EMERGING ISSUES AND TRENDS.

Emerging health issues are those that pose either a threat or relief from threat to overall health of the population.  This can be a disease or injury.

 Nutrition Trends

Some of these trends include:

1. Plant based eating patterns are on rise

Most health groups promote diets based on plant foods, for example the dietary patterns endorsed by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) are primarily plant-based.

2.  Food choices are increasingly driven by factors beyond taste, cost and nutrition.  Personal values about food as it relates to a higher cause such as animal welfare, world hunger and the environment are increasingly driving food choices.  Many consumers believe that what they eat is a reflection of who they are.

3.  Sustainability movement broadens and focuses beyond production practices.  Efforts to improve the sustainability of food production practices which originally focused on reducing green house gas emissions, have expanded to include factors such as reducing waste and minimizing water usage.

4.  Delivery channels for nutrition education interventions are changing.  Papers –and-pencil nutrition education programs are no longer the gold stands for teaching health eating habits. These days, effective, reliable and accurate nutrition is provided.

 

 National and Global Perspectives in Human Nutrition

Nationally and globally, there are many problems associated with nutrition in the Developed and Developing countries.  Some people are suffering from Under-nutrition mostly in the developing countries while Over-nutrition is mostly found in the developed countries.  Both conditions are associated with many health problems.

a)Major Nutrition Problems

1. General food insecurity

2.  Protein energy malnutrition (PEM)

3.  Infection and Infectious mobility

4.  Micronutrient Deficiencies

§  Iron deficiency anemia

§  Vitamin A deficiency and disorder

§  Zinc deficiency

§  Iodine deficiency

 

5.  Overweight and Obesity

§  Chronic diseases  associated with imbalance and over-abundance

b)  Response to Nutritional Stress

Household Response

·       Breastfeeding/complementary feeding

·       Nutrition education, education activities

·       Improving household food insecurity(Quality, quantity, distribution

·       National food and Nutritional Policies

·       Growth Monitoring and Promotion

·       Improving household hygiene

Community responses

·       Growth monitoring and promotion

·       Supplementary feeding

·       Nutrition intervention activities

 National and International responses

·       Nutritional surveillance and program monitoring

·       Food Aid

·       National food and nutrition policies

·       Multilateral  and Bilateral assistance programs

Coping Up with the Emerging Issues and Trends

a.   Improving household food security

Food security means access by all people at all times to the food needed for an active and health life.  At the household level, food security refers to the ability of the household to secure, either from its own production or through purchases, adequate food for meeting g the dietary need for its members.

Food insecurity leads to human suffering resulting to: lower cognitive ability, Poor performance in school etc.  Improving access to land and other natural resources can make a significant contribution in increasing production of food secure households.  To ensure that food production growth is sustainable in the long run, soil fertility and water conservation need to be improved

 

b.   Preventing and managing infections:

Dietary management during illness seeks to modify the course and outcome of infection by improvement of food intake during disease to recovery, particularly in young children. This includes: continuation of breastfeeding during infection, maintenance of diet during

persistent  diarrhea, administration of vitamin A in the management of measles and respiratory infections.

c.   Preventing specific micro-nutrient deficiencies:

The main cause of micronutrient malnutrition is inadequate intake of foods providing these micronutrients and their impaired absorption and utilization. For iodine deficiency, this is largely due to environmental iodine deficiency.  For vitamin A and iron, this is often associated with infections that can increase the metabolic consumption of micronutrients or that can reduce their absorption.  The basic strategy for preventing micronutrient deficiencies is by increasing the availability and consumption of micronutrient-rich foods.

When coping up with emerging issues and trends, some strategies and actions have to be reached. They include the following:

·       Nutrition education and dietary guidance for the general public

·       Training of professional in health care, agriculture extension and related services

·       Developing of food-service guidelines

·       Ensuring food quality and safety

·       Monitoring and evaluating National food and nutrition situation

·       Encouraging the availability of variety of foods to meet consumer demands.