Papel de la gastronomía y de las nuevas tecnologías en la configuración de una alimentación saludable

La gastronomía y las ciencias ómicas están teniendo una gran influencia sobre el presente y el futuro de la ingesta alimentaria habitual de la población. Un porcentaje muy importante de la población realiza al menos una comida fuera del hogar, y este impacto alimentario se mantiene durante un periodo prolongado de tiempo. La producción y la distribución de alimentos, así como la industria alimentaria (incluidos la hostelería y la restauración: el canal horeca), tienen una gran trascendencia en la oferta de alimentos y bebidas y en su composición e idoneidad en cantidad, calidad y precio. Sobre esta disponibilidad de alimentos el consumidor configurará su cesta de la compra y la elección de alimentos, en muchos casos por precio, comodidad, percepción sensorial e incluso por su impacto potencial en la salud. Las ciencias ómicas pueden tener una gran trascendencia en un futuro cercano, concretando la configuración de la alimentación de precisión y estimulando la investigación de nuevos alimentos y componentes que posibiliten un mejor estado de salud, una mejor funcionalidad y una mayor esperanza de vida sin discapacidad. Todo este panorama necesita un marco legislativo que asegure el principio de precaución y una óptima situación de seguridad alimentaria. En este complicado camino, la colaboración entre la ciencia, la industria, las organizaciones de consumidores y la Administración debe facilitar el objetivo de que el alimento sea una herramienta de promoción de la salud y del bienestar.The gastronomy and the Omic sciences are having a great influence on the present and the future of the habitual food intake of the population. A very large percentage of the population makes at least one meal outside the home and this food impact is maintained over an extended period of time. Food production, food industry and food distribution (including hotels and restaurants, HORECA channel) have a great importance in the supply of food and beverages, its composition and suitability in quantity, quality and price. Based on this availability of food, the consumer will make-up the shopping basket and will choose foods in many cases considering price, comfort, sensory perception and even for its potential impact on health. Omic sciences can be of great importance in the near future by specifying the configuration of the precision feed and stimulating the investigation of new foods and components that help contribute to better health, better functionality and longer life expectancy without disability. This whole panorama needs a legislative framework that ensures the precautionary principle and an optimal food safety. In this complicated way the collaboration between science, industry, consumer organizations and the administration must facilitate the objective of making food a tool for promoting health and well-being

Desigualdad, salud y nutrición en España: una visión regional del índice de masa corporal

Introducción y objetivos: numerosos determinantes ambientales influyen en el crecimiento y en el desarrollo y condicionan la expresión potencial o su evolución en el tiempo. Se analiza la influencia de algunos condicionantes sociodemográficos en la sobrecarga ponderal, en el peso y en la talla en la población adulta española. Métodos: el análisis se ha realizado en una submuestra (25 a 64 años) del estudio ENPE, estudio observacional transversal sobre una muestra poblacional aleatoria de población. Se recogió información sobre edad, género, nivel de estudios, ocupación y lugar de residencia. La clase social se codificó en función de la ocupación. Se tomaron mediciones individuales de peso y talla. Resultados: la prevalencia de obesidad es mayor en hombres, aumenta con la edad y se observa una relación inversa con el nivel de estudios y la clase social. Es mayor en Asturias, Galicia y Andalucía. La talla baja es más frecuente en personas con estudios primarios incompletos y clase social baja, al contrario que la talla alta, más frecuente también en las regiones norte-este y centro. El bajo peso corporal es menos frecuente en personas sin estudios y de clase social baja. Conclusiones: en base a la desigual distribución del sobrepeso y de la obesidad, las estrategias preventivas en nutrición comunitaria deben contemplar la mejora del nivel de educación nutricional y del grado de alfabetización de la población, con especial énfasis en las personas de entornos más desfavorecidos.Background and objectives: a number of environmental determinants influence children growth and development and influence the potential expression or its evolution over time. In this paper we analyse the influence of selected sociodemographic factors on overweight, body weight and height in the Spanish adult population. Methods: the analysis was conducted in a subsample (25 to 64 years of age) of the ENPE study, a cross-sectional observational study on a random population sample. Information was collected on age, gender, educational level, occupation and place of residence. Social class was coded according to occupation. Individual body weight and height were measured. Results: the prevalence of obesity is higher in men, increases with age and there is an inverse relationship with the level of education and social class. Higher prevalence rates were observed in Asturias, Galicia and in Andalusia. Short stature is more frequent in people with incomplete primary education and low social class, in contrast to high stature, which is also more frequent in the North-East and central regions. Low body weight is less frequent in people with very poor education and low social class. Conclusions: based on the unequal distribution of overweight and obesity, preventive strategies in Community Nutrition should consider improving the level of nutrition education and literacy of the population, with special emphasis on the most disadvantaged people

Updating the mediterranean diet pyramid towards sustainability: focus on environmental concerns

Background: Nowadays the food production, supply and consumption chain represent a major cause of ecological pressure on the natural environment, and diet links worldwide human health with environmental sustainability. Food policy, dietary guidelines and food security strategies need to evolve from the limited historical approach, mainly focused on nutrients and health, to a new one considering the environmental, socio-economic and cultural impact—and thus the sustainability—of diets. Objective: To present an updated version of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid (MDP) to reflect multiple environmental concerns. Methods: We performed a revision and restructuring of the MDP to incorporate more recent findings on the sustainability and environmental impact of the Mediterranean Diet pattern, as well as its associations with nutrition and health. For each level of the MDP we provided a third dimension featuring the corresponding environmental aspects related to it. Conclusions: The new environmental dimension of the MDP enhances food intake recommendations addressing both health and environmental issues. Compared to the previous 2011 version, it emphasizes more strongly a lower consumption of red meat and bovine dairy products, and a higher consumption of legumes and locally grown eco-friendly plant foods as much as possible

Sodium Intake from Foods Exceeds Recommended Limits in the Spanish Population: The ANIBES Study

Excessive sodium consumption is associated with adverse health effects. An elevated dietary intake of salt (sodium chloride) has been related to high blood pressure or hypertension, a major but modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, as well as to other ill health conditions. In the present work, our aim was to describe the contribution of foods to sodium consumption within the Spanish population in a representative sample from the "anthropometric data, macronutrients and micronutrients intake, practice of physical activity, socioeconomic data and lifestyles in Spain" (ANIBES) study (9-75 years), to identify high consumer groups, as well as the major food groups that contribute to sodium intake in the Spanish diet. Intakes were assessed by 3-day food records collected on a tablet device. Sodium intakes across the ANIBES study population exceeded recommendations, as total intakes reached 2025 ± 805 mg of sodium per day, that is approximately 5.06 g/day of salt (excluding discretionary salt, added at the table or during cooking). Sodium intakes were higher in males than in females and within the youngest groups. Main dietary sources of sodium were meat and meat products (27%), cereals and grains (26%), milk and dairy products (14%) and ready-to-eat meals (13%). Given the established health benefits of dietary salt reduction, it would be advisable to continue and even improve the current national initiatives of awareness and educational campaigns and particularly food reformulation to decrease overall salt intakes across the Spanish population

Updating the Food-Based Dietary Guidelines for the Spanish Population: The Spanish Society of Community Nutrition (SENC) Proposal

Diet-related risk factors and physical inactivity are among the leading risk factors for disability and are responsible for a large proportion of the burden of chronic non-communicable diseases. Food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) are useful tools for nutrition policies and public health strategies to promote healthier eating and physical activity. In this paper, we discuss the process followed in developing the dietary guidelines for the Spanish population by the Spanish Society of Community Nutrition (SENC) and further explain the collaboration with primary healthcare practitioners as presented in the context of the NUTRIMAD 2018 international congress of SENC. From a health in all policies approach, SENC convened a group of experts in nutrition and public health to review the evidence on diet-health, nutrient intake and food consumption in the Spanish population, as well as food preparation, determinants and impact of diet on environmental sustainability. The collaborative group drafted the document and designed the graphic icon, which was then subject to a consultation process, discussion, and qualitative evaluation. Next, a collaborative group was established to plan a dissemination strategy, involving delegates from all the primary healthcare scientific societies in Spain. A product of this collaboration was the release of an attractive, easy-to-understand publication

Participant engagement with a UK community-based preschool childhood obesity prevention programme: : a focused ethnography study

Background Children’s centres in the UK provide a setting for public health programmes; offering support to families living in the most disadvantaged areas where obesity prevalence is at its highest. Health, Exercise and Nutrition in the Really Young (HENRY) is an eight-week obesity prevention programme currently delivered in children’s centres across the UK. However, low participant engagement in some local authorities threatens its potential reach and impact. This study aimed to explore the factors influencing participant engagement with HENRY to describe where local intervention may support engagement efforts. Method A focused ethnography study was undertaken in five children’s centres delivering HENRY across the UK. One hundred and ninety hours of field observations, 22 interviews with staff (commissioners, HENRY co-ordinators, managers and facilitators) and six focus groups (36 parents), took place over five consecutive days in each centre. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) was used to guide the observations and analysis of the data. Results Three overarching themes described the factors influencing participant engagement with HENRY: local authority decision making around children’s centre programmes; children’s centre implementation of HENRY; and the participant experience of HENRY. The results indicate that factors influencing participant engagement with public health programmes begin at the commissioning body level, influencing children’s centre implementation and subsequently the experience of participants. Local authority funding priorities and constraints influence availability of places and who these places are offered to, with funding often targeted towards those deemed most at need. This was perceived to have a detrimental effect on participant experience of the programme. Conclusion In summary, participant engagement is affected by multiple factors, working at different levels of the children’s centre and local authority hierarchy, most of which are at play even before participants decide whether or not they choose to enrol and maintain attendance. For programmes to achieve their optimal reach and impact, factors at the commissioning and local implementation level need to be addressed prior to addressing participant facing issues

Clustering of Dietary Patterns, Lifestyles, and Overweight among Spanish Children and Adolescents in the ANIBES Study

Weight gain has been associated with behaviors related to diet, sedentary lifestyle, and physical activity. We investigated dietary patterns and possible meaningful clustering of physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep time in Spanish children and adolescents and whether the identified clusters could be associated with overweight. Analysis was based on a subsample (n = 415) of the cross-sectional ANIBES study in Spain. We performed exploratory factor analysis and subsequent cluster analysis of dietary patterns, physical activity, sedentary behaviors, and sleep time. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the association between the cluster solutions and overweight. Factor analysis identified four dietary patterns, one reflecting a profile closer to the traditional Mediterranean diet. Dietary patterns, physical activity behaviors, sedentary behaviors and sleep time on weekdays in Spanish children and adolescents clustered into two different groups. A low physical activity-poorer diet lifestyle pattern, which included a higher proportion of girls, and a high physical activity, low sedentary behavior, longer sleep duration, healthier diet lifestyle pattern. Although increased risk of being overweight was not significant, the Prevalence Ratios (PRs) for the low physical activity-poorer diet lifestyle pattern were >1 in children and in adolescents. The healthier lifestyle pattern included lower proportions of children and adolescents from low socioeconomic status backgrounds

Updating the Food-Based Dietary Guidelines for the Spanish Population: The Spanish Society of Community Nutrition (SENC) Proposal

Diet-related risk factors and physical inactivity are among the leading risk factors for disability and are responsible for a large proportion of the burden of chronic non-communicable diseases. Food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) are useful tools for nutrition policies and public health strategies to promote healthier eating and physical activity. In this paper, we discuss the process followed in developing the dietary guidelines for the Spanish population by the Spanish Society of Community Nutrition (SENC) and further explain the collaboration with primary healthcare practitioners as presented in the context of the NUTRIMAD 2018 international congress of SENC. From a health in all policies approach, SENC convened a group of experts in nutrition and public health to review the evidence on diet-health, nutrient intake and food consumption in the Spanish population, as well as food preparation, determinants and impact of diet on environmental sustainability. The collaborative group drafted the document and designed the graphic icon, which was then subject to a consultation process, discussion, and qualitative evaluation. Next, a collaborative group was established to plan a dissemination strategy, involving delegates from all the primary healthcare scientific societies in Spain. A product of this collaboration was the release of an attractive, easy-to-understand publication