challenges in bringing about a nutritional change

What are the 4 main challenges in bringing about a nutritional change

personal factors, sociocultural factors, commercial factors, environmental factors

Define personal factors

Relate to characteristics of individuals that influence food intake

What are the 3 personal factors

Willpower and taste preferences, attitudes and beliefs, health and wellbeing

explain willpower and taste preferences in terms of personal factors

Making lasting changes to food intake requires considerable willpower, people often prefer certain foods due to taste preferences & cravings are created due to dopamine being released from foods high in fat, salt and sugar

explain attitudes and beliefs in terms of personal factors

perceptions that healthy food tastes bland or may ignore the effects of unhealthy foods. Strong philosophical beliefs may shape food intake & restrictions of certain foods can lead to underconsumption of nutrients

explain health and wellbeing in terms of personal factors

Allergies, intolerances, emotional eating as coping mechanism

Define Sociocultural factors

Relates to aspects of a person’s society and culture that influence food intake. Can include commercial factors

What are the 6 sociocultural factors

Education, occupation, income, employment status, family influence, peer influence

explain education (SES) in terms of a sociocultural factor

lack of nutritional knowledge & cooking skills → unhealthy meals, difficulty in reading food labels & understanding portion sizes → unhealthy food selection/overeating

explain occupation (SES) in terms of a sociocultural factor

certain jobs rely on convenient, often unhealthy, food options. employment status influences mea planning based on time & convenience

explain income (SES) in terms of a sociocultural factor

directly affects food affordability & choices, lack of income → limit in access to healthy foods

explain employment status in terms of a sociocultural factor

families with both working parents spend less time preparing food → increased consumption of convenient food

explain family influence in terms of a sociocultural factor

early food experiences shaped by family & culture/religous background, childhood establishes many personal food preferences

explain peer influence in terms of a sociocultural factor

social setting & peer groups influence food choices. Children/young people may choose foods based on their friend’s preferences, impacting ability to make the healthier food choice

Define commercial factors

Relates to the impact the private sector has on health and wellbeing

what are the 6 commercial factors

Supply chains, Distribution and affordability, processing, packaging and labelling, lobbying, Maketing strategies

Explain supply chains in terms of commercial factors

relates to the process that all foods go through from where they are produced and consumed, it also influences food distribution, pricing, processing, and packaging

Explain distributary and affordability in terms of commercial factors

food prices set by retailers are affected by wholesale costs, transport, storage, and staffing, costs in rural areas are higher affecting avalibility & equity of nutrious foods

Explain processing in terms of commercial factors

involves transforming raw ingredients into consumerable products, often decreases the nutritional value. Highly processed foods typically contain added sugars, fats & preservaties influencing dietary pattern & health outcomes

Explain packaging and labelling in terms of commercial factors

packaging protects food & extends shelf life & can provide important nutritional info through labelling (i.e, nutrition content, ingredients, expiration date), helps consumers make informed choices. used as marketing tool→ can be deceptive, mislead consumers

Explain Lobbying in terms of commercial factors

relates to any attempt by individuals or private interest groups to influence decisions of gov. can significantly influence food policies & regulations affecting what products are available, how they are produced, and how they are marketed

Explain Marketing strategies and media in terms of commercial factors

through advertising, celebrity endorsements, social media campaigns, companies can create demand for specific products, often focusing on energy dense foods. Frequently target children & young adults, shaping food preferences early on

Define Environmental factors

relates to the elements of the physical environment that influence food intake

What are the 4 environmental factors

Geographical location, workplaces, housing, transport

Explain geographical location in terms of environmental factors

people in remote areas have less access to fresh food relying on non-perishable foods, fast-food outlets are more common in disadvantaged suburbs

Explain workplaces in terms of environmental factors

workplace canteens and provided meals can influence food choices, jobs without cooking facilities limits meal prep options

Explain housing environment in terms of environmental factors

Kitchen appliances enable healthy meal prep, lack of facilities limits cooking options, affecting diet quality

Explain Transport in terms of environmental factors

limited transport access reduces ability to buy fresh nutrious foods, people may rely on local fast food / delivery services, restricting healthy choices