Note
Midterm-Tuesday, 1 March 2016
-in class-start at 10:05 am sharp
-all material covered up to and inclusive
of lecture 18
-format as per syllabus
-50 minutes
- answer short answer question in point
form only
Grocery receipts – Thursday, 25 Feb. 2016tentative
SOCIOLOGY OF NUTRITION
Nutritional Trends
-development of nutritional science and
cognate disciplines
-developments in research on food
consumption
-trends in nutritional policies
Development of nutritional science and cognate
disciplines
-started in 1850 in Europe in France,
Germany and Netherlands
-since gained importance due to concept of
welfare state
-origins and growth of nutritional science were
stimulated by:
-the practical problems of food and health,
-food storage and long distance food transport,
-19th century conditions of scarcity and ill health
among the working classes of industrialising
western European countries were also of
political and public health significance and also
contributed to the growth of nutritional science
-origins and growth of nutritional science were
stimulated by:
-doctors visiting the poor in western
European slums came to blame the
inadequate food supply for widespread infant
mortality, feebleness, ill health and
susceptibility to epidemic diseases
-growth of the food industry- rules against
food adulteration
-poor food quality
-today nutritionists in western countries are
stressing the importance of the relationship
between good food and health
-heart disease
-type II diabetes
-obesity
-blood pressure
-stroke
-arthritis and weight
-cancer
-advisory committees to federal and provincial
governments have M.Ds.and Ph.Ds to advise on
policies meant to overcome these problems
-nutritional science draws on biology (including
molecular), biochemistry, microbiology and
physiology
-also draws on history, psychology, sociology,
anthropology, political and economic science
Research on food consumption and eating habits
Large scale epidemiological studies
-food intake, nutritional status, health
characteristics and social variables
Research on food consumption and eating habits
Small scale-epidemological studies
-subgroups
-with or without biomedical and
nutritional data
-particular emphasis on pregnancy, birth and
infancy, youth and old age
-other subgroups-the sick, the poor, students,
immigrants, adherents of strict food intakes
(eg some extremes of vegetarianism)
Research on food consumption and eating habits
Small scale-epidemological studies
-school feeding programmes and food security
-social inequality in food and hence in our
health
-often such studies are undertaken in
periods of declining welfare or economic
depression and other times of hazard for
groups of the population with weak
income positions
Research on food consumption and eating habits
Small scale-epidemological studies
-social inequality in food and hence in our
health
-hunger is still a problem in Canada
Research on food consumption and eating habits
Small scale-epidemological studies
-social inequality in food and hence in our
health
-the elderly-they are a growing population
-aim of nutrient intake studies
with elderly is to ensure their
health in the face of growing age
related health issues- this will help
them live in their own homescheaper for government than
hospital
Trends in Nutritional Policies
Development of national food policies-government initiated
-prevent illness
Trends in Nutritional Policies
Development of national food policies- government
initiated:
-further public health by informing people
about the importance of a prudent diet
-people advised to eat more fruits and
vegetables and fibre containing
foodstuffs and to watch out for excessive
fats (trans and saturated fats in
particular)
Trends in Nutritional Policies
Development of national food policiesgovernment initiated:
Further public health by informing them about
importance of a prudent diet
-food policy promoting food safety
-this means issuing and enforcing
regulations for:
-food producing
-food processing
-food distributing companies
Trends in Nutritional Policies
Development of national food policies- government
initiated:
Further public health by informing them about
importance of a prudent diet
-complex organisations and networks set up
-purposes of:
-public enlightenment
-public education
-research
-control
Trends in Nutritional Policies
Development of national food policies- government
initiated:
Further public health by informing them about
importance of a prudent diet
-Norwegian Nutrition and Food Policy
-promote healthier eating habits
-stabilise world food supply
-increase national self-sufficiency
-strengthen the rural economy
Canada has a similar approach to the
Norwegians
Trends in Nutritional Policies
Development of national food policies- government
initiated:
Further public health by informing them about
importance of a prudent diet
-one food policy does not fit everyone in the
population
-individual’s response to diet or a change
in diet is highly individual
Trends in Nutritional Policies
Development of national food policies- government
initiated:
Further public health by informing them about
importance of a prudent diet
-some policies do not recognise that :
-one food policy does not fit everyone in
population
-individuals response to diet and diet
change affected by genome and
environmental influences outside the
realm of diet
Trends in Nutritional Policies
Development of national food policies- government
initiated:
-failure to sustain agriculture due to policies
that are not ecologically sound (e.g.
irrigation)
-hunger is frequently due to inadequate food
distribution rather than food production
Trends in Nutritional Policies
Development of national food policiesgovernment initiated:
-some policies do not recognise :
-sociocultural habits of people whose food
habits such policies are intended to
change