Background information
In both United States and Brazil the issue of obesity has currently become a health epidemic. The government and institutions of both of these countries have become proactive in cubing the effects of obesity in their country. The countries have developed systems that are perceived as being long term and sustainable. The eating pattern of people needs to be changed in order to ensure that the food eaten is healthy and taken at appropriate time. Since food products mainly come from agricultural produces it is relevant to also consider making revisions on the agricultural policies. Though both USA and Brazil have similar challenges pertaining to obesity, they have taken considerably different approaches in addressing this issue through their dietay guidelines (Mente, 69).
The US introduced the dietary guidelines at around 19th century, this initial guideline was put in place with an aim of tackling health issues relating to nutritional issues. The perspective of dietary plans changed around the 1970s to focus mainly on curbing health issues on cardiovascular diseases. The US department of agriculture (USDA) collaborated with the department of Health and Human Services formed and released the US Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). This guideline is aimed at providing advice based on scientific facts in order to enhance good health and minimize chronic infections caused by sedentary lifestyle. The USDA has also produced a food guide pyramid which came to be revised and updated in 2005. In Brazil however a different approach has been taken, their approach began in the 1930s and mainly aimed at dealing with endemic nutritional deficiency. The Brazilians developed the program which is based on distribution of food (the National School Meals Program with the aim of preventing goiter. Currently, the Brazilians have since widened their focus to include other aims such as reduction of overall under nutrition. To enforce the program, the guidelines for food program was incorporated both academically and officially after being suggested by the World Health Organization.
US Dietary Guidelines
Currently, the dietary program focusing more on reducing the development of cardiovascular diseases, which became very rampant in the US, is gain roots. Basically the cardiovascular diseases are known to cause loss of too many lives and excessive fat in the human body was to blame for that. In a research performed by Hu and Willet (pg. 78) showed that replacing dietary saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat could lead to reduction of serum cholesterol levels and curb their effect on the cardiovascular infections. The much focus given to dietary guideline can also be attributed to the idea that reduction of fat could also help in preventing occurrences of cancer. The proposal of reducing the dietary fat is perceived as being extremely relevant and without any potential risk (Marantz et al 234). This was never proved in whichever way but it’s adoption is contributed widely to the advice that people could receive about diet was the replacement of fat with complex carbohydrates. During the 1990s this was even given more emphasis as it was recommended that the intake of fat should never exceed thirty percent of the total energy.
In US, the dietary Guideline for Americans recommends drafted a food guide pyramid which encouraged Americans to replace all the fat products with complex carbohydrates. The main aim is to reduce fat levels in the body of Americans and no consideration was given to establish if total lack of fat in the diet could have any health risks. The next revision on the DGA gives 41 recommendations, grouped into nine sections including; adequate nutrients within the energy needs, weight management, physical activity, food groups to encourage, fats, carbohydrates, sodium and potassium, alcoholic beverages and food safety. The main relevance of this review is that there is acknowledgement of the importance of the importance of the unsaturated fat. The DGA also recommends that various kinds of vegetables should be taken to enhance healthy living. Salt intake is not encouraged and the Americans are advised to take very restricted amounts of salt. Other than just focusing on food to enhance health the DGA also encourages people to do some daily exercise and try managing their weight within a normal range. The only shortcoming on the 2005 DGA is its failure to established strict cut for the added sugar and trans fat (Chiuve, 20).
It is a government law that the DGA be revised after every five years but after the 2005 DGA was released almost ten years elapsed before any changes were made on it. Only some decoration have been included in the DGA but without any significant revision on its content. Cardiovascular infections began dropping down considerably but was still diabetes and obesity increased.
Although the government of US has made significant efforts in ensuring that the citizens of America get enough information on dietary the pyramid that it recommended in 2005 is not sufficient. There are various issues that have not been addressed including the interpretation that people mostly give to the pyramid shape. The messages that the DGA pyramid gives is not specific, most people just interpret it as food staffs at the bottom of the pyramid should be consumed in large amounts whereas those at the top of the pyramid should be consumed in small amounts. What the pyramid fail to give is the specification on how much should be recommended for each level and for specific individuals put weight, height and age into considerations.
Brazilian Dietary Guidelines
Unlike in the US, in Brazil, the dietary guidelines (BDG) are drafted and written by scientific committees of experts who had been appointed by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Brazilians has a dietary model which borrows a lot from that of World Food Organization (WHO) but there are some adjustments to fit in the Brazilian context. The adjustment on the WHO dietary program is done putting into perspective the culture of most people in Brazil and their perception when it comes to prevention diseases, diseases, healthy food and lifestyle.
The BDG takes a lot of consideration on the scientific state of art on food safety and environmental sustainability which is portrayed in to the public in general, to the government agencies and industries, family context and with the health profession. There are seven core guidelines that the BDG usually apply in their dietary programming. The guideline is used alongside an annex which addresses questions related to the nutrition quality off food and to their processing. Some of the factors considered include issues such as the genetically modified food, the use of pesticides use of hormones and medications in food production, the use of organic ways of farming, methods of industrial processing, use of artificial sweeteners, the cooking methods that are applied by people and the consumption of ready- to- eat food.
The BDG has not adopted a specific visual aid such as the pyramid and instead they have a collection of resources that can be used to facilitate dissemination of the guidelines. The most accessible aids for guidelines include the pocket edition of guidelines and the ‘Ten steps to a Healthy Food’. Both of these guidelines are written in un-official and academic way and are pleasing to the eye.
The Brazilians consider themselves as the hotbed of progressive nutritional thinking. They recommend natural foods should be eaten more while processed food is reduced. Small amounts of oils, fats, salt and sugar should be used when cooking natural foods and creation of culinary preparations. Ultra-processed products should not be consumed at all. Eating should be done at regular intervals and carefully. Shopping of food products is recommended to be done in shops which offer variety of natural food as opposed to those selling processed food. Development of routine exercise and sharing of culinary skills is recommended. Eating time should be part of one’s schedule, while at home recommendations are made for people to go to places that serve fresh food and people are advised to be cautious on food advertisers and marketers.
Conclusion and Summary
Both US and Brazil have put in a lot of efforts in ensuring that their citizens remain healthy and avoid contracting lifestyle diseases. US have adopted a visual model of a pyramid which illustrates the food to be eaten more and those that should be eaten in small amounts. This pyramid is a revision many other dietary programs that were initiated in the 1970s. For a very long time the main aim of the US diet focuses on eliminating fats since it was perceived that fats were the major cause of the cardiovascular infections which were leading to high mortality rate. They however changed this perspective of things in 2005 and recommended consumption of saturated fats in small amounts.
Brazil unlike America has not adopted the pyramid method or any visual method and instead it has adopted a different approach. The dietary program of the Brazil takes a lot of things into perspective including issues pertaining to genetically modified food, the use of pesticides use of hormones and medications in food production, the use of organic ways of farming, methods of industrial processing, use of artificial sweeteners, the cooking methods that are applied by people and the consumption of ready- to-eat food. The guidelines that aid their dietary programs are simple and written in un-academic way.
Recommendations for the Brazilian and US Guidelines
The US guideline has the advantage of being readily acceptable and giving wise recommendations on the type of food to be taken in large quantities and those which should be taken in moderate and small amounts. This has acted as a guide to many people and the result is that people have been able to minimize the amount of cholesterol in their bodies. The program offered by US also recommends that exercise and weight management should be taken in to account which is paramount as far as health matters are concerned. The main disadvantage of the US guideline is that it is ambiguous and does not give correct appropriations of the exact amount of food to be taken based on a person’s age, genetics, sex, height or weight. Future developments on the pyramid should put these factors in to considerations (Marantz, pg 40).
The Brazilian dieting model appears very easy to follow even by the people who are not so much advanced academically. They have also tried incorporating various factors which are significant to food consumptions such as the processing, cooking, agricultural methods among others. It is also nice that they have included the culture and incorporated it in the program. It is however important that they ensure this message reaches to all people and especially those who need the message most.
Work Cited
Chiuve SE, Willett WC. The 2005 Food Guide Pyramid: an opportunity lost? Nat Clin Pract Cardiovasc Med 2007; 4:610-20.
Hu FB, Willett WC. Optimal diets for prevention of coronary heart disease. JAMA 2002; 288:2569-78.
Marantz PR, Bird ED, Alderman MH. A call for higher standards of evidence for dietary guidelines. Am J Prev Med 2008; 34:234-40.
Mente A, Koning L, Shannon HS, Anand SS. A systematic review of the evidence supporting a causal link between dietary factors and coronary heart disease. Arch Intern Med 2009; 169:659-69.
