Self-perceived food literacy in relation to the quality of overall diet and main meals: A cross-sectional study in Japanese adults.

This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the relationship between self-perceived food literacy (SPFL) and quality of overall diet and main meals in Japanese adults. In total, 5998 adults aged 20-79 years were included in this analysis. The SPFL was assessed using the Japanese version of the 29-item Dutch SPFL scale (score range 1-5). Using validated dietary information, the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) was calculated (score range 0-100). The mean SPFL was 3.18; the internal consistency of the overall scale was considered good (Cronbach's alpha: 0.80). The mean HEI-2015 for overall diet was 50.4. The SPFL was significantly and positively associated with the HEI-2015. Using multiple linear regression, one point increase of SPFL corresponded to an increase in HEI-2015 by a point of 4.8 for overall diet, 6.2 for breakfast, 4.6 for lunch, and 3.6 for dinner (all P < 0.0001). Six of the eight domains of SPFL (i.e., food preparation skills, resilience and resistance, healthy snack styles, examining food labels, healthy budgeting, and healthy food stockpiling) were significantly associated with the HEI-2015 for overall diet. When the HEI-2015 for each meal was examined, the domains showing significant associations with all three meals included food preparation skills, healthy snack styles, and healthy budgeting. The healthy food stockpiling was associated with the HEI-2015 for breakfast and lunch, but not dinner. The social and conscious eating and daily food planning were associated with the breakfast HEI-2015 only, with the resilience and resistance associated with the dinner HEI-2015 only. In conclusion, the SPFL was cross-sectionally associated with the quality of overall diet and main meals in Japanese adults. Further observation and intervention studies are needed to confirm the associations observed here.

Relative validity of the online Meal-based Diet History Questionnaire for evaluating the overall diet quality and quality of each meal type in Japanese adults.

The aim of this study was to examine the relative validity of the online Meal-based Diet History Questionnaire (MDHQ) for assessing the overall diet quality and quality of each meal type (breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks). In total, 222 Japanese adults (111 for each sex) aged 30-76 years completed the online MDHQ and then the 4-non-consecutive-day weighed dietary record (DR). The diet quality was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) and Nutrient-Rich Food Index 9.3 (NRF9.3). For the HEI-2015, compared with the DR, the MDHQ provided high median values for breakfast (in women only) and dinner and low median values for snacks. There were no significant differences observed for overall diet and lunch. For the NRF9.3, the MDHQ provided higher median values for breakfast and dinner and a lower median value for overall diet than the DR in women, with no significant differences for lunch and snacks. In men, no significant difference was observed, except for overall diet (the MDHQ providing a lower median value). For the HEI-2015, median Spearman correlation coefficient was 0·43, with a range from 0·12 (snacks in women) to 0·68 (breakfast in men). For the NRF9.3, median Spearman correlation coefficient was 0·47, with a range from 0·26 (snacks in men) to 0·65 (breakfast in men). Bland-Altman plots showed wide limits of agreement and, in some cases, proportional bias. In conclusion, the online MDHQ showed an acceptable ability for ranking individuals according to the quality of overall diet, breakfast, lunch and dinner, but not snacks.

Associations of food choice values and food literacy with overall diet quality: a nationwide cross-sectional study in Japanese adults.

To date, a limited number of studies have examined aspects of food choice values and food literacy in relation to some aspects of dietary behaviours. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to comprehensively examine the associations of food choice values and food literacy with diet quality. In total, 2231 Japanese adults aged 19-80 years completed questionnaires asking about food choice values (accessibility, convenience, health/weight control, tradition, sensory appeal, organic, comfort and safety) and food literacy characterised by nutrition knowledge, cooking skills, food skills and eating behaviours (hunger, food responsiveness, emotional overeating, enjoyment of food, satiety responsiveness, emotional undereating, food fussiness and slowness in eating). As a measure of diet quality, the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) was calculated using a brief-type diet history questionnaire (BDHQ) or a food combination questionnaire (FCQ). In males, after adjustment for potential confounding factors (including age, BMI and the ratio of reported energy intake to estimated energy requirement), the HEI-2015 derived from BDHQ and that derived from FCQ were associated significantly (P ≤ 0·02) and positively with the food choice values of organic and inversely with food fussiness. In females, the HEI-2015 showed positive associations with the food choice values of health/weight control, nutrition knowledge and cooking skills and an inverse association with food fussiness, irrespective of the dietary assessment questionnaire (P ≤ 0·03). In conclusion, this study suggests that several aspects of food choice values and food literacy were associated with diet quality, and the aspects related differed between males and females.

Oromotor and somatic taste reactivity during sucrose meals reveals internal state and stimulus palatability after gastric bypass in rats.

After Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), rats consume less high-energy foods and fluids, though whether this reflects a concomitant change in palatability remains unclear. By measuring behavior during intraorally delivered liquid meals across days (1 water, 8 sucrose sessions), we showed that RYGB rats (RYGB, n = 8/sex) consumed less 1.0 M sucrose than their sham surgery counterparts (SHAM, n = 8 males, n = 11 females) but displayed similarly high levels of ingestive taste reactivity responses at the start of infusions. Relative to water, both groups increased intake of sucrose, and ingestive responses were dominated by tongue protrusions rather than mouth movements. Thus, RYGB animals still found sucrose palatable despite consuming less than the SHAM group. As the intraoral infusion progressed but before meal termination, aversive behavior remained low and both RYGB and SHAM animals showed fewer ingestive responses, predominantly mouth movements as opposed to tongue protrusions. This shift in responsiveness unrelated to surgical manipulation suggests negative alliesthesia, or a decreased palatability, as rats approach satiation. Notably, only in RYGB rats, across sessions, there was a striking emergence of aversive behavior immediately after the sucrose meal. Thus, although lower intake in RYGB rats seems independent of the hedonic taste properties of sucrose, taste reactivity behavior in these animals immediately after termination of a liquid meal appears to be influenced by postoral events and reflects a state of nimiety or excessive consumption. Measurement of taste reactivity behaviors during an intraorally delivered meal represents a promising way to make inferences about internal state in nonverbal preclinical models.

Food Intake Following Gastric Bypass Surgery: Patients Eat Less but Do Not Eat Differently.

BACKGROUND: Lack of robust research methodology for assessing ingestive behavior has impeded clarification of the mediators of food intake following gastric bypass (GBP) surgery. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate changes in directly measured 24-h energy intake (EI), energy density (ED) (primary outcomes), eating patterns, and food preferences (secondary outcomes) in patients and time-matched weight-stable comparator participants. METHODS: Patients [n = 31, 77% female, BMI (in kg/m2) 45.5 ± 1.3] and comparators (n = 32, 47% female, BMI 27.2 ± 0.8) were assessed for 36 h under fully residential conditions at baseline (1 mo presurgery) and at 3 and 12 mo postsurgery. Participants had ad libitum access to a personalized menu (n = 54 foods) based on a 6-macronutrient mix paradigm. Food preferences were assessed by the Leeds Food Preference Questionnaire. Body composition was measured by whole-body DXA. RESULTS: In the comparator group, there was an increase in relative fat intake at 3 mo postsurgery; otherwise, no changes were observed in food intake or body composition. At 12 mo postsurgery, patients lost 27.7 ± 1.6% of initial body weight (P < 0.001). The decline in EI at 3 mo postsurgery (-44% from baseline, P < 0.001) was followed by a partial rebound at 12 mo (-18% from baseline), but at both times, dietary ED and relative macronutrient intake remained constant. The decline in EI was due to eating the same foods as consumed presurgery and by decreasing the size (g, MJ), but not the number, of eating occasions. In patients, reduction in explicit liking at 3 mo (-11.56 ± 4.67, P = 0.007) and implicit wanting at 3 (-15.75 ± 7.76, P = 0.01) and 12 mo (-15.18 ± 6.52, P = 0.022) for sweet foods were not matched by reduced intake of these foods. Patients with the greatest reduction in ED postsurgery reduced both EI and preference for sweet foods. CONCLUSIONS: After GBP, patients continue to eat the same foods but in smaller amounts. These findings challenge prevailing views about the dynamics of food intake following GBP surgery. This trial was registered as clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03113305.

Eating patterns in a nationwide sample of Japanese aged 1-79 years from MINNADE study: eating frequency, clock time for eating, time spent on eating and variability of eating patterns.

OBJECTIVE: Although there is growing evidence suggesting that eating patterns are important determinants of health status, comprehensive information on patterning of eating behaviours is almost lacking. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to describe eating patterns in Japan. DESIGN: Information on actual eating behaviours was collected using 2-d dietary record in each season over a year (total 8 d). Eating occasions were defined as any discrete intake occasion (with a discrete start clock time and name) except for eating occasions consisting of water only, which were excluded. SETTING: Japan. PARTICIPANTS: A nationwide sample of 4032 Japanese aged 1-79 years. RESULTS: The mean value of eating frequency of meals (i.e. breakfast, lunch and dinner), snacks and total eating occasions was 2·94, 1·74 and 4·68 times/d, respectively. The mean clock time for the start of breakfast, lunch and dinner was 07.24, 12.29 and 19.15 h, respectively. The mean time spent consuming breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks was 19, 25, 34 and 27 min/d, respectively. On average, variability (i.e. average of absolute difference from mean) of meal frequency was small compared with that of snack frequency and total eating frequency. Both mean variability of clock time for the start of eating (<1 h) and mean variability of time spent on meals (<10 min/d) were also small. Conversely, mean variability of time spent on snacks was large (>18 min/d). CONCLUSION: The present findings serve as both a reference and an indication for future research on patterning of eating behaviours.

Characterisation of breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in the Japanese context: an exploratory cross-sectional analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To characterise different meal types by examining the contribution of specific meals to the total intakes and the nutritional quality of each meal. DESIGN: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted based on dietary data collected using 4-d dietary record. Diet quality was assessed by the Healthy Eating Index-2015 and Nutrient-Rich Food Index 9.3. SETTING: Japan. PARTICIPANTS: Adults aged 20-81 years (n 639). RESULTS: Diet quality was, on average, highest for dinner, followed, in order, by lunch, breakfast and snacks. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, on average, accounted for 21 %, 32 %, 40 % and 11 % of total energy intake, respectively. For many nutrients, the percentage contribution to total intake did not vary within each meal, broadly in line with that for energy: 18-24 % for breakfast, 26-35 % for lunch, 35-49 % for dinner and 4-15 % for snacks. However, intakes of many foods largely depended on one meal type. The foods mainly eaten at dinner were potatoes, pulses, total vegetables, fish, meat and alcoholic beverages (52-70 %), in contrast to noodles (58 %) at lunch and bread (71 %) and dairy products (50 %) at breakfast. The foods mainly eaten at snacks were confectioneries (79 %) and sugar-sweetened beverages (52 %). Conversely, rice and eggs were more evenly distributed across three main meals (19-41 % and 30-38 %, respectively), while fruit and non-energetic beverages were more evenly distributed across all meal types (17-30 % and 19-35 %, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide the background information on each meal type in Japanese and may help inform the development of meal-based guidelines and public health messages.

Data-driven development of the Meal-based Diet History Questionnaire for Japanese adults.

FFQ, the primary method of dietary assessment in large-scale nutritional epidemiological studies, preclude an informed evaluation of the timing of dietary intake and meal-specific dietary intake. In this study, we developed the Meal-based Diet History Questionnaire (MDHQ), a self-administered questionnaire designed for estimating food and nutrient intakes for each meal type separately. The development was done based on a 16-d dietary record obtained from 242 Japanese adults. The MDHQ consisted of the three different parts, with a total of 196 items. Part 1 of the MDHQ asks about consumption frequency of generic food groups (n 24) for each meal type: breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner and night snack. Part 2 of the MDHQ asks about relative consumption frequency of sub-food groups within one of the generic food groups which are asked in Part 1. Combining information derived from Parts 1 and 2 enables us to increase the number of foods we can estimate efficiently but within a limited number of questions. Part 3 of the MDHQ asks about general eating behaviours, which are intended to use in a variety of ways during dietary intake calculation. A series of calculation algorithms for food groups, energy and nutrients was also prepared. Given that the MDHQ was empirically developed based on comprehensive information on actual food consumption, this innovative tool may be promising for future epidemiological research on meal patterns and time of day of dietary intake, or chrono-nutrition research. A rigorous evaluation of validity of the MDHQ is warranted.

Meal and snack frequency in relation to diet quality in Japanese adults: a cross-sectional study using different definitions of meals and snacks.

Epidemiological evidence on the association between eating frequency and overall diet quality does not represent a consistent picture. This cross-sectional study examined the associations of meal frequency and snack frequency with diet quality, using different definitions of meals and snacks. Based on 4-d weighed dietary record data obtained from 639 Japanese adults aged 20-81 years, all eating occasions were divided into meals or snacks based on either the participant-identified or time-of-day definitions. Diet quality was assessed by the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) and Nutrient-Rich Food Index 9.3 (NRF9.3). One additional meal per d increased the HEI-2015 total score by 3·6 and 1·3 points based on the participant-identified and time-of-day definitions, respectively. A higher meal frequency was also associated with higher values of some of the HEI-2015 component scores (total vegetables, greens and beans, and total protein foods), irrespective of how meals were defined. Additionally, one additional participant-identified snack per d increased the HEI-2015 total score by 0·7 points. The frequency of participant-identified snacks also showed positive associations with some of the HEI-2015 component scores (total fruits, whole fruits, total vegetables, greens and beans, dairy products, and Na). However, the frequency of time-of-day defined snacks was not associated with the total scores of HEI-2015, although there were some associations for its components. Similar findings were obtained when the NRF9.3 was used. In conclusion, higher meal frequency was consistently associated with higher diet quality, while associations between snack frequency and diet quality varied depending on the definition of snacks.

Overweight and obesity in shift workers: associated dietary and lifestyle factors.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 17% of the European Union workforce is engaged in shift work. Shift work has been associated with a number of chronic conditions, including obesity and obesity-related metabolic diseases. The aim of this study was to explore the dietary and lifestyle behaviours of shift workers with a healthy vs. overweight/obese body mass index (BMI). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1080 shift workers using a 15-min, telephone-administered questionnaire developed from qualitative research on Irish shift workers and national dietary intake data. Demographic and work-related factors, as well as dietary and lifestyle behaviours were recorded. BMI was calculated using self-reported height and weight. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression methods were used to analyze data according to BMI category. RESULTS: Over 40% of shift workers were classified as overweight or obese. Multivariate analysis indicated that being male [P < 0.001, aOR = 2.102, 95% CI (1.62-2.73)] and middle- or older-aged were independently associated with overweight and obesity [P < 0.001, aOR = 2.44 95% CI (1.84-3.24) and P < 0.001, aOR = 2.9 95% CI (1.94-4.35), respectively]. Having a medium-high consumption of fried foods was independently associated with overweight and obesity [aOR = 1.38, 95% CI (1.06-1.8)]. CONCLUSIONS: Similar to the general population, overweight and obesity were strongly associated with male sex and middle- or older-age. Male shift workers may benefit from targeted dietary and lifestyle advice specifically focused on limiting fried foods to help protect against overweight and obesity.

Proceedings from the 2018 Association for Chemoreception Annual Meeting Symposium: Bariatric Surgery and Its Effects on Taste and Food Selection.

This article provides a summary of the topics discussed at the symposium titled "Bariatric Surgery and Its Effects on Taste and Food Selection," which was held at the Fortieth Annual Meeting of the Association for Chemoreception Sciences. Bariatric surgery such as Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is currently one of the most effective treatments available for weight loss and Type 2 diabetes. For this reason, it is of great interest to clinicians as well as to basic scientists studying the controls of feeding and energy balance. Despite the commonly held view by clinicians that RYGB patients change their food preferences away from fats and sugars in favor of less energy dense alternatives such as vegetables, the empirical support for this claim is equivocal. It is currently thought that the taste and palatability of fats and sugars are affected by the surgery. Some key preclinical and clinical findings addressing these issues were evaluated in this symposium.

Diet quality scores in relation to metabolic risk factors in Japanese adults: a cross-sectional analysis from the 2012 National Health and Nutrition Survey, Japan.

OBJECTIVE: Associations between the overall quality of Japanese diets and metabolic risk factors are largely unknown. This cross-sectional study investigated this issue using data from the 2012 National Health and Nutrition Survey, Japan. METHODS: Dietary intake was assessed by a 1-day weighed dietary record in 15,618 Japanese adults aged ≥ 20 years. Overall diet quality was assessed by adherence to the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top (JFG score), its modified version (modified JFG score), the Mediterranean diet score (MDS) and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) score. Metabolic risk factors included BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, total, HDL- and LDL-cholesterol and glycated haemoglobin. RESULTS: While DASH score was consistently associated with favourable nutrient intake patterns (including higher micronutrient and dietary fibre intakes and lower SFA and sodium intakes), other scores were associated with both favourable and unfavourable aspects (e.g., lower micronutrient intakes for JFG score, higher SFA intakes for modified JFG score and higher sodium intakes for MDS). The associations with metabolic risk factors were also inconsistent and unexpected, including positive associations of JFG and modified JFG scores with LDL-cholesterol, inverse associations of MDS with HDL-cholesterol and null associations of DASH score with blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS: This study did not show expected and consistent associations of the four available diet quality scores with nutrient intakes and metabolic risk factors in Japanese adults. This in turn suggests the need for a scientific base on which to develop an appropriate tool for assessing the quality of diets in the Japanese context.

Greenhouse gas emissions of self-selected diets in the UK and their association with diet quality: is energy under-reporting a problem?

BACKGROUND: While the admittedly limited number of epidemiological findings on the association between diet-related greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) and diet quality are not always consistent, potential influence of bias in the estimation of diet-related GHGE caused by misreporting of energy intake (EI) has not been investigated. This cross-sectional study evaluated diet-related GHGE in the UK and their association with diet quality, taking account of EI under-reporting. METHODS: Dietary data used were from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey rolling programme 2008/2009-2013/2014, in which 4-day food diaries were collected from 3502 adults aged ≥19 years. Diet-related GHGE were estimated based on 133 food groups, using GHGE values from various secondary sources. Diet quality was assessed by the healthy diet indicator (HDI), Mediterranean diet score (MDS) and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) score. EI misreporting was assessed as reported EI divided by estimated energy requirement (EI:EER). RESULTS: Mean value of daily GHGE was 5.7 kg carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2eq), which is consistent with those reported from a number of national representative samples in other European countries. Mean EI:EER was 0.74. Assuming that all the dietary variables were misreported in proportion to the misreporting of EI, the mean value of the misreporting-adjusted diet-related GHGE was 8.2 kg CO2eq/d. In the entire population, after adjustment for potential confounders (i.e., age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic classification, smoking status and physical activity), diet-related GHGE were inversely associated with HDI and DASH score but not with MDS. However, with further adjustment for EI:EER, diet-related GHGE showed inverse associations with all three measures of diet quality. Similar associations were observed when only under-reporters (EI:EER < 0.70; n = 1578) were analysed. Conversely, in the analysis including only plausible reporters (EI:EER 0.70-1.43; n = 1895), diet-related GHGE showed inverse associations with all diet quality measures irrespective of adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: With taking account of EI under-reporting, this study showed inverse associations between diet-related GHGE and diet quality not only in the entire sample but also in the separate analyses of plausible reporters and under-reporters, as well as potential underreporting of diet-related GHGE.

A qualitative exploration of the shift work experience: the perceived effect on eating habits, lifestyle behaviours and psychosocial wellbeing.

Background: Approximately 17% of the European workforce is engaged in shift work. How the experience of shift work impacts on the dietary and lifestyle practices of workers is unclear. Methods: Overall, 15 focus groups were conducted by two researchers, with 109 participants. The initial focus group was carried out with both researchers present, to ensure consistency in facilitation. Both researchers thematically analysed all data collected. Results: Shift work was described as affecting many areas of workers' lives. Three overarching themes were identified: (i) impact on eating behaviour; (ii) impact on other lifestyle behaviours including physical activity, sleep, alcohol consumption, smoking; and (iii) impact on psychosocial health and wellbeing. There appeared to be overlap between the effect of shift work and the effect of individual internal factors in influencing workers' decision-making with regard to lifestyle practices. Conclusions: Shift work affects many areas of workers' lives, negatively impacting on eating and lifestyle behaviours and psychosocial health. This study augments the current literature as it highlights the role internal motivation plays in workers' lifestyle choices. The research should help inform the development of public health strategies to minimize the impact of shift work, such as specialist behavioural change interventions specific to this group.

Is it still a real treat? Adults' treat provision to children.

Consumption of high-energy foods in the absence of hunger has been identified as a key target to address in the area of obesity. For children, such foods are often provided by adults as treats. There is limited understating of adults' treat giving. The present study aimed to understand adults' provision of treats to children on the Island of Ireland. A total of 1039 participants, including parents, grandparents, child minders and education practitioners completed a face-to-face survey in their home. Participants defined their treats for children primarily as 'something nice', 'deserved/earned' and 'something special'. The top three motivations for treat foods provision were 'to reward for good behaviour' (42.3%), 'because the child(ren) ask' (42.2%) and 'to make the child(ren) feel better' (29.4%). Almost all participants would provide treat foods at celebrations and 52.5% always did so. In addition, 68% participants had structured weekly and/or daily treat for children. Treats provided to children were dominated by energy-dense foods. The top three were sweets, chocolates and ice-creams, being used by 45.2%, 45.1% and 38.8% participants. Variations were observed across different adult groups, in terms of their treat giving behaviour. The main observation was that adults' treat foods provision has become habitual. The findings can help develop targeted strategies to encourage the reduction or replacement of food treats for children.

Establishment of a Meal Coding System for the Characterization of Meal-Based Dietary Patterns in Japan.

Background: Most studies on dietary patterns to date have focused on the daily intake of individual foods, rather than the combination of foods simultaneously consumed during specific eating occasions (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks).Objective: We aimed to establish a meal coding system for characterizing meal-based dietary patterns in Japan.Methods: Dietary data used were from the 2012 National Health and Nutrition Survey, Japan, in which 1-d weighed dietary records were collected from 26,361 adults aged ≥20 y. The food diary was based on a typical Japanese eating pattern, which comprised breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks; these eating occasions were prescribed in the diary. A total of 94,439 eating occasions (25,187 breakfasts, 25,888 lunches, 26,248 dinners, and 17,116 snacks) were identified. For all meal types, common food group combinations were identified to produce a range of generic meals. These generic meals were then used in principal components analysis to establish meal patterns.Results: In total, 94 generic meals (24 breakfasts, 27 lunches, 26 dinners, and 17 snacks) were identified. The most frequently identified food group combination for all 3 main meals was "rice and vegetables" (9 generic meals for breakfast, 12 for lunch, and 16 for dinner), whereas "confectioneries and nonalcoholic and noncaloric beverages" was the most prevalent combination for snacks (3 generic meals). In total, 19 meal patterns were established by using principal components analysis, which accounted for 24.1% of total variance. Patterns ranged considerably with regard to meal-type inclusion and the selection of staple foods (rice, bread, and noodles) and beverages, as well as with regard to meal constituents.Conclusions: With the use of a meal coding system, we identified a wide range of meal-based dietary patterns in Japanese adults. This meal coding system may be useful in capturing and investigating the complex nature of Japanese meals and food combination patterns.

Energy density of the diets of Japanese adults in relation to food and nutrient intake and general and abdominal obesity: a cross-sectional analysis from the 2012 National Health and Nutrition Survey, Japan.

The associations of dietary energy density with dietary intake and obesity have been largely unexplored in non-Western populations. The present cross-sectional study examined the associations using data from the 2012 National Health and Nutrition Survey, Japan. Dietary intake was assessed using a 1-d semi-weighed dietary record in 15 618 Japanese adults aged ≥20 years. Mean dietary energy density (calculated on the basis of foods only) was 5·98 (sd 1·20) kJ/g in men and 5·72 (sd 1·16) kJ/g in women. Dietary energy density was positively associated with intakes of bread, noodles (only men), meat, fats and oils, and sugar and confectionery but inversely with intakes of white rice (only men), potatoes, pulses, vegetables, fruits, and fish and shellfish. For nutrient intake, dietary energy density was positively associated with total fat and SFA but inversely associated with all other nutrients examined such as protein, carbohydrate, alcohol (only women), dietary fibre, and several vitamins and minerals, including Na. After adjustment for potential confounding factors, dietary energy density was positively associated with abdominal obesity (waist circumference ≥80 cm) in women (adjusted prevalence ratio between the extreme tertiles 1·07; 95 % CI 1·02, 1·12; P for trend=0·003). Dietary energy density was also positively but non-significantly associated with general obesity (BMI≥25 kg/m2) in women (P for trend=0·08). There were no such associations in men. In conclusion, lower energy density of the diets of Japanese adults was associated with favourable food and nutrient intake patterns, except for higher Na, and, in only women, a lower prevalence of abdominal obesity.

A Japanese diet with low glycaemic index and glycaemic load is associated with both favourable and unfavourable aspects of dietary intake patterns in three generations of women.

OBJECTIVE: Western studies have suggested cultural differences in food and nutrient intake patterns associated with dietary glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL). Here, we conducted a cross-sectional study to examine the GI and GL of Japanese diets in relation to food and nutrient intakes. DESIGN: Dietary intake was assessed using a validated, self-administered, diet history questionnaire. SETTING: A total of thirty-five of forty-seven prefectures in Japan. SUBJECTS: Young (age 18 years), middle-aged (mean age 48 years) and older (mean age 74 years) Japanese women (n 3961, 3800 and 2202, respectively). RESULTS: Irrespective of age, a positive association with dietary GI was seen for white rice only, which contributed most (37-42 %) to the variation in dietary GI. Conversely, all other food groups (such as fruit and vegetable juice, dairy products, noodles and fruit) were negative predictors of dietary GI. For dietary GL, 95-96 % of variation was explained by carbohydrate-rich food groups, all of which were positive predictors of GL. After adjustment for potential confounding factors, only carbohydrate intake was positively associated with dietary GI and GL, irrespective of age. Conversely, dietary GI and GL were inversely associated with intakes of all other nutrients examined (including SFA and Na). CONCLUSIONS: A low-GI and -GL diet, which was characterized principally by a low intake of white rice, was associated with both favourable (higher intakes of dietary fibre and key vitamins and minerals) and unfavourable (higher intakes of SFA and Na) aspects of dietary intake patterns in three generations of Japanese women.

An evaluation of portion size estimation aids: Consumer perspectives on their effectiveness.

OBJECTIVE: This qualitative study aimed to investigate consumer opinions on the usefulness of portion size estimation aids (PSEA); consumer preferences in terms of format and context for use; and the level of detail of guidance considered necessary for the effective application of PSEA. DESIGN: Six focus groups (three to eight participants per group) were conducted to elicit views on PSEA. The discussions were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed by two independent researchers using a template approach. SETTING: The focus groups were conducted in 2013 by an experienced moderator in various sites across the island of Ireland (three in the Republic of Ireland and three in Northern Ireland) including local leisure, community and resource centres; the home environment; and a university meeting room. PARTICIPANTS: General population, males (n = 17) and females (n = 15) aged 18-64 years old. Participants were recruited from both urban and rural locations representing a range of socio-economic groups. RESULTS: The majority of participants deemed the coloured portion pots and disposable plastic cup (household measures) to be useful particularly for the estimation of amorphous cereal products (e.g. breakfast cereals). Preferences were evident for "visual" PSEA (reference objects, household measures and food packaging) rather than 'quantities and measures' such as weighing in grams or ounces. Participants stated that PS education should be concise, consistent, from a reputable source, initiated at school age and communicated innovatively e.g. mobile app or TV advertisement. Guidance in relation to gender, age and activity level was favoured over a "one size fits all" approach. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified consumer preferences and acceptance of "visual" PSEA such as portion pots/cups to estimate appropriate PS of amorphous grain foods such as breakfast cereals, pasta and rice. Concise information from a reputable source in relation to gender, age and activity level should accompany PSEA.