Comparative analysis between Argentina's dietary pattern and international recommendations
Abstract: Unhealthy diets are a key risk factor for non-communicable diseases. Malnutrition due to excessive food intake is the main current problem that affects the health/disease process. Moreover, environmental sustainability is being threatened by the existing characteristics of f...
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| Autores principales: | , , |
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| Formato: | Artículo revista |
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Universidad Nacional Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Secretaria de Ciencia y Tecnología
2021
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| Acceso en línea: | https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/med/article/view/34842 |
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| Sumario: | Abstract:
Unhealthy diets are a key risk factor for non-communicable diseases. Malnutrition due to excessive food intake is the main current problem that affects the health/disease process. Moreover, environmental sustainability is being threatened by the existing characteristics of food production. The purpose of this paper is to compare: first, the eating habits in an Argentinean witness zone with the healthy and sustainable food pattern proposed by the EAT-Lancet Commission; secondly, Latin America (LA)’s consumption patterns with Argentina’s patterns, both of them described by the EAT-Lancet Commission; and finally, the availability (per person) of each food group in Argentina with the pattern proposed by Lancet. The following secondary data sources were used: The EAT-Lancet Commission Healthy Reference diet; Argentine food balance sheet; dietary patterns of an Argentine control area identified by the Environmental Epidemiological Group on Cancer in Cordoba (Grupo Epidemiológico ambiental del Cáncer en Córdoba, GEACC). The 11 food groups proposed by the Lancet Commission were taken as reference to make comparisons between: LA’s consumption patterns and Argentina’s average food consumption, both observed by the Lancet Commission; Argentina’s consumption patterns and international recommendations; and food availability in Argentina (according to the balance sheet) and the food pattern proposed by Lancet. Results have shown that LA’s dietary patterns described by the Lancet Commission were not representative of the patterns in Argentina, where meat consumption is much higher and whole grains intake is much lower than in LA. The differences are accentuated when comparing the consumption in Argentina and those recommended by Lancet: in addition to the excessive consumption of red and poultry and low consumption of fish, there is a high consumption of refined flours and low consumption of whole grains and legumes. As regards food availability, Argentina exceeds the recommendations proposed by the Lancet commission for meat, starchy vegetables, eggs and whole grains; other products, such as vegetables and fish, do not meet these recommendations; and nuts and legumes are completely unavailable. The main challenge is to promote a change in eating habits (using international recommendations as reference in terms of health and environmental sustainability), taking into account cultural aspects and contextualizing it within a rights-based approach.
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