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Nutritional goals from COMA and NACNE: how can they be achieved?
Human Nutrition. Applied Nutrition
|December 1, 1985
Summary
Modifying the average British diet for short-term nutritional goals is achievable with small changes. Key adjustments include increasing white bread, high-fibre cereals, and vegetables while reducing certain fats and sugars.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Science
- Dietary Analysis
- Public Health
Background:
- The National Advisory Committee on Nutrition Education (NACNE) and Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy (COMA) set nutritional guidelines for the British population.
- Understanding current dietary patterns is crucial for developing strategies to meet these guidelines.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify simple dietary modifications for aligning the average British diet with short-term NACNE nutritional goals.
- To compare dietary habits of individuals meeting specific nutritional targets with the general population.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 105 men and 112 women (aged 18-57) in Cambridge.
- Collection of 7-day semi-weighed food consumption records between 1977 and 1979.
- Comparative analysis of dietary intake between a subgroup meeting specific fat, alcohol, fibre, and sugar targets and the general sample.
Main Results:
- No participants met all NACNE or COMA goals.
- A subgroup (7 men, 3 women) met short-term targets for low fat (<35% energy), low alcohol (<10% energy), adequate fibre (>20g/day), and moderate sugars (25% energy).
- This subgroup consumed more white bread, high-fibre cereals, lean meats, and vegetables, and less brown bread, biscuits, eggs, poultry, and fried fish compared to the general sample.
Conclusions:
- Minor dietary adjustments can help the average Cambridge diet meet short-term NACNE goals for fat and fibre.
- Achieving COMA or long-term NACNE goals necessitates more significant dietary changes and nutrition education for informed consumer choices.