Sustainable Diets and Health

Question 1

What is sustainability?

Answer 1

Something that is capable of being maintained for a long period of time, meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of people in the future to meet their needs

Question 2

What is a Sustainable Diet?

Answer 2

Composed of foods that contribute to human health

Encourage the sustainability of food production

Question 3

Why is it challenging to find solutions that are effective across the large and diverse range of producers that
characterize the agricultural sector?

Answer 3

More than 570 million farms produce in almost all the world’s climates and soils, each using vastly different agronomic methods

Question 4

Diversity of farming

Answer 4

• Average farm size varies from 0.5 ha (Bangladesh) to 3000 ha (Australia)
• average mineral fertilizer use ranges from 1kg of nitrogen per hectare in Uganda to 300kg in China
• Four crops provide half of the worlds calories (more than 2 million distinct varieties recorded in seed vaults)

Question 5

How much does our food chain contribute to carbon dioxide equivalents?

Answer 5

13.7 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2eq) equivalents, 26% of all anthropogenic emissions.

Question 6

How much does nonfood agriculture/drivers of deforestation contribute to CO2 eq

Answer 6

2.8 billion metric tons of CO2eq (5%)

Question 7

How does food production impact the environment?

Answer 7

Food production creates approx. 32% of global terrestrial acidification and approx. 78% of eutrophication.

Question 8

How does the farm stage impact the environment?

Answer 8

The farm stage dominates: represents 61% of food’s GHG emissions (81% including deforestation), 79% of acidification, and 95% of eutrophication.

Question 9

How is agriculture resource intensive?

Answer 9

• covers approx. 43% of the world’s ice and desert-free land. Of this land, approx. 87% is for food and 13% for biofuels and textile crops, or is allocated to nonfood uses such as wool and leather.

Question 10

By 2050, how much will the population increase by and what is the effect?

Answer 10

• the world’s population will increase by two or three billion.
• Greatest increase in population in Asia and Africa.
• This will more likely double the demand for food.

Question 11

How has diet impacted health in recent years

Answer 11

• Obesity
• Colon Cancer
• Diabetes

Question 12

Obesity in recent years

Answer 12

Obesity has more than tripled in Europe over the last 20 years,
- caused an extra 1 million deaths and 12 million life-years of illness each year

Question 13

Colon cancer related to diet

Answer 13

In USA incidence of colon cancer in people aged 20-34 years is predicted to increase by 90% over the next 15 years.
For people aged between 35-90 years, incidence of colon cancer will increase by 28%
Increase in cancer due to many factors but lifestyle and diet are major influencing factors.

Question 14

Diabetes

Answer 14

Globally, the number of people with diabetes has risen from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014.
Amongst adults over 18 years old, the incidence of diabetes has risen from 4.7% in 1980 to 8.5% in 2014.
Diabetes prevalence has been rising more rapidly in middle and low-income families

Question 15

Correlation of red meat consumption and health

Answer 15

correlation between red meat consumption and higher incidence of type 2 diabetes, coronary heart problems, and more importantly, colon cancer.

Question 16

How does red meat contribute to bad health?

Answer 16

• 2009 USA meta-analysis of 29 studies of meat consumption and colon cancer concluded that a high consumption of red meat increases risk by 28%, and a high consumption of processed meat increases risk by 20%.
• 2005 European meta-analysis of red meat consumption and colon cancer showed colorectal cancer risk was positively associated with intake of red and processed meat (highest [>160 g/day] versus lowest [<20 g/day] intake (95% CI = 0.96 to 1.88) and inversely associated with intake of fish (>80 g/day versus <10 g/day, (95 % CI = 0.54 to 0.88) but was not related to poultry intake.

Question 17

Why is a sustaiable diet complex? What is the five big aspects to consider?

Answer 17

is complex due to all the issues to consider.

• nutrition,
• environment,
• economy and food supply,
• society and ethics
• other food related health.

Question 18

How may climate change effect the global food availability?

Answer 18

Climate change reduces global food availability. Warmer temperature and changing rainfall patterns may reduce global food production by about 10% by 2030 and by more than 20% in 2050. New crop modelling results: +1 C -> 2 to 6 % yield loss in global wheat.

Question 19

What is the negative aspects of eating more animal protein?

Answer 19

Animal-based foods are generally more resource-intensive and environmentally impactful to produce than plant-based foods.
Beef production – 20 x more land and 20 x more greenhouse gas emissions per unit of edible protein than plant-based protein sources (e.g. beans, peas and lentils). When it comes to resources use and environmental impacts, the type of food eaten matters as much, if not more, than how that food is produced.

Question 20

Describe the 7 guidelines to sustainable food.

Answer 20

1. Eating better, and less meat and dairy produce. Consuming more vegetables and fruit, grains and pulses, and smaller amount of animal products produced to high-welfare and environmental standards helps reduce health risks and greenhouse gases.
2. Buying local, seasonal and environmentally friendly food such as organic from local farms. This benefits wildlife and the countryside, minimizes the energy used in food production, transport and storage, and helps protect the local economy.
3. Choosing fair-trade-certified products. This scheme for food and drinks imported from poorer countries ensures a fair deal for disadvantages producers.
4. Selecting fish only from sustainable sources, certified by the marine stewardship council (MSC). Future generations will be able to eat fish and seafood if we act now to protect our rivers and seas and the creatures living there.
5. Getting the balance right. We need to cut down on suger, salt and fat.
6. Growing our own, and buying the rest from a wide range of outlets. Fresh out of local markets, small shops, cafes and other retailers provides choice, variate and good livelihoods.
7. Aiming to be waste-free. Reducing food waste (and packaging) saves the energy, effort and natural resources used to produce and dispose of it, as well as money.

Question 21

What is the problem and solution to food acess and excess?

Answer 21

• produce enough food to feed everyone on the planet, but worldwide hunger u still a serious problem with 815 million people suffering from a shortage of food. AT the same time, 2.1 billion people are suffering from obesity or are overweight.
  Solutions:
  -Rethinking the use of natural resources, especially in the first stage of the agro-food supply chain(cultivation).
  -Intervening in the supply chain and managing the volitallity of prices to consolidate fair working conditions in order to incentivise investment, pay farmers a decent wage and increase the opportunites for food access.
  -Reducing the waste of food and resources throughout the agro-food supply chain. Promoting lifestyles which promotes better food sustainability and advocate healthy and nutritionally balanced diets.
  -Investing in food education for rural populations in developing countries. AN increase in the access to primary education of 100% can improve food security by 20-24%.

Question 22

What is the problem with how natural resources are used and what is the solution?

Answer 22

• feed a growing global population and yet 40% of the worlds cereal resources are used to feed livestock and produce fuel.
  Solution
  Improving the efficiency in the way natural resources are used.
• Conserving, protecting and improving natural resources.
• Proposing agriculture methods which protect and improve equality and social wellbeing in rural areas.
• Focusing in the resillence (ability to recover to a previous optimal conditions) of people, communites and ecosystems.
• Implementing policies which are responsible and effective to boost the sustainability of agro-food systems.

Question 23

What is the problem with food waste and what is the solution?

Answer 23

• enough food for everyone: don’t waste it. Every year,
  -every year, waste 1/3 worlds production of food in the supply chain, during the processes of conservation, processing, distrubtion and consumption.
  -medium and high-income countries food is to a high extent wasted , meaning that it is thrown away, even if it is still suitable for human consumption.
• low-income countries food is mostly lost during the production-to-processing stages of the food supply chain.
• Producing food that not consumed leads to unnecessary CO2 emission in addition to loss of economic value of the food produced.
  Solution
• Agreeing to a shared definitions of food loss and waste which tackle its root causes and set out a hierarchy for the use of food, because identifying the nature of food loss and waste is essential for eradicating hunger around the world.
• Recognising the positive contribution of long-term cooperation and agreements on the food supply chain (between farmers, producers and distributors) in order to achieve better planning and forecasting of consumers demand.
• Providing the support necessary to launch awareness raising initiatives, including among professionals in the food sector.

Question 24

Why do people in 1st world countries waste food and how do they do it?

Answer 24

• important reasons for food waste at the consumption level in rich countries is that people simply can afford to waste food.
• the amount of available food per person in retail stores and resturants has increased during the last decades in both the USA and the EU.
• Resturants serve buffets at fixed prices, which encourages people to fill their plates with more food than they can actually eat.
  -Retail stores offer large packages and “getting one for free” bargains. Likewise, food manufactures produce oversized ready to eat meals.
  Preventation: public awareness.
  Education and political initiatives are possible starting points to change people’s attitudes towards the current massive food waste.

Question 25

How is the Mediterranean diet different than our pyramid?

Answer 25

• Exercise is the base
• Dairy is missing milk, just has cheese and yogurt
• Meats and sweets are paired together at the top
• Fruits, veggies, grains is the largest portion (plant foods)
• Wine in moderation
• Fish and seafood have a prominent spot

Question 26

What is the traditional Mediterranean diet?

Answer 26

• Olive oil as added fat
• Daily vegetables
• Daily fruits
• Daily unrefined cereals
• Bi-weekly legumes
• Nuts and olives as snacks before meals
• Bi weekly fish
• Daily cheese or yogurt: goats and sheep
• Monthly or weekly meat/meat products
• Daily moderate wine (if allowed by religion)
• Use a lot of herbs and spices and herbed teas

Question 27

1) What is the percent of carbohydrate kcal’s in the Med diet compared to the Western diet?
2) What is the percent of protein kcal’s in the Med diet compared to the Western diet?

Answer 27

1) - Med diet: 47%
- Western: 42%
- More carbs in Med diet
2) - Med diet: 15%
- Western: 20%
- More protein in the Western diet

Question 28

What is the percent of saturated fat kcal’s in the Med diet compared to the Western diet?

Answer 28

• Med diet: 10%
• Western: 17%
• More saturated fat in Western diet.
• The saturated fats are mostly from cheese and yogurt.

Question 29

What is the UNESCO Declaration 2010 about?

Answer 29

The Mediterranean diet is a cultural heritage that needs to be preserved.

• Spain and Italy applied to preserve this lifestyle.
• Importance of woman (passing on recipes, traditions)

Question 30

What is the Rockefeller Foundation Study?

Answer 30

• First major study to examine the diet of Mediterranean population.
• 1948 Allbaugh (famous epidemiologist) hired by Greek Gov. to improve Crete’s post-war conditions.
• After economic downturn after WWII they assumed there would be heart disease risks, so they measured 1 out of every 150 households in Crete, thorough report.
• Looked at cooking practices, food safety issues, two-day food records on pregnant and lactating women.

Question 31

The Rockefeller study concluded?

Answer 31

-2547kcal/d vs 3129kcal/d (USA)
-Olives, cereal grains, pulses, wild greens and herbs, and fruits, together with limited quantities of goat meat and milk, game and fish have remained the basic Cretan foods for forty centuries.
-No meal was complete without bread.
-Olives and olive oil contributed heavily to the energy intake.
- wine consumed frequently with midmorning, noon, and evening meal.
No improvement was needed as Cretan diet was described as “surprisingly good. On the whole, their food pattern and food habits were extremely well adapted to their natural and economic resources as well as their needs” and “very conducive to heart health”

Question 32

What are the benefits of plant foods?

Answer 32

• Essential nutrients
• Diverse types and high quantities
• Dietary fiber: low glycemic index
• Fat source: avocado, peanuts, seeds, and coconut

Question 33

What are carotenoids?

Answer 33

Type of turpine in red, orange, yellow fruits and veggies.

Question 34

What is the Mediterranean Adherence Index?

Answer 34

Measures commitment to mediteranean diet
Energy provided by total sum of Mediterranean food groups consumed per capita per day / Energy provided by the total sum of non-Mediterranean food groups consumed per capita per day
- Note that eggs and dairy are excluded as they are common to all dietary patterns

Question 35

What countries have a high Mediterranean Adherence Index and what countries have a low? (2000-2003)

Answer 35

BEST 
Egypt (4.09)
Iran
Morocco
WORST
USA (.64)
Australia
Switzerland