Key aspects Read the following text. Think and talk about how your eating habits differ from those of other people around you and from the WHO recommendations. 4.1 What is a healthy diet, and why is it important? The following facts are from the article “Healthy diet”, which was issued by the World Health Organisation. As this organisation is concerned with the worldwide health situation, the text is not only about conditions in the rich Western countries but takes a global perspective. ■■ A healthy diet helps to protect against malnutrition in all its forms, as well as noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), […] such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer. ■■ Unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity are leading global risks to health. ■■ Healthy dietary practices start early in life – breastfeeding fosters healthy growth and improves cognitive development, and may have longer term health benefits such as reducing the risk of becoming overweight or obese and developing NCDs later in life. ■■ Energy intake (calories) should be in balance with energy expenditure. To avoid unhealthy weight gain, total fat should not exceed 30% of total energy intake. Intake of saturated fats should be less than 10% of total energy intake, and intake of trans-fats less than 1% of total energy intake, with a shift in fat consumption away from saturated fats and transfats to unsaturated fats, and towards the goal of eliminating industrially-produced trans-fats. ■■ Limiting intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake is part of a healthy diet.A further reduction to less than 5% of total energy intake is suggested for additional health benefits. ■■ Keeping salt intake to less than 5 g per day (equivalent to sodium intake of less than 2 g per day) helps to prevent hypertension, and reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke in the adult population. “Food brings people together on many different levels. It’s nourishment of the soul and body; it’s truly love.” Giada Pamela De Laurentiis, Italian-American chef, writer, and television personality 35 4 Topic Food & health Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eig ntum des Verlags öbv
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