Recent Trends in Dietary Habits of the Italian Population: Potential Impact on Health and the Environment.

Population growth, globalization, urbanization, and economic pressures are causing changes in food consumption all over the world. The study's aims are (1) to evaluate trends in food habits in Italy to highlight deviations from the traditional Mediterranean diet, (2) to analyze the features of the present Italian diet that should be modified to meet evidence-based global scientific targets for a healthy and sustainable diet proposed by the EAT-Lancet Commission. Trends in food availability for human consumption during the period 2000-2017 were assessed using the food balance sheets (FBSs). Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission was estimated according to life cycle assessment (LCA) analyses. During the study period, the availability of animal fat and beef meat greatly declined (-58% and -32%, respectively), followed by fruit, potatoes, vegetables, milk, and non-tropical oils (-20%, -15%, -13%, -14%, and -11%, respectively). A substantial increase has occurred for tropical oils, fish, and nuts (+156, +26%, and +21%, respectively). In order to meet the targets of consumption proposed by the EAT-Lancet Commission, the consumption of legumes and nuts should be almost doubled, whereas the consumption of meat, eggs, dairy products, animal fat, tropical oils, and sugars should be reduced by proportions ranging from 60% to 90%. If implemented, these changes would reduce the diet-related greenhouse gas emission by nearly 50%. In conclusion, these data call for nutritional education programs and interventions on the food system aimed at promoting a healthier and more environmentally sustainable diet. To this end, the availability and affordability of products with a better impact on human health and the environment should be promoted.

[Effectiveness of the program "School Milk" for the prevention of iodine deficiency].

Republic of Bashkortostan refers to iodine-deficient regions of Russia. The incidence of endemic multinodular goiter in 2012 in the Republic amounted to 33.2 per 100 thousand of the population. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of group iodine prophylaxis of schoolchildren through the use of iodized milk. The study included 181 children of primary school (pre-pubertal) age (8-10 years), it has been carried out in accordance with the recommendations of the WHO and the International Council for Control of iodine deficiency disorders using a unified system of identification of iodine deficiency states. Level of physical development was assessed according to anthropometric measurements, which were conducted by centile distribution tables according to age and sex, and the individual assessment of physical development was determined by the level of feature by its position in a number of centile. Assessment of iodine deficiency was carried out by determining levels of iodine excretion in a single urine sample. Iodine concentration in urine was determined by ceric ion-arsenious acid method. Frequency of iodine deficiency varying degrees before the iodine prophylaxis among urban children was 57.0%, among rural-92.3%. Urban junior schoolchildren showed severe iodine deficiency in 12.7% and moderate one in 16.4% of the cases, while in the countryside their prevalence was higher--27.4 and 35.2%, respectively. It was revealed that the number of children whose body growth values are within the average values is 36% in urban children, and 48.4% in rural areas. It should be noted that the low and very low body height predominate in rural students, it makes up 16.1% (while in the town it makes-up 2.3%). Iodine prophylaxis contributed to a significant reduction of iodine deficiency in children. In the town the median urinary iodine exceeded 100 mg/L and amounted to 159.4 mg/L. After iodine prophylaxis 82.5% of urban children and 72.1% of rural showed normal urinary iodine. When comparing the results of clinical and laboratory studies before and after the group prevention of iodine deficiency there has been revealed a positive trend in terms of reflecting the tensions of thyroid status.