Disorganized meals, with little (or even no, which is very serious) space for breakfast, with particularly large dinners. Excess of foods rich in sugars and fats, monotony in choices compared to the variety of foods and colors offered by the Mediterranean diet. Nourishment as a response to stress or boredom, with excessive rapidity in swallowing foods without even chewing them properly. Poor attention to hydration, with limited water intake. Drastic (and above all self-prescribed, perhaps based on social advice) reduction in calories, with an impact on the metabolism.
There are so many potential errors that, day after day, impact our dietary model. But how to behave?
In recent days, the SINU Youth Conference was held at the Scampia Educational Complex of the University of Naples “Federico II”, promoted by the Italian Society of Human Nutrition (SINU) and dedicated to the theme “Nutrients, foods and diets between science and communicationSeveral practical indications emerged from the scientific initiative.
Pay attention to information sources
Talking about nutrition today means moving in a continuously and rapidly evolving field, in which scientific research, clinical practice and communication towards the general public are closely intertwined. Understanding and correctly communicating nutrients, foods and dietary patterns represents a crucial challenge, especially in a context dominated by simplifications, food fads and often partial or misleading information.
It is no coincidence that, according to recent European surveys, over 60% of citizens declare that they receive nutritional information mainly from social media, where the quality of the sources is extremely variable. So this is what we need to focus our attention on, considering how communication about nutrients, from carbohydrates to fats and proteins, profoundly influences eating behaviour, often more than the scientific evidence itself. Just think in this sense of the growing spread of restrictive diets and polarized messages which has certainly contributed to the construction of numerous false food myths.
An increasingly central role is therefore played by nutrition communication. In the era of social media, where sensationalist content can reach millions of people in a few hours, from the experts who led the work (scientific committee – Donato Angelino, University of Teramo, Margherita Dall’Asta, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Monica Dinu, University of Florence, Annalisa Giosuè, University of Naples “Federico II”, Monica Guglielmetti, University of Pavia, Alice Rosi, University of the Studies of Parma and Daniela Martini, University of Milan) there is an urgent need for more responsible scientific communication, capable of simplifying without trivializing and of building a relationship of trust with the public. Inaccurate or alarmist communication can in fact generate confusion, unrealistic expectations and extreme or unsustainable eating behaviors, with potential repercussions on health.
The sections of the population most at risk are certainly the very young, exposed to a mass of conflicting information, which they are unable to interpret in a critical, functional and prudent manner. Here comes into play the need to be able to reach families, to raise children, children and adolescents in an environment that promotes adequate lifestyles and, at the same time, a safe approach to food and body language.
Mistakes not to be made
Trying to line up attitudes that are not exactly correct, experts first point out the demonization of carbohydrates, despite the fact that they represent the main energy substrate (45-60% of total caloric intake) recommended by national and international guidelines on the basis of the best scientific evidence available.
But that’s not enough: a lot of focus is placed on protein consumption, which in some population groups already exceeds the recommended quantities, and remains at the center of a narrative that mixes real needs of the body and dietary trends.
These and others are emblematic examples of a reductionist approach, focused on individual nutrients and not on the quality of foods and the overall dietary pattern. The experts reiterated how the ability of the diet to contribute to human health depends on the balance, variety and sustainability of choices in the long term, in line with consolidated dietary models such as the Mediterranean Diet.
How to deal with a customized diet
Translating nutritional recommendations into concrete behaviors, however, is not easy. The data shows that in Italy only around 10% of the adult population fully adheres to national nutritional indications, while overweight and obesity affect over 45% of adults and almost one in three children. The transition from theory to practice is complex also due to social, cultural and economic factors, as well as an often unfavorable communication environment.
In this sense, the need for personalized nutritional strategies, capable of adapting to the different stages of life and different levels of physical activity, strongly emerged from the conference, overcoming standardized approaches and “one-size-fits-all” solutions. Attention was also dedicated to the nutrition of athletes, highlighting how nutritional needs vary depending on the type of discipline, the intensity of training and individual objectives, reiterating the importance of an adequate energy and nutritional intake, capable of supporting performance and health in the long term. In this context, it is essential to accompany the sporting population towards effective and sustainable food choices over time.
