30 Healthy Eating
even if they do not know they are being observed, eating in a public place
where they can be observed may not accurately reflect how and what
they eat in private.Conclusion
Recommendations for a healthy diet have changed much over the years
but it is currently believed to consist of five food groups consumed in
differing proportions. In particular, a healthy adult diet should be high in
complex carbohydrates, fruit, and vegetables and low in fat. Children’s
diets can be higher in fat and dairy products. Diet affects health through
an individual’s weight but also by its role in the development of illnesses
such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Much research has addressed
the role of diet in health, and although at times controversial, studies
suggest that foods such as fruits and vegetables, oily fish, and oat fiber can
be protective, while salt and saturated fats can increase the risk of poor
health. Diet also has a role to play in treating illness once diagnosed,
particularly coronary heart disease and diabetes. Although interventions
to improve diet can be successful in the short term, many individuals return
to baseline levels of self-care at follow-up. Research has also explored how
healthy people’s diets are. This chapter reviewed a selection of studies which
suggest that the diets of children, young adults, and the elderly are deficient
in a variety of ways. These studies have focused on diets in developed
countries, where the problem is mainly one of overconsumption. Research
shows that for developing countries the situation is the opposite, with
malnutrition being a common problem. Furthermore, this chapter has
described how health concerns are not always a salient motivator for people
and that measuring what people eat is a difficult and flawed process.
Towards an integrated model of diet
At present there exists a consensus among health professionals as
to what people should eat. But many people do not eat in line with
these recommendations. Research has therefore addressed the factors
involved in food choice. This is the focus of the next chapter.