Extending the paradigm: a policy framework for healthy and equitable eating (HE²)

Abstract

As the burden of non-communicable diseases continues to grow globally, it is important that governments, practitioners and researchers focus attention on the development and implementation of policies beyond the food system and environment that can address the social determinants of inequities in healthy eating.

Food democracy, health disparities and the New York City trans fat policy

“…It is typically not within the scope of power for health departments to focus directly on contingencies of health such as poverty. Instead, policy makers target these contingencies indirectly through piecemeal policy like the trans fat policy, or advocates use lawsuits to address gaps (60,61) . Alternatively, adopting holistic approaches to public health nutrition policy, such as deliberate use of food democracy, can embed the process in the context of communities and help offset or decrease disparity.…”

Environmental approaches to promote healthy eating: Is ensuring affordability and availability enough?

“…33 Global food system and future disruptions Global events have implications for local food environments, including affordability and availability. 34 For example, the great recession and the world food price crises in 2007-8 and 2010-12 had devastating impacts on the affordability and availability of food, with knock-on effects for population diet 35 and even social unrest. 36 Those worldwide disruptions were driven by factors well beyond the local food system, but their impact on diet and health was undeniable.…”

“…Global events have implications for local food environments, including affordability and availability 34. For example, the great recession and the world food price crises in 2007-8 and 2010-12 had devastating impacts on the affordability and availability of food, with knock-on effects for population diet35 and even social unrest 36.…”

Healthy eating strategies for socioeconomically disadvantaged populations: a meta-ethnography

“…Driven by complex interactions between people’s behaviours and exposure to conditions within their daily social, economic, and physical environments, SDPs are less likely to consume a “healthy diet” rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains (Algren et al, 2017 ; Alkerwi et al, 2015 ; Friel et al, 2015 ; Maguire & Monsivais, 2015 ; Novaković et al, 2014 ). SDPs also tend to have higher incidence, morbidity, and mortality rates for diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including cardiovascular disease, cancers, and type II diabetes (Hoelscher et al, 2013 ; Pescud et al, 2018 ; Vinke et al, 2020 ). As such, it is particularly important that effective strategies to support healthy eating be developed to reduce inequalities and the socioeconomic burden of NCDs on individuals and society (McGill et al, 2015 ).…”