loss as a 10 per cent decrease in weight has been shown to result in improved glucose
metabolism (Blackburn and Kanders 1987; Wing et al. 1987). Dietary interventions are
also used to improve the self-management of diabetes and aim to encourage diabetic
patients to adhere to a more healthy diet.WHO EATS A HEALTHY DIET?
A healthy diet therefore consists of high carbohydrate and low fat intake and links have
been found between diet and both the onset of illnesses and their effective management.
However, research indicates that many people across the world do not eat according to
these recommendations. Research has explored the diets of children, adults and the
elderly.
Children: Data on children’s diets in the Western world do not match the recom-
mendations for a healthy diet, and children have been shown to eat too much fat and too
few fruit and vegetables (USDA 1999). Therefore, dietary recommendations aimed at the
Western world in the main emphasize a reduction in food intake and the avoidance of
becoming overweight. For the majority of the developing world, however, undereating
remains a problem resulting in physical and cognitive problems and poor resistance to
illness due to lowered intakes of both energy and micronutrients. Recent data from the
World Health Organization indicate that 174 million children under the age of 5 in the
developing world are malnourished and show low weight for age and that 230 million are
stunted in their growth. Further, the WHO estimates that 54 per cent of childhood
mortality is caused by malnutrition, particularly related to a deficit of protein and energy
consumption. Such malnutrition is the highest in South Asia which is estimated to be five
times higher than in the Western hemisphere, followed by Africa then Latin America.
Adults: Research also explored the diets of young adults. One large scale study
carried out between 1989–90 and 1991–92 examined the eating behaviour of 16,000
male and female students aged between 18 and 24 from 21 European countries (Wardle
et al. 1997). The results suggest that the prevalence of these fairly basic healthy eating
practices was low in this large sample of young adults. In terms of gender differences the
results showed that the women in this sample reported more healthy eating practices
than the men. The results also provided insights into the different dietary practice across
the different European countries. Overall, there was most variability between countries in
terms of eating fibre, red meat, fruit and salt. Fat consumption seemed to vary the least.
Countries such as Sweden, Norway, The Netherlands and Denmark ate the most fibre,
whilst Italy, Hungary, Poland and Belgium ate the least. Mediterranean countries such as
Italy, Portugal and Spain ate the most fruit and England and Scotland ate the least.
Further, Belgium and Portugal made least attempts to limit red meat whilst Greece,
Austria, Norway and Iceland made more attempts. Finally, salt consumption was highest
in Poland and Portugal and lowest in Sweden, Finland and Iceland.
The elderly: Research exploring the diets of the elderly indicate that although many
younger and non institutionalised members of this group have satisfactory diets many
elderly people particularly the older elderly report diets which are deficient in vitamins,
too low in energy and have poor nutrient content.136 HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY