Improving America's Diet and Health From Recommendations to Action (1991) / Chapter Skim
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Also, there are persistent efforts by the private sector to produce and publicize food products that help people to meet various recommendations.
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These recommendations are well suited for implementation because they are the most comprehensive and authoritative currently available and have been established by an eminent group of biomedical scientists based on a comprehensive evaluation of the scientific evidence linking nutrient intake, food intake, and dietary patterns with risks of developing many chronic degenerative diseases. In addition, the Diet and Health recommendations specify quantitative targets (e.g., limit fat intake to 30% or less of calories)
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. · Altering the food acquisition environment by providing more food choices that help consumers meet dietary recommendations, better information (e.g., more complete and interpretable product labeling)
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These include the preparation of dietary recommendations by experts and the efforts of the private sector to reduce the fat and sodium content of many traditional food products and to provide voluntary nutrition information programs. In addition, the media, recognizing that nutrition sells, have been instrumental in calling the public's attention to dietary recommendations.
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Promotion of dietary change among currently healthy people may be especially challenging, because the immediate physical and psychological benefits may not be apparent and the appeal is most commonly made on the grounds of potential future well-being. Although the committee recognizes the difficulty of modifying eating behavior, its extensive review of current theory and practice in Chapter 3 suggests that it is possible to modify food preferences and eating patterns in this country.
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Individuals have the responsibility to seek out and use information to improve their eating habits. Sectors of society including governments, the private sector, health-care professionals, and educators have responsibilities to facilitate the adoption of better diets by increasing the availability and accessibility of health-promoting foods and using their considerable resources to make such foods easily identifiable (e.g., improved nutrition labeling and nutrition education)
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The public sector can also encourage this effort indirectly by setting an agenda for the implementation of various strategies, opening communication with the private sector and voluntary organizations, and coordinating implementation efforts. The five strategies and associated actions developed for the public sector are described in Chapter 5 and summarized below.
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Promote dietary recommendations and motivate consumers to use them in selecting and preparing foods and in developing healthful dietary patterns. This can be done, for example, by using the methods of public relations and advertising and by providing a variety of user-friendly consumer information programs and materials at retail outlets, food-service establishments, and work sites (e.g., infor
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In addition, this sector should fund or conduct surveys on consumer attitudes, knowledge, and practices regarding food and nutrition issues to receive more guidance on how to improve their products and campaigns to encourage healthful eating patterns. Although there are obvious barriers, there are also many incentives for the private sector to assist consumers in implementing dietary recommendations.
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Health-care professionals should integrate nutrition information into their contacts with clients and patients. They and their professional associations should take advantage of opportunities to disseminate sound nutrition advice through the media; provide guidance to regulatory and legislative bodies concerned with the establishment of policies governing the production, harvesting, processing, preservation, distribution, and marketing of food products; and distribute practical information such as menus, recipes, and ideas for health promotion initiatives to private and public providers of meals.
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Success is most likely to be achieved if emphasis is placed on the importance of developing healthful dietary patterns rather than teaching consumers about nutrients whose presence in food products can be individually concentrated or diluted in ways to make these products appear more desirable. The six strategies and associated actions proposed for education of the public are described in Chapter 8 and summarized below.
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This can be done in part through social marketing campaigns and by coordinating media activities to promote healthful eating. In addition, committees should be appointed to review whether television food advertising aimed at children should be regulated and to examine the utility of national entertainment television as a community organizing tool that can be used to enhance efforts of local health agencies in encouraging appropriate dietary changes.
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The committee believes that greater interest and action by governments in promoting healthy life-styles will contribute greatly to improving dietary patterns in the United States particularly if top government leaders become involved (e.g., the President, Congress, governors, and mayors) and if governments take opportunities to participate in implementation efforts developed by other societal sectors.
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Expected improvements in the nutrition labeling of foods provide further justification for comprehensive nutrition education programs. Although updated nutrition labels will supply important information to interested consumers, the information alone is not sufficiently complete for making wise dietary choices and constructing healthful diets.
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Therefore, community-based interventions and programs have an enormous potential for improving dietary patterns in the United States. Effective community-based health promotion programs consist of multiple interventions directed at multiple levels (e.g., individuals, small groups, organizations, and entire communities)
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Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers, General Services Administration cafeterias, and the school lunch and elderly feeding programs. Restaurants, cafeterias, and fast-service food establishments have special responsibilities to promote better eating by providing foods and meals, prepared in attractive and tasty ways, that help people to meet dietary recommendations.
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LESSONS LEARNED AND PROCESS FOR FUTURE A turning point in nutrition history has been reached. Wide-scale consensus now exists on the types of dietary patterns that promote health and reduce the risks of common degenerative diseases, and at the same time there is great public interest in diet, nutrition, and health issues.
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