The Food Chain23 Jan 2025

Is anyone following dietary guidelines?

Around 100 countries have official dietary guidelines, and more are on their way. But who is following them?

Ruth Alexander asks how realistic healthy-eating advice is as she explores how official recommendations are developed, what they’re trying to achieve, and the obstacles standing in our way.

We hear from Fatima Hachem, Senior Nutrition Officer at the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation, about how her team offers support to countries designing dietary guidelines.

Chiza Kunwenda, senior lecturer in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Zambia, tells us how he and a team of others drew up the latest dietary guidelines for Zambia and other countries in Africa.

In Argentina, as well as advice, the government has issued black octagonal warning labels on foods high in salt sugar, saturated fats and calories. Are people taking notice?

And can people around the world afford to eat according to guidelines? Dr Anna Herforth co-directed the Food prices for Nutrition project at Tufts University in the United States, tells us what she found. We also hear from shoppers at a community food outlet in the North West of England, about how cost is barrier to healthy eating.

(Image: a plate of food showing suggested dietary guidelines. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)

If you’d like to contact the programme, email thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk.

Producers: Hannah Bewley and Izzy Greenfield.

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