Position of the American Dietetic Association: total diet approach to communicating food and nutrition information

It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that the total diet or overall pattern of food eaten is the most important focus of a healthful eating style. All foods can fit within this pattern, if consumed in moderation with appropriate portion size and combined with regular physical activity. The American Dietetic Association strives to communicate healthful eating messages to the public that emphasize a balance of foods, rather than any one food or meal. Public policies that support the total diet approach include the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, MyPyramid, the DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), Dietary Reference Intakes, and nutrition labeling. The value of a food should be determined within the context of the total diet because classifying foods as good or bad may foster unhealthful eating behaviors. Alternative approaches may be necessary in some health conditions. Eating practices are dynamic and influenced by many factors, including taste and food preferences, weight concerns, physiology, lifestyle, time challenges, economics, environment, attitudes and beliefs, social/cultural influences, media, food technology, and food product safety. To increase the effectiveness of nutrition education in promoting sensible food choices, food and nutrition professionals should utilize appropriate behavioral theory and evidence-based strategies. A focus on moderation and proportionality in the context of a healthful lifestyle, rather than specific nutrients or foods, can help reduce consumer confusion. Proactive, empowering, and practical messages that emphasize the total diet approach promote positive lifestyle changes

Classifying Abdominal Fat Distribution Patterns by Using Body Measurement Data

This article aims to explore new categorization that characterizes the distribution clusters of visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissues (VAT and SAT) measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to analyze the relationship between the VAT-SAT distribution patterns and the novel body shape descriptors (BSDs), and to develop a classifier to predict the fat distribution clusters using the BSDs

Estimation of manganese daily intake among adults in Korea

The purpose of this study was to estimate daily intake of manganese in Korean adults. Manganese intake was estimated through the use of the database of manganese content in frequently consumed Korean foods after first conducting anthropometric measurement and a survey on dietary intake with 354 Korean adults. Average age, height, weight and body mass index were 54.6 years, 165.7 cm, 67.2 kg and 24.5 kg/m2 in males and 53.8 years, 153.7 cm, 59.1 kg and 24.9 kg/m2 in females. The daily energy intakes of subjects were 1740.1 kcal in males and 1432.6 kcal in females. Male and female subjects recorded, respectively, 5.2 mg and 4.1 mg in manganese intake indicating that the male subjects consume more manganese (p<0.001). And they posted, respectively, 3.0 mg and 2.9 mg in manganese intake per 1000 kcal of energy consumption; it turned out that there was no significant difference. Daily manganese intake of both males and females posted, respectively, 148.8% and 135.2% of the adequate intake, and 8 males and 3 females surpassed the tolerable upper intake level. It is suggested that the study for accurate determination of manganese consumption needs to be more diversified based on the database of manganese content in Korean foods

Determinants of serum zinc in a random population sample of four Belgian towns with different degrees of environmental exposure to cadmium

This report investigated the distribution of serum zinc and the factors determining serum zinc concentration in a large random population sample. The 1977 participants (959 men and 1018 women), 20–80 years old, constituted a stratified random sample of the population of four Belgian districts, representing two areas with low and two with high environmental exposure to cadmium. For each exposure level, a rural and an urban area were selected. The serum concentration of zinc, frequently used as an index for zinc status in human subjects, was higher in men (13.1 μmole/L, range 6.5–23.0 μmole/L) than in women (12.6 μmole/L, range 6.3–23.2 μmole/L). In men, 20% of the variance of serum zinc was explained by age (linear and squared term, R = 0.29), diurnal variation (r = 0.29), and total cholesterol (r = 0.16). After adjustment for these covariates, a negative relationship was observed between serum zinc and both blood (r = −0.10) and urinary cadmium (r = −0.14). In women, 11% of the variance could be explained by age (linear and squared term, R = 0.15), diurnal variation in serum zinc (r = 0.27), creatinine clearance (r = −0.11), log γ-glutamyltranspeptidase (r = 0.08), cholesterol (r = 0.07), contraceptive pill intake (r = −0.07), and log serum ferritin (r = 0.06). Before and after adjustment for significant covariates, serum zinc was, on average, lowest in the two districts where the body burden of cadmium, as assessed by urinary cadmium excretion, was highest. These results were not altered when subjects exposed to heavy metals at work were excluded from analysis

Characterization of manganese-bearing particles in the vicinities of a manganese alloy plant

Numerous studies have associated air manganese (Mn) exposure with negative health effects, primarily neurotoxic disorders. Despite there is not a specific European regulation, institutions such as the World Health Organization (WHO) have proposed an annual average guideline value of 150 ng/m3. Bioaccessibility and toxicity mechanisms of Mn remain unclear, however it is generally agreed that adverse health effects are strongly linked to particle size and morphology, chemical composition and oxidation state. This study aims to deepen the understanding of the physico-chemical characteristics of PM10 and deposition samples collected in an urban area in the proximities of a ferromanganese alloy plant. Total Mn content was determined by ICP-MS after a microwave-assisted acid digestion. The size, morphology and chemical composition of individual particles were studied by SEM-EDX. XRD was used to identify the major crystalline phases. Most of the particles observed by SEM-EDX contain Mn. 60% of Mn-PM10 particles were spheres of small size and were attributed to condensation processes at the smelting unit. Mn-bearing particles present in deposition were characterized by irregular shapes and bigger sizes, most of them consisting of SiMn slags and Mn ores and alloys, and attributed to diffuse emissions from raw material and product handling and processing. Due to the differences in the characteristics of Mn-bearing particles found in the different matrices, further studies on the potential toxicity and health effects of these particles should be done, especially in relation with the small and spherical particles present in PM10, which are expected to be more problematic.This work has been financially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) through the Project CTM2013-43904R. Ana Hernández-Pellón thanks the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) for the FPI grant awarded, BES-2014-068790