About this Research Topic
Nutrition is in a state of constant progress and the emergence of new concepts and issues; these include searching for the most effective communication tools (design issues), the relationship between highly processed foods and health, and the environmental impact of different food categories, in addition to the focus of FBDGs on meeting the nutritional needs of the population.
Several recent developments have important implications for the design of FBDGs, especially of food guides, and in recent years there have been many changes in the design of several food guides. In particular, an increasing number of countries have adopted a plate design. Countries now using this design include the USA, UK, Portugal, and Canada.
Many foods are now categorized as ultra-processed foods (UPF). As the name indicates, these foods include those where the manufacture involves much industrial processing and the addition of various additives including preservatives to increase their shelf life. Huge numbers of UPF are now widely available. The proportion of energy intake from UPF has increased in recent decades among many populations.
It is now widely accepted that the world is at great risk from climate change. Food production is a major factor in this as agriculture is the source of a substantial part of greenhouse gases. In addition, agriculture is closely associated with many other adverse effects on the environment. Actions and policies intended to address these issues are now debated together under the umbrella term of sustainability. For these reasons, considerations of the environmental impact of a food is a new trend in the development of FBDGs. There is now much debate in many countries regarding the extent to which environmental sustainability should be incorporated into dietary FBDGs.
Authors are invited to submit papers that cover topics of relevance to the design of FBDGs. The following topics are particularly welcome:
• Recent developments in the design of food guides. Is a plate design best or should we use a design similar to a pyramid as was previously used in the USA and Mediterranean countries?
• How FBDGs should incorporate the concept of UPF. Should advice for reducing the risk of disease be based on what is conventionally viewed as a healthy diet or on reducing the intake of UPF? Is there a taxonomy that links processing to health?
• There are several notable differences between different food guides in the categorization of various foods. For example, fruit and vegetables are included together as a single food group in some food guides but are in separate food groups in others. Similarly, there are major differences between food guides in the placement of potatoes and legumes.
• How FBDGs should incorporate traditional dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean diet and social food behaviors in their development. One example is the inclusion of wine in the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.
• There is growing support for adding environmentally-friendly advice to FBDGs. The aims are, first, to help lessen the impact of food production on climate change and, second, to reduce other harmful effects of food production on the environment such as excessive water use, the destruction of tropical forests, and overfishing. In brief, FBDGs should act as a tool for the promotion of sustainable diets.
• How FBDGs can be used effectively so as to increase the food literacy of the general population and of specific population groups such as children and the elderly.
Other topics pertaining to FBDGs, such as issues related to policies and economics, are also welcome.
Keywords: Food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG), Food guide, Ultra-processed foods (UPF), Food literacy, Healthier diet, Public health
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