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Perspective: Modeling Healthy Eating Patterns for Food-Based Dietary Guidelines-Scientific Concepts, Methodological Processes, Limitations, and Lessons.

ABSTRACT: The relations between dietary features and human health are varied and complex. Health-related variables are many and they have intricate relations at different and interrelated nutritional levels: nutrients, food groups, and the complex overall pattern. Food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) are principally designed to synthesize this information to make it available to the public. Here, we describe the method used to establish healthy eating patterns (HEPs) for the latest French FBDGs, which consists of in-depth food pattern modeling using an enhanced optimization method that gathered all aspects of HEPs. We present the novelty of this food modeling approach for FBDGs, which aims to gather information related to nutrients, food contaminants, and epidemiological relations with long-term health, and to be combined with the objective of realistic dietary patterns that deviate minimally from the prevailing diet. We draw lessons from stepwise implementation of the method and discuss its strengths, limitations, and perspectives. In light of the modeled HEPs, we discuss the importance of food grouping; of accounting for dietary habits while not precluding modeled diets that can be realistic/acceptable; and of taking into account the exposure to food contaminants. We discuss the tolerance and flexibility to be applied to certain dietary reference values for nutrients and health-based guidance values for contaminants so that HEPs can ultimately be identified, and how account can be taken of varied health-related outcomes applied to food groups. Although the approach involves all the peculiar uncertainties of numerous optimization model parameters and input data, its merit is that it offers a rationalized approach to establishing HEPs with multiple constraints and competing objectives. It is also versatile because it is possible to operationalize further dimensions of dietary patterns to favor human and planetary health.

SUBMITTER: Mariotti F

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8166537 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundPoor dietary choices are a risk factor for non-communicable diseases. Young adults have low levels of engagement towards their health and may not see the importance in the adoption of healthy eating behaviours at this stage in their lives. Here we utilise social marketing principles, digital ethnography and online conversations to gain insights into young adults' attitudes and sentiments towards healthy eating.MethodsYoung Australian adults who use social media at least twice a day were recruited by a commercial field house. Using a mixture of methods, combining online polls, forums and conversations, participants (n = 195, 18-24 years old) engaged in facilitated discussions over an extended 4 week period about health and eating-related topics. Data were analysed using thematic analysis constant comparison approach. A post-hoc conceptual framework related to religion was theorised and used as a metaphor to describe the results.ResultsFindings demonstrate that different segments of young adults with varying attitudes and interest towards healthy eating exist. We developed a conceptual framework based on consumer segmentation which adopted religious metaphors as a typology of 'consumers'. Some young adults practice and believe in the message of healthy eating (saints), whilst some oppose these messages and are not motivated to make any change (sinners), another segment are both aware of and interested in the issues but do not put healthy eating behaviours as a current priority (person in the pew).ConclusionsConsumer segmentation and social marketing techniques assist health professionals to understand their target audience and tailor specific messages to different segments. Segmentation provides insights on which groups may be most easily influenced to adopt the desired behaviours. The typology presented may be a useful tool for health professionals and social marketers to design strategies to engage young adults in healthy eating, particularly those in the pew who are contemplating a change but lacking the motivation. The utilisation of marketing segmentation in health promotion has the potential to enhance health messaging by tailoring messages to specific segments based on their needs, beliefs and intentions and therefore drive the efficient use of resources towards those most likely to change.

Dataset Information

Perspective: Modeling Healthy Eating Patterns for Food-Based Dietary Guidelines-Scientific Concepts, Methodological Processes, Limitations, and Lessons.

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