Data are sparse on how and why mealtimes, calorie distribution and diet composition throughout the day relate to appetite control and body weight. Most evidence has examined the omission of breakfast (breakfast skipping), which has been linked with negative health consequences.
Habits are defined in psychology as “cue-response associations in memory that are acquired slowly through repetition of an action in a stable circumstance”. This definition applies to any habit developed in our daily lives but in relation to the food we eat, this means that food habits become automated through repeated consumption of foods in the same contexts (i.e. where we are, what we’re doing, who we’re with, etc.) over time.
Our food consumption is guided by perceive norms and the food choices of others around us. In the UK today, unhealthy and environmentally unsustainable diets are most commonly eaten (the norm). One way to encourage dietary change can be to provide information suggesting healthy and sustainable diets are more common than often perceived (norm-based messages).
Future food systems will face unique challenges in order to meet the nutritional needs of an increasing population which need to both cater for our lifestyle choices and address our growing environmental concerns. For example, an important issue will be an increased demand for protein, while confronting environmental challenges, such as climate change. We need to consider the environmental consequences of our dietary choices if our food system is to remain secure.
Protein intake is insufficient among middle-aged and older adults in the UK, and this insufficiency is a major contributor to ill health and disability. Maintaining muscle strength through adequate protein intake will be valuable to individuals, help to extend active participation in the workforce, benefit the economy, and reduce healthcare costs.
Gut health has long been linked with disease. It was over 2,000 years ago when the Greek physician Hippocrates, oft-lauded as the father of modern medicine, is purported to have made the proclamation, which is still influencing current day researchers and practitioners in medicine:
“All disease begins in the gut”
Hippocrates of Kos (Hippokrátēs ho Kṓos: c. 460–c. 370 BCE)
The unpreceded COVID-19 health, economic and societal crisis has understandably dominated Gateway’s recent activity. Gateway, on behalf of the SEFARI Directors Executive, has prepared a report on the huge effort that all institutes and staff have undertaken to help the fight against COVID-19.
SEFARI experts in plant diversity, human nutrition and soil science have been exploring variation in wild and domesticated food plants relevant to nutrition and health. In the longer term, this research could help to improve the nutritional potential of our crops but in the meantime, you can experiment for yourself by growing wild or unusual seeds.
Wisdom Dogbe is an applied agricultural economist. His research focuses on the evaluation of policies for the food sector. His main research interest are:
The following case study summarises work delivered as part of a SEFARI Fellowship with Scotland Food and Drink (SFD) undertaken during 2019 to ascertain the current state of play regarding the technologies best suited to authenticity, provenance and traceability strategies.