched. It generally has been found that there is a positive correlation between economic development, urbanization, and negative nutrition transitions with the result of growing levels of obesity and diet related non-communicable diseases. However, the impact of Western influences and culture on specific eating styles associated with the nutrition transition has been less studied. There is limited information about cultural and Western influences on eating styles in Thailand. Recent findings suggest that Thailand may have progressed further along the nutrition transition model, in terms of unhealthy eating styles, than would be expected based on economic development. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of current eating styles and eating motivations among Thai university students. University students were chosen for evaluation as they are thought to represent the forefront of dietary trends and nutrition changes in a population. Convenience samples from four different universities in south-central and northern Thailand were selected. The following scales were used to assess eating and dieting styles and attitudes among 662 Thai undergraduate and graduate students: Motivation For Eating Scale (MFES), Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26), and Cognitive Dieting Behavior Scale (CBDS). All scales have been shown to be reliable and valid in previous research. For this study, scales were translated into Thai, reverse translated, and pilot tested to ensure cultural relevancy and the conveyance of intended meanings. Basic demographic information was also obtained, including age, gender, year in school, marital status, height and weight, and income. Results indicated that Thai students exhibit significant levels of dieting behaviour and extrinsic eating based on CBDS and MFES scores (with the exception of environmental eating). For most negative eating styles, females scored higher than males. It was also found that high levels of dieting and extrinsic eating were positively correlated with body mass index, suggesting the possible risk of future weight gain and obesity. While the occurrence of eating disordered attitudes based on EAT-26 scores was low (13%), analysis of EAT-26 scores indicated that the occurrence of eating disordered attitudes was strongly correlated with dieting behaviour among this population. The results support the need for a programme to educate Thai students, especially females, regarding healthy patterns of dieting and eating attitudes in order to prevent future weight gains and eating disorders predicted by the nutrition transition model.     

Contemporary food technology and its impact on cuisine

This article contains a general review of current food technologies and their effect on the quality and safety of foods. The uses of these technologies in the context of current and projected world population, urbanization prevention of food losses, preservation and trade of foods, domestically and internationally are briefly reviewed. Technologies discussed are related to food storage, refrigeration, frozen foods, milling and baking, canning, pickling, extrusion processes, fermentation, and to foods and food ingredients such as fruits and vegetables, animal products, fat and oils, canned products, and food additives.     

贵州农村各民族儿童铁营养与贫血状况调查

贵州属多民族聚居的多山的西部不发达地区 ,经济落后 ,农村人口中有 40 %以上属贫困人口 ,贫血在不同年龄人群中的发生率极高 ,尤其以妇女和儿童为重点高发人群。为了解我省农村地区少数民族学龄前儿童膳食铁营养水平和贫血发生情况 ,我们于 2 0 0 1年对其进行了膳食铁营养状况及贫血发生情况调查。结果报告如下。1　对象及方法1 1　调查对象　以龙里县、雷山县及毕节县农村经济较贫困、人口流动少 ,居住稳定的 11个苗族、布依族及汉族聚居的自然村寨为调查点 ,对 864名 6岁以下学龄前儿童进行调查 ,其中汉族 2 98人、苗族 2 64人、布依族 3…     

Eating behaviour and attitudes to food, nutrition and health

The British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) is mounting an on-going programme of social survey research into eating behaviour and attitudes to food, nutrition and health. As a first step, an evaluation of current knowledge in this area has been carried out and a report prepared for the BNF by Stephen King of J. Walter Thompson Company Limited. An extract from the report is published below.     

Traditional Chinese food technology and cuisine

From ancient wisdom to modern science and technology, Chinese cuisine has been established from a long history of the country and gained a global reputation of its sophistication. Traditional Chinese foods and cuisine that exhibit Chinese culture, art and reality play an essential role in Chinese people's everyday lives. Recently, traditional Chinese foods have drawn a great degree of attention from food scientists and technologists, the food industry, and health promotion institutions worldwide due to the extensive values they offer beyond being merely another ethnic food. These traditional foods comprise a wide variety of products, such as pickled vegetables, salted fish and jellyfish, tofu and tofu derived products, rice and rice snack foods, fermented sauces, fish balls and thousand-year-old eggs. An overview of selected popular traditional Chinese foods and their processing techniques are included in this paper. Further development of the traditional techniques for formulation and production of these foods is expected to produce economic, social and health benefits.     

南宁流动儿童卫生保健服务利用影响因素分析

目的通过调查2009年与2017年0~6岁儿童保健相关情况,了解非沪籍儿童卫生保健情况的变化趋势。方法分别于2009年和2017年,采用分阶段、随机整群抽样的方法,在同一抽样社区中对0~6岁沪籍与非沪籍儿童的建卡、体格生长、饮食等情况进行回顾性调查。结果2017年非沪籍儿童建卡率低于沪籍儿童,但较2009年显著升高。2009年非沪籍儿童体重、身高小于P₃比例显著高于沪籍儿童,而体重大于P₉₇比例、肥胖发生率低于沪籍儿童,2017年两者差异无统计学意义。与2009年相较,2017年沪籍与非沪籍儿童身高小于P₃比例、肥胖发生率较高,体重大于P₉₇比例较低。沪籍儿童2017年贫血发生率显著低于2009年,2次调查中非沪籍儿童偏食、挑食比率均较沪籍儿童高。结论8年间非沪籍儿童体格生长及健康问题发生显著变化,偏食、挑食问题持续存在,儿童保健的健康宣教与指导工作仍需进一步加强。     

Arginine nutrition in development, health and disease

As a precursor of nitric oxide, polyamines and other molecules with enormous biologic importance, L-arginine plays versatile key roles in nutrition and metabolism. Arginine is an essential amino acid in the fetus and neonate, and is conditionally an essential nutrient for adults, particularly in certain disease conditions. L-Arginine administration is beneficial in improving reproductive, cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, gastrointestinal, liver and immune functions, and in facilitating wound healing. The effect of L-arginine in treating many common health problems is unique among amino acids, and offers great promise for improved health and well-being in the future.     

Public health nutrition and food safety, 1900-1999

Editorial Note : Whatever your preference for terms such as "public nutrition," "international nutrition," or "public health nutrition," there can be consensus that this century has witnessed monumental achievements in public health through application of advancing nutrition science. The enclosed selection from a recent catalogue of these accomplishments, collected by federal agencies, will be a useful citation of achievements and challenges as the year 2000 approaches. At Nutrition Reviews , we intend to elaborate on many of these milestones in the coming year as we have for the past half-century. This publication originally appeared in a slightly different form in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, October 15, 1999;48(40):905–13.     

The development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of a food and nutrition policy within a local health plan

Local food and health policies were initiated in the UK in the early 1980s, and this paper traces developments in Leicestershire, England. The first policy was launched in 1987, which promoted the nutrition education messages of that time (less fat, more fibre and less sugar), primarily within the National Health Service. As a result of the publication of the Health of the Nation Green Paper in 1991, a local health plan was developed for Leicestershire, in which nutrition formed an integral part. Wider perspectives on nutrition have evolved reflecting the multidisciplinary approach to developing the Food and Nutrition Policy. In addition, updating of the nutrition messages in the local Food and Nutrition Policy has occurred to reflect the shift in emphasis towards nutritional adequacy and balance. The scope for implementation is now much wider, involving several key settings in the community, and there is an increased emphasis on monitoring and evaluation.     

Cultural influences on safety and health education among Vietnamese fishermen

Every ethnic group has its own cultural background and history that influences how it views health behaviors. By virtue of their work history, many Vietnamese have pursued the fishing industry when migrating to the United States. Even though the fishing trades are among the most dangerous jobs in the world, there has been little attention in the literature to the significant role that culture plays in the expression and experience of occupational health practices among Vietnamese shrimp fishermen. Three focus group sessions were conducted to identify factors that hinder or facilitate receptivity to available training and to guide culturally appropriate content. Participants were recruited using purposive sampling among various Vietnamese shrimp fishermen communities in Texas. Utilizing a series of open-ended questions, sessions were conducted in their native language among owners/captains/deckhands; support infrastructure--adult family members and religious/community leaders; and industry management and insurance representatives. Translations of transcribed documents were compared with simultaneous translations to ensure thematic consistency. Conducting hands-on training among Vietnamese by experienced fishermen, specifically targeting captains, was considered key to safety culture on the vessels. Findings of the study support that training should occur in a variety of formats (hands-on), but should be periodic, current, practical, convenient, taught in the primary language of the audience by an experienced individual, culminate in a certificate of completion, and target captains first. These findings illustrate the importance of considering cultural factors in the design of workplace interventions that focus on changes in safety and occupational health behaviors.     

Cultural issues in maternal and child health and nutrition

Social science research on cultural issues in maternal and child health has stressed some aspects and neglected others. From the perspective of both policy applications and theory development, new research efforts could profitably be directed to the following areas: cultural adjustments to changed energy and nutrient requirements in pregnancy and lactation; maternal illness; the mother/infant dyadic interaction; emic views of growth and development; determinants of infant and young child feeding; management of childhood illnesses; popular medicine and childhood illnesses; intra-household food distribution; household composition and maternal and child health; and macrolevel/microlevel linkages and health.     

Ethical consequences for professionals from the globalization of food,nutrition and health

Globalization is the process of increasing interconnections and linkages, within societies and across geography, due to improved communication and expanded world trade. It limits the differentiation wrought by human cultural evolution, and homogenizes health practices, diet and lifestyle. There are both beneficial and adverse consequences of the globalization process. Globalization also presents a challenge to the development of ethics for practice and advocacy by food and nutrition professionals. Among the related terms, 'morals', 'values' and 'ethics', the latter connotes the basic rules of conduct for interactions within society and with the inanimate environment; rules based on recognized principles (ethical principles). The application of these principles is to resolve ethical dilemmas that arise when more than one interest is at play. Recognized ethical principles include autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, utility and stewardship. These can be framed in the context of issues that arise during advocacy for material and behavioural changes to improve the nutritional health of populations. Clearly, at the global level, codes of good conduct and the construction of good food governance can be useful in institutionalizing ethical principles in matters of human diets and eating practices. Ethical dilemmas arise in the context of innate diversity among populations (some individuals benefit, whereas others suffer from the same exposures), and due to the polarity of human physiology and metabolism (practices that prevent some diseases will provoke other maladies). Moreover, the autonomy of one individual to exercise independent will in addressing personal health or treatment of the environment may compromise the health of the individual's neighbours. The challenges for the professional in pursuit of ethical advocacy in a globalized era are to learn the fundamentals of ethical principles; to bear in mind a respect for difference and differentiation that continues to exist, and which should exist, among individuals and societies; and to avoid a total homogenization of agriculture and food supplies.     

Public health and food safety: a historical association.

Since the initial passage in 1906 of the first Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act, public health, as measured by mortality trends, has greatly improved. These acts have been amended several times, and other laws dealing with safety of foods and drinks have been enacted. Food- and beverage-transmitted infectious diseases that were so devastating after the Civil War have been controlled. Nutritional deficiencies such as pellagra are almost nonexistent. Mass episodes of poisoning of food by chemical contaminants that have plagued some other countries have not occurred in the United States. Other factors such as refrigeration and improved transportation have helped, but it is probable that food safety regulatory activities have contributed to the saving of the 1.8 million Americans who would die each year if the public health advances since 1900 had not been made. Effective use of information was a key factor in the improvement in public health. Now, as then, effective information systems are needed.     

Cultural influences in community participation in health.

The adoption of Primary Health Care in developing countries brought a new interest in the influence of cultural factors in community health programs. This paper traces the changes in the way that the role of culture has been analyzed in relation to community health issues and in particular with respect to 'community participation'. A look at recent perspectives shows that the fate of community health programs has come to be seen as relying more on structural factors in health care systems than on cultural factors within local communities. There has also been an increasing emphasis on political factors or power relationships within and between health agencies, governments, and various levels of national health care systems. These perspectives raise new questions for community health programs and the strategy of community participation.     

Food energy content influences food portion size estimation by nutrition students

Background: Food portion size estimation involves a complex mental process that may influence food consumption evaluation. Knowing the variables that influence this process can improve the accuracy of dietary assessment. The present study aimed to evaluate the ability of nutrition students to estimate food portions in usual meals and relate food energy content with errors in food portion size estimation. Methods: Seventy‐eight nutrition students, who had already studied food energy content, participated in this cross‐sectional study on the estimation of food portions, organised into four meals. The participants estimated the quantity of each food, in grams or millilitres, with the food in view. Estimation errors were quantified, and their magnitude were evaluated. Estimated quantities (EQ) lower than 90% and higher than 110% of the weighed quantity (WQ) were considered to represent underestimation and overestimation, respectively. Correlation between food energy content and error on estimation was analysed by the Spearman correlation, and comparison between the mean EQ and WQ was accomplished by means of the Wilcoxon signed rank test (P < 0.05). Results: A low percentage of estimates (18.5%) were considered accurate (±10% of the actual weight). The most frequently underestimated food items were cauliflower, lettuce, apple and papaya; the most often overestimated items were milk, margarine and sugar. A significant positive correlation between food energy density and estimation was found (r = 0.8166; P = 0.0002). Conclusions: The results obtained in the present study revealed a low percentage of acceptable estimations of food portion size by nutrition students, with trends toward overestimation of high‐energy food items and underestimation of low‐energy items.