In the Labyrinth of Dietary Patterns and Well-Being—When Eating Healthy Is Not Enough to Be Well

Abstract

This paper aims to identify the relation between food consumption and well-being, and the level of well-being depending on a diet followed. Moreover, we analyze whether people driven by single motives, such as the health, pleasure or social dimension of food declare the lower or higher level of well-being than those motivated by a larger number of factors. The survey was conducted online (CAWI, n = 1067). The following scales were used: Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), Satisfaction with Food-related Life Scale (SWFL), Health Taste Attitude Scales (HTAS) and Social Dimension of Food Meaning. The data analysis was carried out with the application of one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), partial eta squared, a t-Student’s test, the Hochberg test, the Games-Howell test, and Pearson’s correlation. Levels of Subjective Well-Being (SWB) and Food Well-Being (FWB) are strongly correlated with consumers’ dietary pattern. The frequency of consumption of organic food and following vegan, low salt, and low sugar diets leads to higher levels of SWB, while FWB is additionally affected by the regular consumption of low-fat products and foods that improve one’s mood. The level of well-being is linked with the motivation to follow specific diets and attentiveness related to dietary patterns. People paying attention to the health aspects, pleasure and social dimension of food meaning show higher level of FWB than people focusing exclusively on health aspects.

Profiles of older adults according to their life and food-related life satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic: the importance of the social environment

“…Moreover, the differences found in some of the items of the FQSE showed that the three profiles had adequate and inadequate eating habits. These results contradict previous findings linking healthier diets to higher levels of life ( 6 , 7 , 11 , 28 , 37 , 45 ) and food-related life satisfaction ( 2 , 7 , 13 , 14 , 17 , 19 ) in older adults. However, satisfaction with food-related life not only encompasses nutritional issues but also the social dimension of food, pleasure, and positive emotions ( 7 , 71 ).…”

“…A better perceived economic situation was also linked to food-related life satisfaction in these profiles, in line with previous findings ( 14 – 16 ). However, our results suggest that this positive association does not relate to access to healthier diets ( 7 , 14 , 46 ) but to the hedonic and social dimension of food ( 2 , 17 , 45 ). Overall, these results show that financial wellbeing and distress are related to degrees of vulnerability in older adults.…”

“…However, satisfaction with food-related life not only encompasses nutritional issues but also the social dimension of food, pleasure, and positive emotions ( 7 , 71 ). A study with Polish older adults showed that life and food-related life satisfaction are higher for those who focus on health, pleasure, and the social dimension of food rather than on exclusively health factors ( 17 ). Other studies with older adults show that food emotions and enjoyment are also relevant for their eating habits and quality of life ( 45 , 73 ) and that older adults consider the hedonic aspect of eating very important ( 2 ).…”

“…Studies in Europe, Asia, and Latin America have demonstrated a positive link between life and food-related life satisfaction in older adults ( 2 , 11 – 18 ). Moreover, higher food-related life satisfaction in older adults has been associated with healthier eating habits ( 2 , 7 , 13 , 14 , 17 , 19 ), the social and hedonic dimensions of food ( 2 , 7 , 15 , 17 ), and some food attributes such as healthfulness, variety ( 2 ), and safety ( 14 ). Hence, we expect that older adults show diverse patterns of life and food-related life satisfaction and that these patterns coexist with other factors and conditions associated with wellbeing.…”

Satisfaction with Food: Profiles of Two-Parent Families with Adolescent Children

“…For the variable AHEI, the scores obtained for each of the members of the families were different in the four profiles: mothers and adolescents in Profile 3 presented the highest average AHEI scores as well as the highest levels of SWFoL. This is in line with the quality of the diet being directly related to SWFoL in adults and adolescents [ 59 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 ].…”