Western nutrition was bad for people and the environment

Diet with high fat and carbohydrates is spreading more and more

13/11/2014

More and more people are feeding „Western“ Habits and thereby consume too much fat, meat and carbohydrates. Thus, according to the American researchers David Tilman and Michael Clark of the University of Minnesota, not only the health of the population is at risk, but also the environment, which is increasingly burdened by intensive agriculture. A way out of this „Nutrition environmental health trilemma“ Thus, although theoretically possible, but in reality difficult to implement, the scientists emphasize in a statement from the university.

Modern lifestyle encourages increased deforestation and species extinction
Too much meat, fat and sugar: the „Western“ Dietary habits are spreading more and more, endangering not only people's health but also the environment. This is currently pointed out by the American researchers David Tilman and Michael Clark of the University of Minnesota in the journal "Nature". Thus, the western diet style with lots of fried and sugared sugar, processed cereals and numerous ingested toxins and chemical additives have a negative impact on health and thus life expectancy. On the other hand, however, an intensive agriculture is required for the supply, by which the environment is more heavily burdened, which results in clearly rising greenhouse gas emissions, increased deforestation and associated species extinction.

Change in eating habits due to rising wages and urbanization
The researchers say that agriculture and food production are currently responsible for about a quarter of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, with livestock farming being the main factor. If, however, the trend towards the Western diet would continue, this could become one „Increase greenhouse gas emissions from total food production by an estimated 80 percent by 2050“, the scientists continue. According to Tilman and Clark, diets would "change more and more around the world" as income increases and urbanization increases, with plant foods becoming more and more prevalent through dishes with meat and so-called „empty“ Calories would be replaced. "As a result," people would consume more and more foods that provide a lot of energy, but little nutrients ".

Fat and sugar promote diabetes and coronary heart disease
However, according to the researchers, this diet causes significant health risks, affecting more and more people with type II diabetes, coronary heart disease and other chronic diseases that lead to decreased life expectancy. Because of this, dealing with the change in nutrition from the perspective of the researchers is an important task: „The evaluation and implementation of nutritional solutions for the closely related nutrition-environment-health-trilemma is a global challenge and opportunity, with great environmental and public health importance“, so the message of the University of Minnesota on.

Also nutritional campaigns and social factors are crucial in the purchase
However, as Elke Stehfest of the Dutch environmental agency PBL in Bilthoven writes in an accompanying commentary, the influence of governments and other agencies can help here, the news agency reports „dpa“. Because which products are purchased, not only depend on availability and price, but also for the purchase decision as labeling, nutritional campaigns and social factors are significant. „A change in dietary habits could prevent the destruction of an area of ​​tropical forests and savannas as large as half the United States“, so the prognosis of David Tilman. (No)