Nutrition and Diet - Report Example

AR Nutrition and Diet Contents Nutrition and Diet 7 Introduction 7 Body of Report Factors affecting food choice 8 Ethni 9 Interactions with a group 10 Socioeconomic factors affecting food choice 10 Gender Differences 11 Personal views 11 Conclusion 11 Recommendations 11 References 12 Nutrition and Diet Introduction A healthy and balanced diet is very necessary for leading a normal and proper life. Nutrition imbalance can be a cause of many diseases in the short term and long term both. A very common condition caused by a nutritional imbalance which is prevalent these days all around the world in obesity. Obesity is a disease state which was initially considered to be environmentally determined that is it has no genetic role in its causation. But recent research has put forward the fact that obesity is a disease state which has both genetic component and environmental factors involved in causing it. It is caused by the deletion in a gene known as Ob gene putting the subjects with these deletions at high risks of developing obesity. The disease is thus considered to be hereditary. Apart from the genetic part over nutrition contributes in leading to this pathology. Nutrition is involved with lifestyle and food choices which the individuals choose. Food choices are dependent upon many factors which would be discussed in this report (Becker et al 1997). Body of Report Factors affecting food choice Many factors affect how people choose to eat and what to eat. This mostly includes the environment they are brought up in which can influence their life. Cultural differences are an important factor which play an important role in affecting the food choices of many. Food choices are also dependent on the education and socio-economic status of individuals. Gender also plays a role in determining as to what an individual would prefer to eat. Taste and perception of an individual is another factor which makes him reject or accept a food (Becker et al 1997). Culture affecting food choice Culture plays an important role in determining the food habits of an individual. Khan has described food habits to be ‘the way in which individuals in response to social and cultural pressures select, consume, and utilise portions of the available food supply’ (Khan 1981). In countries where individuals are taught to eat certain things at homes and this becomes a strong determinant in affecting the food choices of the individuals. The habits of eating adopted at home in the past can make the food choices of the individuals permanent. This was found in a Dutch study mentioned by Brug in his article. (Brug et al 1995). I consider myself in the same situation as personally I have been brought up in a culture where I ate eggs and bacons. I still prefer eating eggs and bacons in the breakfast although I have shifted from my original state of living. Similarly the people I am living with belong to a different environment and they prefer eating something else in the breakfast. Some cultures also relate themselves to religion and hence the people belonging to these cultures have different dietary practices. An example of Buddhists can be taken here who prefer eating a macrobiotic diet. Thus these Buddhists prefer eating vegetables such as leeks and carrots whereas some other varieties are still restricted (Henderson 1997). Cultures are diverse and hence it is found that many people in the same culture also have different food choices (Rozin & Vollmecke, 1986). I personally am a Muslim and my religion has imposed restrictions on me because of which I cannot eat pork and drink wine. Both these things are undesirable in my religion and hence I cannot consume them. Ethnicity Ethnicity also plays an important role in deciding what to eat. People belonging to different ethnic groups have different choices. Blacks live in an environment of their own and hence they would have their own food choices as laid down by Dindyal. Ethnic groups may be from different countries or from a same country but usually they have a group of their own which decides their food settings. For example people from Africa would consume excessive meats and rice in comparison to other individuals. In a similar fashion I have been living in my own group and I prefer to eat fast foods (Dindyal 2004). Interactions with a group Interactions with different individuals also decides the food which is consumed by the people. When with a group people tend to eat differently than they tend to eat when they are alone. A German study found that the environment in which the people are eating affects their food choice. For example if individuals are sitting on a table they might eat something different than they would while sitting on the sofa. Brug in his article has mentioned that if an individual is eating alone he’d prefer to eat something readymade whereas if he eats with a group he’d tend to go through the hassle of boiling vegetables and other food stuff. In my case if I am alone I tend to eat something light whereas if I am with a group of friends I try to go to big restaurants where I can eat something other than the fast food. (Brug et al 1995; Westenhoefer & Pudel, 1993). Socioeconomic factors affecting food choice Food choices are affected by socio-economic statuses of individuals as some people can afford certain types of food whereas some people cannot. A report on vegetables known as Mintel report showed that more of the vegetables are now pre-packed and ready to use but along with this these pre-packed vegetables are expensive to buy (Mintel 2001a). It has been found through different studies that people belonging to lower classes tend to eat less vegetables whereas the ones belonging to higher classes eat more vegetables as they are thought to be expensive (Reicks et al. 1994). Gender Differences Some gender differences are also associated with the consumption of food. Males are associated with eating more meat and consuming more alcohol as compared to women. And on the other hand many of the women consume vegetables and fruits (O’Doherty & Holm 1999). Personal views The differing personal views about food and taste also affect food choices. Some people prefer to eat something whereas others prefer to eat something else. It may be because of tastes regarding the food items or it may be because of personal views that people have regarding some food items. Some individuals might consider some food items as unhygienic so they would prefer not eating it. Vegetarianism is one group of people who only eat vegetables when it comes to their food choice. This depends on their personal ideology of having food which are derived from animals (Holt 1993). Conclusion Many factors affect the lifestyle and food choices. Culture, personal views, gender and socio economic differences are the most important of these. I personally am affected by most of these factors and they have changed my perception of food. Belonging to a middle class family I can afford vegetables so I tend to have a balanced diet of both meat and vegetables. Similarly when I am with friends I tend to go through many hassles to get a better food quality. Hence all these factors are important when determining the food choice. Recommendations In order to have a perfect diet for individuals it is necessary that all the individuals consume a balanced diet. By a balanced diet it means that individuals should have both vegetables and meat in their diet. To do so advertising can be done in such a way that individuals are attracted to eat both the vegetables and meat. Moreover studies can be done to find out the effects of a balanced diet and these studies can be showed to the public which can encourage them to eat a balanced diet changing their food choices (Anderson et al. 1998) References Anderson AS, Cox DN, McKellar S, Reynolds J, Lean MEJ, & Mela DJ (1998) Take Five, a nutrition education intervention to increase fruit and vegetable intakes: Impact on attitudes towards dietary change. British Journal of Nutrition 80, 133–140. Henderson, R. (1997). Zen food. Anna Bay, NSW: Progress Publishers. Holt GC (1993) Ecological Eating, Food Ideology and Food Choice. PhD Thesis. Bradford University. Khan MA (1981) Evaluation of food selection patterns and preferences. CRC Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 15, 129–153. Lennernäs, M., Fjellström, C., Becker, W., Giachetti, I., Schmitt, A., Remaut, . W. A., & Kearney, M. (January 01, 1997). Influences on food choice perceived to be important by nationally-representative samples of adults in the European Union. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 51, 8-15. Mintel (2001a) Fresh Fruit and Vegetables. London: Mintel International Group Limited. O’Doherty JK & Holm L (1999) Preferences, quantities and concerns: socio-cultural perspectives on the gendered consumption of foods. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 53, 351–359. Reicks M, Randall JL & Haynes BJ (1994) Factors affecting consumption of fruits and vegetables by low-income families. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 94, 1309–1311. Rozin P & Vollmecke TA (1986) Food likes and dislikes. Annual Review of Nutrition 6, 433–456. S. Dindyal & S. Dindyal : How Personal Factors, Including Culture And Ethnicity, Affect The Choices And Selection Of Food We Make . The Internet Journal of Third World Medicine. 2004 Volume 1 Number 2 Top of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Westenhoefer J & Pudel V (1993) Pleasure from food: importance for food choice and consequences of deliberate restriction. Appetite 20, 246–249. Read More