1092. Healthy, Sustainable, and Culturally Acceptable Diets

Changing our diet is one of the most important actions we can take to reduce the environmental impact of our food system and improve our health. An op-ed in the journal Nature Food argues that the cultural heritage, values, and preferences of the people of the target region need to be taken into account in order to promote healthy and sustainable eating habits.

It has been more than five years since the EAT Lancet Committee advocated the Planetary Health Diet (PHD). PHD recommends a focus on plant-based foods and selective intake of fish, meat, and dairy products in very small amounts. Since its publication, the study has garnered a great deal of attention and has been the most cited by policymakers in the fields of health, nutrition, and the environment. Some of the criticisms have pointed out that PHDs are economically unaffordable for many people or lack consideration for cultural values and consumer preferences.

The editorial noted the differences in cultural diets and their health and environmental impacts in China, Kenya, and India, and emphasized the need for cultural acceptance for the spread of healthy and sustainable diets.

The editorial also assesses the events that have recently pushed the food system onto the global agenda. The 2023 UN COP28 held in Dubai was also called the "Food COP" because it positioned food system challenges on the climate agenda. On the other hand, there was a tendency to avoid openly discussing the issue of eating habits, saying that it was "too sensitive" and that "you do not have the right to know what others should eat." Developing a discussion about culturally appropriate diets in each region may be the best way to encourage a sustainable shift in eating habits that is consistent with PHD.

Reference
Loken, B., Dhar, M. & Rapando, N.P. Healthy and sustainable diets must be culturally acceptable too. Nat Food (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-024-01042-6　

Contributor: IIYAMA Miyuki, Information Program