Our immediate environment is a significant deciding factor on the quality of our diet. Personal characteristics including taste preferences, emotional moods, and degree of hunger all have an impact on our meal choices (1). Our physical surroundings, such as the shops in our communities, the foods they sell, and how much they cost, as well as more indirect influences, like our exposure to advertising, all have an impact on how these characteristics develop. This includes the people in our social circles, such as our friends and family, as well as our physical surroundings. This is our so-called, “food environment”.
Our Local Environment and Our Food Choices
According to some research, those who are more educated about nutrition tend to make better decisions. However, addressing poor diet through knowledge alone is insufficient. Even when people are actively trying to make healthy decisions, they can only withstand so much temptation before giving in, especially when they are hungry, stressed out, or exhausted.
Have you ever come across someone who is knowledgeable (or seems to be), and offers you food advice, but may not be in the best physical shape? We all do. Knowledge and application are very different, and your environment may be the bridge to joining these areas together.
I have personal experience with this, and unfortunately, it's recent. Moving from a small village, with one shop, and the nearest fast-food outlet a 15–20-minute drive away, made the access to unhealthy foods inconvenient, which in hindsight, was positive. Fast forward three months and living in a city, the Uber eats app on my phone can be accessed with one eye on ‘I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here'.
The easy access, no preparation or cleaning up, the relatively cheap nature, and the acute hit of dopamine, all led to a poor habit that for some, may lead to illness or addiction. I then started to take note of the advertising when walking to work. McDonalds, KFC, Subway, Greggs, and Burger King are all either advertised or open for business. Massive exposure to advertisement, which clearly plays a role in our food choices. The consumption of less healthy foods is encouraged by food marketing, which provides cues to eat even when we are not hungry. Anyway, I realised that a poor habit was developing, alongside a widening waist size, so even though my environment wasn't changing, my habits had to, and it started at home.
The Impact of Our Social Circle on Our Diet
Research proves that the individuals we spend time with influence our dietary decisions, for better or worse (2). As humans, we tend to imitate our friends, family, and co-workers eating habits. For instance, children were more likely to consume fruits and vegetables regularly in homes where the parents did. Similarly, children consumed more soft drinks in homes where the adults did so more regularly. Our environment shapes us, however trying to drastically overhaul our home environment will likely lead to short-term gain, but long-term pain (3).
Making Change For the Good
The next question is, how do we create a positive food environment? The answer: slowly. Small, sustainable processes at home can lead to an increased chance of a healthier lifestyle and longer life. Is it possible to go low fat, reduce simple carbohydrates, high protein, and a high intake of essential micronutrients whilst also eating in a calorie deficit? Maybe for a day, or two, but long term it isn’t. I would imagine we have all experienced this.
A master plan for overhauling our diet to get into the best shape possible. Throwing out our sugary friends, having zero takeaway policy, and padlocking the bread tin. It isn’t sustainable. However small, subtle changes such as including fruit and veg to your lunch and dinner, drinking more water, choosing leaner meat, swapping to lower-fat milk, and buying one less packet of biscuits for home may well be within your reach. When small adjustments are maintained, they have a significant impact. Losing 0.5 kg to 1 kg (1-2 lb) each week is a reasonable goal for weight loss, but even 0.25 kg (0.5 lb) per week results in a half-stone in three months or two stone in a year, not to mention the associated psychological benefits.
Be a Role Model
The environment we create concerning food is vital to adults and is very much dependent on the one we were brought up in.
However, it becomes even more important for children. If children are surrounded by healthy, sustainable habits, they are much much more likely to find this the ‘norm’
and will have an increased chance of bringing this with them for the rest of their life. Many eating cues occur at home, which can affect how much food is consumed and how habits form. Parents set rules regarding eating and serve as role models for their children, so they provide vital eating cues. Watching television at home is also a particularly strong cue for youngsters, likely due to the associated sedentary behaviours and food promotion, therefore limiting access to television appears to be a key lever for lowering the risk of obesity.
Conclusion
Whilst living within our means (especially in the modern climate), is a priority, trying to create, sustain or develop a positive food environment at home may well be a stepping stone to a longer, healthier, and more active lifestyle. There is no quick fix to this. Creating a positive environment is done so by creating short-term, achievable processes, that can lead to a long-term positive impact. So, include small portions of fruit and veg in each meal, encourage a higher water intake, make healthier shopping choices and above all, be a role model for those around you with the food choices you make.
References
1. Kordas K, Lönnerdal B, Stoltzfus RJ. Interactions between nutrition and environmental exposures: effects on health outcomes in women and children. The Journal of nutrition. 2007 Dec 1;137(12):2794-7.
2. Glanz K, Sallis JF, Saelens BE, Frank LD. Healthy nutrition environments: concepts and measures. American journal of health promotion. 2005 May;19(5):330-3.
3. Chen C, Chaudhary A, Mathys A. Dietary change scenarios and implications for environmental, nutrition, human health and economic dimensions of food sustainability. Nutrients. 2019 Apr 16;11(4):856.