PUBLIC HEALTH STRATEGIES FOR HEALTHY EATING

Abstract

Nutrition is one of the most important factors for the health of the individual or society and is therefore a fundamental problem in the modern public health. The Food policy – at the individual and government level, eating habits, as well as economic and technical indicators, are all factors that determine the state of nutrition, both in society as a whole and in the individual. Healthy eating of the population continues to be one of the most current problems of the "invisible" but so necessary public health. This paper aims to propose a strategy for the development of public health in the field of healthy eating.
The main goal of the strategy is to fight any environment that is predisposing to obesity (i.e. an environment that stimulates weight gain) and to help citizens reduce high-risk habits, such as poor nutrition and lack of physical activity, which leads to overweight and obesity.
This could be achieved by focusing on actions that:
- allow consumers to make informed decisions to ensure that healthy options are offered, for example in supermarkets and canteens;
- encourage the participation of the private sector;
- the food industry (including retailers) can transform its recipes into products with healthier content, in particular by reducing salt, sugar and fat, as well as reducing and directing its sales so that the target group is not unduly children and encourage healthier options;
- employers can encourage a healthy lifestyle (for example walking or cycling to work);
- motivate people to exercise regularly, emphasizing the health benefits