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The food system and climate are closely interconnected. Although most research has focused on the need to adopt a plant-based diet to help mitigate climate change, there is also an urgent need to examine the effects of climate change on food systems to adapt to climate change. A systems approach can help identify the pathways through which climate influences food systems, thereby ensuring that programmes combating malnutrition take climate into account. Although little is known about how climate considerations are currently incorporated into nutrition programming, climate information services have the potential to help target the delivery of interventions for at-risk populations and reduce climate-related disruption during their implementation. To ensure climate services provide timely information relevant to nutrition programmes, it is important to fill gaps in our knowledge about the influence of climate variability on food supply chains. A proposed roadmap for developing climate-sensitive nutrition programmes recommends: (i) research aimed at achieving a better understanding of the pathways through which climate influences diet and nutrition, including any time lags; (ii) the identification of entry points for climate information into the decision-making process for nutrition programme delivery; and (iii) capacity- building and training programmes to better equip public health practitioners with the knowledge, confidence and motivation to incorporate climate resilience into nutrition programmes. With sustained investment in capacity-building, data collection and analysis, climate information services can be developed to provide the data, analyses and forecasts needed to ensure nutrition programmes target their interventions where and when they are most needed. Elaboration de programmes de nutrition adaptes au climat Les systemes alimentaire et climatique sont etroitement lies. Bien que la plupart des recherches se concentrent sur le besoin d'adopter un regime vegetarien pour contribuer a attenuer le changement climatique, il est egalement urgent d'examiner les effets de ce changement climatique sur les systemes alimentaires afin de les adapter en consequence. Une approche systemique peut aider a determiner dans quelle mesure le climat influence les systemes alimentaires, et des lors a faire en sorte que les programmes de lutte contre la malnutrition en tiennent compte. On ignore encore sous quelle forme les considerations climatiques sont actuellement integrees dans les programmes de nutrition. Cependant, les services climatologiques peuvent contribuer a cibler le deploiement d'interventions pour les populations a risque, ainsi qu'a reduire les perturbations causees par le climat au cours de leur mise en oeuvre. Pour veiller a ce que ces services fournissent a point nomme des informations utiles aux programmes de nutrition, il faut imperativement combler le manque de connaissances en matiere d'impact des variations climatiques sur les chaines d'approvisionnement alimentaire. La feuille de route proposee pour l'elaboration de programmes de nutrition adaptes au changement climatique recommande: (i) de mener des recherches visant a mieux comprendre dans quelle mesure le climat influence l'alimentation et la nutrition, en tenant compte des eventuels decalages temporelshoraires; (ii) d'identifier les points d'entree des informations relatives au climat dans le processus decisionnel de deploiement des programmes alimentaires; et enfin, (iii) de developper des plans de formation et de renforcement des capacites afin que les professionnels de la sante publique disposent des connaissances, de la confiance et de la motivation necessaires pour integrer l'adaptation au changement climatique dans les programmes de nutrition. En investissant durablement dans le renforcement des capacites ainsi que dans la collecte et l'analyse de donnees, il est possible d'instaurer des services climatologiques qui communiqueront les informations, analyses et previsions requises pour que les programmes de nutrition organisent leurs actions a l'endroit et au moment oU elles deviennent indispensables. Creacion de programas de nutricion sensibles al clima El sistema alimentario y el clima estan muy interconectados. Aunque la mayoria de las investigaciones se han centrado en la necesidad de adoptar una dieta basada en el consumo de plantas para ayudar a mitigar el cambio climatico, tambien es urgente analizar los efectos del cambio climatico en los sistemas alimentarios para adaptarse al mismo. Un enfoque sistemico puede ayudar a identificar las vias a traves de las que el clima influye en los sistemas alimentarios, garantizando asique los programas de lucha contra la malnutricion tengan en cuenta el clima. Si bien se sabe poco sobre como se incorporan en la actualidad los aspectos climaticos a los programas de nutricion, los servicios de informacion climatica tienen el potencial de ayudar a orientar las intervenciones hacia las poblaciones de riesgo y a reducir los trastornos relacionados con el clima durante su aplicacion. Para garantizar que los servicios climaticos proporcionen informacion oportuna y relevante a los programas de nutricion, es importante solucionar las carencias de nuestros conocimientos sobre la influencia de la variabilidad climatica en las cadenas de suministro de alimentos. Una hoja de ruta propuesta para desarrollar programas de nutricion sensibles al clima recomienda i) la investigacion destinada a lograr una mejor comprension de las vias a traves de las que el clima influye en la dieta y en la nutricion, incluidos los retrasos; ii) la identificacion de los puntos de entrada de la informacion sobre el clima en el proceso de toma de decisiones para la ejecucion de los programas de nutricion; y iii) los programas de creacion de capacidad y formacion para preparar mejor a los profesionales de la salud publica con los conocimientos, la confianza y la motivacion que permitan incorporar la adaptacion al clima en los programas de nutricion. Si se invierte de manera sostenida en la creacion de capacidades, la recopilacion y el analisis de datos, se pueden desarrollar servicios de informacion climatica que proporcionen los datos, los analisis y las previsiones necesarios para garantizar que los programas de nutricion orienten sus intervenciones donde y cuando mas se necesiten. [phrase omitted], Introduction The food system and climate are closely interconnected. To date, most research has focused on climate change--specifically on the environmental footprint of our diets and on how we could [...]

The World Health Organization has recommended that Member States consider taxing energy-dense beverages and foods and/ or subsidizing nutrient-rich foods to improve diets and prevent noncommunicable diseases. Numerous countries have either implemented taxes on energy-dense beverages and foods or are considering the implementation of such taxes. However, several major challenges to the implementation of fiscal policies to improve diets and prevent noncommunicable diseases remain. Some of these challenges relate to the cross-sectoral nature of the relevant interventions. For example, as health and economic policy-makers have different administrative concerns, performance indicators and priorities, they often consider different forms of evidence in their decision- making. In this paper, we describe the evidence base for diet-related interventions based on fiscal policies and consider the key questions that need to be asked by both health and economic policy-makers. From the health sector's perspective, there is most evidence for the impact of taxes and subsidies on diets, with less evidence on their impacts on body weight or health. We highlight the importance of scope, the role of industry, the use of revenue and regressive taxes in informing policy decisions. L'Organisation mondiale de la Sante a recommande aux Etats membres d'envisager de taxer les boissons et aliments a haute teneur energetique et/ou de subventionner les denrees riches en nutriments, en vue d'ameliorer les regimes alimentaires et de prevenir les maladies non transmissibles. Aujourd'hui, nombreux sont les pays a avoir instaure des taxes sur les boissons et aliments a haute teneur energetique ou a envisager de le faire. Neanmoins, d'importants defis subsistent pour la mise en application de ce type de politiques fiscales. Certains sont lies a la nature intersectorielle des interventions appropriees. Par exemple, comme les responsables des politiques economiques et les responsables des politiques de sante ont des preoccupations administratives, des priorites et des indicateurs de performances differents, ils s'appuient souvent sur differentes formes de donnees dans leur prise de decisions. Dans le present document, nous decrivons les donnees probantes susceptibles d'orienter les interventions sur l'alimentation fondees sur des politiques fiscales et nous evoquons les principales problematiques auxquelles doivent repondre a la fois les responsables des politiques economiques et les responsables des politiques de sante. D'un point de vue de sante publique, les preuves de l'impact des taxes et subventions sur les habitudes alimentaires sont plus nombreuses que les preuves de leur impact sur le poids ou la sante. Nous abordons egalement l'importance du perimetre d'action, le role de l'industrie, l'utilisation des recettes fiscales et la regressivite des taxes, dans l'optique d'eclairer les decisions politiques. La Organizacion Mundial de la Salud ha recomendado a los Estados Miembros considerar la posibilidad de aplicar un impuesto a las bebidas y los alimentos de alto contenido energetico y/o subvencionar los alimentos ricos en nutrientes para mejorar las dietas y prevenir enfermedades no contagiosas. Numerosos paises ya aplican impuestos a bebidas y alimentos de alto contenido energetico o consideran la implementacion de dichos impuestos. Sin embargo, persisten varios desafios importantes para la implementacion de politicas fiscales para mejorar las dietas y prevenir las enfermedades no contagiosas. Algunos de estos desafios estan relacionados con la naturaleza intersectorial de las Intervenciones correspondientes. Por ejemplo, puesto que los encargados de la formulacion de politicas de salud y economia tienen diferentes preocupaciones administrativas, indicadores de rendimiento y prioridades, a menudo tienen en cuenta diferentes formas de pruebas en su toma de decisiones. En este documento, se describe la base de pruebas para intervenciones relacionadas con la dieta basadas en politicas fiscales y se consideran las preguntas clave que deben formular tanto los responsables de la politica economica como de la de salud. Desde la perspectiva del sector de la salud, existen muchas pruebas del impacto de los impuestos y subsidios en las dietas, con menos pruebas de sus impactos sobre el peso o la salud corporal. Se destaca la importancia del alcance, el papel de la industria, el uso de los ingresos y los impuestos regresivos para informar sobre las decisiones politicas. [phrase omitted], Introduction In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended the 'implementation of an effective tax on sugar-sweetened beverages' as one of several key measures to address childhood obesity. (1) This [...]

Objective: To explore the barriers associated with the adoption of the Alberta Nutrition Guidelines for Children and Youth in schools according to characteristics of the innovation (guidelines) and the organization (schools). Design: Cross-sectional telephone survey. Setting and Participants: Schools in Alberta, Canada. Principals from 357 schools. Main Outcome Measure: Barriers to adopting the nutrition guidelines. Analysis: A 19-question telephone survey, including open- and closed-ended questions, was used to obtain information regarding schools' characteristics and barriers to adopting the guidelines. Qualitative data were coded according to common themes a priori, based on constructs from the Diffusion of Innovations framework. Results: Schools reported many barriers related to the relative advantage, compatibility, and complexity of adopting the guidelines. Parents' resistance to change and cost were the key reported barriers. Lack of knowledge, student preferences, the physical location of the school, and barriers related to the provision of healthful food were also reported. Conclusions and Implications: Disseminating guidelines without providing adequate support for their implementation may not promote change within the school setting. School nutrition initiatives need to involve the parents and have access to sufficient financial and human resource support. (Contains 4 tables.)

Problem-based learning (PBL) can provide an enhanced appreciation of the relationship between culture and food for students who aspire to become dietitians or nutrition educators; however, large university classes often inhibit the use of PBL. A professor who specializes in research documenting the relationships among food and culture took 17 Canadian university students, many of whom were studying nutrition and food science, to southern Italy where they learned about Mediterranean diets and Italian food culture. PBL was implemented by encouraging students to work together to solve problems, and by the completion of assignments that promoted observation of and interaction with the local culture. Students evaluated the experience positively with majority agreement that the quality of course content was excellent, that knowledge of the subject areas increased, and that the courses challenged students to critically think about issues. Despite a focused effort on PBL in the courses, not all students agreed that the courses helped them to develop the ability to solve real problems in this field. This may have been due to unawareness of dietetic competencies by some students. Many of the assignments used in Italy could be adopted for use in food culture classes in North America, or by postsecondary instructors planning travel study programs in Italy.

OBJECTIVE: Unhealthy dietary and physical inactivity patterns inspired many initiatives promoting healthy youth and healthy schools in Alberta between 2005 and 2008. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in the prevalence of lifestyle risk factors for type 2 diabetes (T2D) between two province-wide samples of Alberta adolescents (2005 and 2008). METHODS: The dietary and physical activity (PA) patterns of Alberta youth were assessed in two cross-sectional studies of grade 7-10 students, one in 2005 (n=4936) and one in 2008 (n=5091), using a validated web-survey. For each diabetes risk factor, participants were classified as either at risk or not at risk, depending on their survey results relative to cut-off values. Chi-square tests and logistic regression models were used to determine differences in risk factor prevalence between 2005 and 2008. RESULTS: Compared to 2005, mean BMI, energy intake, fat intake, glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) were lower in 2008 (p CONCLUSIONS: Improvements were observed between 2005 and 2008 in terms of the proportion of adolescents having specific risk factors for T2D. The cause of these changes could not be determined. Continued monitoring of adolescent lifestyle habits and monitoring of exposure to health promotion programming is recommended. KEY WORDS: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus; adolescents; prevalence; risk factors; diet; physical activity OBJECTIF: Les habitudes alimentaires malsaines et l'inactivite physique ont inspire de nombreuses initiatives de promotion de la sante des jeunes et des ecoles en Alberta entre 2005 et 2008. Nous avons cherche a examiner les differences dans la prevalence des facteurs de risque lies aux habitudes de vie pour le diabete de type 2 (DT2) entre deux echantillons provinciaux d'adolescents albertains (2005 et 2008). METHODE: Les habitudes d'alimentation et d'activite physique des jeunes de l'Alberta ont ete evaluees a la faveur de deux etudes transversales aupres d'eleves de la 7e a la 10e annee, l'une en 2005 (n=4 936) et l'autre en 2008 (n=5 091), a l'aide d'un sondage en ligne valide. Pour chaque facteur de risque du diabete, les participants ont ete classes comme etant a risque ou non a risque selon leurs reponses au sondage par rapport aux valeurs limites. Des tests du khi-carre et des modeles de regression logistique ont servi a determiner les differences dans la prevalence des facteurs de risque entre 2005 et 2008. RESULTATS: Comparativement a 2005, l'IMC moyen, l'apport energetique, l'apport en matieres grasses, l'indice glycemique (IG) et la charge glycemique (CG) etaient plus faibles en 2008 (p CONCLUSIONS: Des ameliorations ont ete observees entre 2005 et 2008 dans la proportion d'adolescents presentant les facteurs de risque propres au DT2. Nous n'avons pas pu determiner la cause de ces changements. Il est recommande de continuer a surveiller les habitudes de vie des adolescents et leur exposition aux programmes de promotion de la sante. MOTS CLES: diabete de type 2; adolescent; prevalence; facteurs de risque; regime alimentaire; exercice physique La traduction du resume se trouve a la fin de l'article., Unhealthy dietary and physical activity patterns are prevalent among Canadian youth (1,2) and are implicated in increasing rates of early onset type 2 diabetes that have been observed in Canada. [...]

Objective To systematically review evidence for the effectiveness of policies, including self-regulation, aimed at reducing industrially produced trans fatty acids (TFAs) in food. Methods The Medline, Embase and Cinahl databases were searched to identify peer-reviewed articles examining the effect of TFA policies. In addition, the first 20 pages of Google searches were examined for articles from the grey literature. A study was included if: (i) it was empirical and conducted in a 'real-world' setting (i.e. modelling studies were excluded); (ii) it examined a TFA policy involving, for example, labelling, voluntary limits or bans; and (iii) it examined a policy's effect on TFA levels in food, people's diets, blood or breast milk. Findings Twenty-six articles met the inclusion criteria: 5 involved voluntary self-regulation; 8, labelling alone; 4, labelling and voluntary limits; 5, local bans and 4, national bans. Overall, the TFA content of food decreased with all types of policy intervention. In general, saturated fat levels increased or decreased, depending on the product type, and total fat content remained stable. National and local bans were most effective at eliminating TFAs from the food supply, whereas mandatory TFA labelling and voluntary TFA limits had a varying degree of success, which largely depended on food category. Conclusion Policies aimed at restricting the TFA content of food were associated with significant reductions in TFA levels, without increasing total fat content. Such policies are feasible, achievable and likely to have an effect on public health. Objectif Examiner systematiquement la preuve de l'efficacite des politiques, y compris l'autoregulation, visant a reduire les acides gras trans (AGT) industriels dans l'alimentation. Methodes Les bases de donnees Medline, Embase et Cinahl ont ete exploitees pour identifier les articles evalues par des pairs, portant sur l'effet des politiques AGT. En outre, on a recherche dans les 20 premieres pages de recherches Google des articles de la litterature grise. Une etude etait prise en compre si: (i) elle etait empirique et conduite dans des conditions <> (c'est-a-dire que les etudes de modelisation ont ete exclues), (ii) elle portait sur une politique AGT impliquant, par exemple, l'etiquetage, les limitations ou interdictions volontaires, et (iii) elle examinait l'effet d'une politique sur les niveaux d'AGT dans les aliments, l'alimentation des personnes, le sang ou le lait maternel. Resultats Vingt-six articles repondaient aux criteres d'inclusion: 5 impliquaient l'autoreguiation volontaire, 8 l'etiquetage seul, 4 l'etiquetage et les limitations volontaires, 5 des interdictions locales et 4 des interdictions nationales. Dans l'ensemble, la teneur en AGT des aliments a diminue avec tous les types de politique d'intervention. En general, les niveaux de graisses saturees ont augmente ou diminue, selon le type de produit, et la teneur totale en matieres grasses est restee stable. Les interdictions nationales et locales ont ete les plus efficaces dans l'elimination des AGT dans l'approvisionnement alimentaire, alors que l'etiquetage obligatoire AGT et les limitations volontaires ont eu un degre de succes variable, qui dependait en grande partie de la categorie des aliments. Conclusion Les politiques visant a limiter la teneur en AGT des aliments ont ete associees a des reductions significatives des niveaux d'AGT, sans augmentation de la teneur totale en graisses. Ces politiques sont faisables, realisables et susceptibles d'avoir un effet sur la sante publique. Objetivo Examinar sistematicamente los datas disponibles sobre la eficacia de las estrategias (incluida la autorregulacion) dirigidas a reducir los acidos grasos de tipo trans (AGT) de produccion industrial en los alimentos. Metodos Se examinaron las bases de datas Medline, Embase y Cinahl para identificar articulos revisados por expertos en los que se estudiara el erecto de las estrategias acerca de las grasas trans. Ademas, tambien se buscaron articulos de literatura gris en las primeras 20 paginas de resultados de Google. Los estudios se incluyeron cuando: (i) se trataba de un estudio empirico que se desarrollo en un entorno del <> (esta es, se excluyeron estudios de modelamiento); (ii) se examinaba una estrategia relacionada con los AGT que incluyera, por ejemplo, etiquetado, limites voluntarios o prohibiciones; y (iii) se examinaba el erecto de una estrategia sobre los niveles de AGT en los alimentos, la dieta de las personas, la sangre o la leche materna. Resultados Veintiseis articulos cumplieron con los criterios de inclusion. De ellos, cinco incluyeron una autorregulacion voluntaria; acho, solo etiquetado; cuatro, etiquetado y limites voluntarios; cinco, prohibiciones locales y cuatro, prohibiciones nacionales. En su conjunto, todas las estrategias redujeron el nivel de AGT en los alimentos. Por regla general, los niveles de grasas saturadas aumentaron o disminuyeron segun el tipo de producto, y el contenido total de grasa permanecio estable. Las prohibiciones locales y nacionales resultaron ser las mas eficaces a la hora de eliminar los AGT de los alimentos, mientras que el etiquetado obligatorio y los limites voluntarios obtuvieron resultados variados, dependiendo, en su mayor parte, de la categoria de alimento. Conclusion Las estrategias dirigidas a la reduccion del contenido de AGT en los alimentos estuvieron asociadas a reducciones significativas de los niveles de AGT sin un aumento del contenido total en grasas. Estas estrategias son factibles, viables y pueden tener un erecto sobre la salud publica., Introduction Trans fatty acids (TFAs) are unsaturated fats found in foods obtained from ruminants, such as dairy products and meat, and in industrially produced partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. (1) Human [...]

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the trade-offs related to the production and consumption of palm oil in Myanmar from a sustainable diets perspective. Design: We used an enhanced value chain analysis approach that included semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders; market analyses to assess edible oils in markets and focus groups as well as surveys with consumers to ascertain their perceptions and practices related to edible oils. Setting: Four settings in Myanmar (upper income urban; lower income urban; middle-income urban; lower income rural). Participants: Key stakeholders (n 12) from government, trade bodies and civil society organisations were included in the interviews. Women from each of the regions participated in four focus groups (n 32), and a convenience sample of male and female consumers participated in the surveys (n 362). Results: We found mistrust of the oil sector overall. Poor production practices, leading to low yields, limit the economic viability of oil palm production in Myanmar and contribute to negative environmental (e.g. deforestation) and social outcomes (e.g. land conflicts). Consumers demonstrated low preferences for palm oil as compared with traditional oils from a taste, health and transparency perspective; however, they indicated that its relative low cost led to its purchase over other oils. Conclusions: The Burmese example suggests that there may be limited benefits, and significant costs, of investing in palm oil production in regions where there are coordinating disincentives from a sustainable diets perspective. However, if oil palm cultivation is to continue, there are opportunities to improve its economic viability and environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nutrition policies to improve the food environment frequently rely on voluntary business action for implementation, many have had mixed success. The aims of this study were to identify key food system drivers influencing the Australian packaged food sector and analyse how these might impact the willingness of food companies to voluntarily reduce salt in packaged foods. Methods: Business methods formed the basis of this retrospective applied policy analysis of voluntary salt reduction for the period 2013-2016 where the focal policy was the Australian Food and Health Dialogue (2009-2015). The analytical framework included political-legal, economic, social, technological (PEST) external drivers of the food system, and Porter's Five Forces for the competitive drivers of the food system. Documentary data identifying food system drivers affecting the Australian packaged food sector (comprised of the food processing and supermarket industries) were identified through a comprehensive search of the grey and academic literatures. Results: The interplay between external and competitive food system drivers created an environment in which voluntary salt reduction was found to be an uneasy fit. A high cost of doing business, soft growth, intense competition, asymmetry of power in favour of supermarkets, and marginal consumer interest in less salty food were found likely to create commercial disincentives to invest in voluntary salt reduction above more pressing commercial imperatives. Analysis of food manufacturing industries highlighted the highly contextual nature of food system drivers. Opportunities for nutrition policy included: support for 'shared value' in economic discourse; and, leveraging investor, supermarket, and the largely unrealised bargaining power of consumers. Conclusion: Business frameworks can provide meaningful insights for nutrition policy on how food system drivers can thwart policy goals. Our analysis highlighted areas to incentivise voluntary action and illustrated the importance of political-legal, economic and consumer strategies for salt reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Although the mandate of recreational facilities is to enhance well-being, many offer foods inconsistent with recommendations for healthy eating. Little is known regarding recreational facility food environments and how they might be improved, as few studies exist. The Alberta Nutrition Guidelines for Children and Youth (ANGCY) are intended to ensure access to healthy food choices in schools, childcare and recreational facilities. This study investigated awareness, adoption and implementation of the ANGCY among recreational facilities in Alberta, Canada, one year following their release. Methods A cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted from June - December, 2009 (n = 151) with managers of publicly funded recreational facilities that served food. The questionnaire included 10 closed and 7 open ended questions to assess the organizational priority for healthy eating, awareness, adoption and implementation of the ANGCY. Chi-squared tests examined quantitative variables, while qualitative data were analysed using directed content analysis. Greenhalgh's model of diffusion of complex innovations within health service organizations constituted the theoretical framework for the study. Results One half of respondents had heard of the ANGCY, however their knowledge of them was limited. Although 51% of facilities had made changes to improve the nutritional quality of foods offered in the past year, only a small fraction (11%) of these changes were motivated by the ANGCY. At the time of the survey, 14% of facilities had adopted the ANGCY and 6% had implemented them. Barriers to adoption and implementation were primarily related to perceived negative attributes of the ANGCY, the inner (organizational) context, and negative feedback received during the implementation process. Managers strongly perceived that implementing nutrition guidelines would limit their profit-making ability. Conclusions If fully adopted and implemented, the ANGCY have the potential to make a significant and sustained contribution to improving the recreational facility food environment, however one year following their release, awareness, adoption and implementation of the ANGCY remained low. A mandated policy approach could offer an efficacious, cost-effective means of improving the food environment within recreational facilities.

Objective: To identify opportunities and challenges for the promotion of healthy, sustainable oil consumption in India.Design: We use a framework for policy space analysis which distinguishes between policy context, process and characteristics.Setting: We focus on the Indian edible oils sector and on factors shaping the policy space at a national level.Participants: The study is based on the analysis of policy documents and semi-structured interviews with key experts and stakeholders in the edible oils sector.Results: We find opportunities associated with the emergence of multisectoral policy frameworks for climate adaptation and non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention at a national level which explicitly include the oils sector, the existence of structures for sectoral policy coordination, some supportive factors for the translation of nutrition evidence into practice, and the possibility of integrating nutrition-sensitive approaches within current state-led agricultural interventions. However, the trade-offs perceived across sustainability, NCD prevention and food security objectives in the vegetable oils sector are considered a barrier for policy influence and implementation. Sustainability and nutrition advocates tend to focus on different segments of the value chain, missing potential synergies. Moreover, policy priorities are dominated by historical concerns for food security, understood as energy provision, as well as economic and strategic priorities.Conclusions: Systematic efforts towards identifying synergistic approaches, from agricultural production to distribution of edible oils, as well as increased involvement of nutrition advocates with upstream policies in the oils sector, could increase policy influence for advocates of both nutrition and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine consumers' perceptions of their food environments, their food consumption patterns and preferences, and to better understand the attributes of foods that are available within food environments in Myanmar.Design: An exploratory mixed-methods study using a combination of focus group discussions, market and consumer surveys.Setting: Four study settings in Myanmar were included: an upper-income township of Yangon; a lower-income township of Yangon; a middle-income township in the southern Myanmar town of Dawei; and a lower-income village in the country's dry zone of Magway.Participants: Thirty-two women participated in the focus groups discussions, twenty market surveys were conducted and 362 consumers (both men and women) completed food consumption surveys.Results: Focus group participants indicated that the availability of a diverse range of foods had increased over time, while the quality of foods had decreased. Health was seen primarily through the lens of food safety and there was an overall lack of knowledge about which foods were more or less healthy. Consumers preferred fruits, vegetables and red meat compared with highly processed snack foods/beverages. Although consumers reported low intakes of highly processed snack foods, Burmese street food was consumed in high quantities. The market surveys suggested that fresh, minimally processed and highly processed foods were available at all markets across the study settings.Conclusions: Consumers are exposed to a variety of foods, of varying quality, within their food environments in Myanmar. Interventions aimed at increasing consumer knowledge regarding healthy diets and improving food safety are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Approach-avoidance training (AAT) is a promising approach in obesity treatment. The present study examines whether an AAT is feasible and able to influence approach tendencies in children and adolescents, comparing implicit and explicit training approaches. Design/Setting/Subjects Fifty-nine overweight children and adolescents (aged 8-16 years; twenty-six boys) participated in an AAT for food cues, learning to reject snack items and approach vegetable items. Reaction times in the AAT and an implicit association test (IAT) were assessed pre- and post-intervention.Results: A significant increase in the AAT compatibility scores with a large effect (η 2=0·18) was found. No differences between the implicit and explicit training approaches and no change in the IAT scores were observed.Conclusions: Automatic tendencies in children can be trained, too. The implementation of AAT in the treatment of obesity might support the modification of an unhealthy nutrition behaviour pattern. Further data from randomized controlled clinical trials are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]