Nutrition Labels
Due to urbanization and globalization, the role of nutrition has been taken seriously. These changes have caused a shift in the eating patterns of individuals across the nations. There has been an increase in the eating of packaged food as individuals find it convenient to use. Moreover, this has been made possible through the awareness of food content and reading the nutrition labeling. The information on the food package is significant in ensuring that the food is healthy, nutritious, and conforms to people’s dietary preferences.
Food labeling refers to a list of nutrients that is printed on the food packaging. These contents are meant to provide information to the consumers about the product. According to the manufacturers, the labels are product marketing and promotion tools for their customers (Fichera & von Hinke, 2020). Healthcare workers view this as an instrument to promote health by relaying precise nutritional information for consumers to make better dietary choices.
In many developed countries, governments have widely accepted nutritional labeling because it helps eliminate the issue of childhood obesity. According to the World Health Organization’s global strategy on a diet, providing accurate, standardized, and understandable information on food items’ content is conducive to consumers making healthy choices (Seyedhamzeh et al., 2020). With the reported increase in literacy globally, nutritional labeling has proved to be a vital aspect of customers’ food purchase decisions.
Nutrition Belief
Before the nutrition class, I had the belief that the provision of information related to health does not necessarily lead to healthier consumption or changing dietary preferences. However, most empirical research argues that provision and use of evidence can suggestively alter dietary patterns. Recent studies also prove that nutritional labeling has contributed to a better dietary intake and reduced eating of unhealthy foods, which will subsequently lead to sufficient lifestyle changes.
In conclusion, urbanization and globalization have caused certain shifts in how people consume food. With the increasing number of individuals choosing packaged food, it is essential to embrace nutritional labeling. The labels are meant to educate consumers about the products and their content. This approach has also contributed to healthy dietary choices that have facilitated the fight against childhood obesity.
References
Fichera, E., & von Hinke, S. (2020). The response to nutritional labels: Evidence from a quasi-experiment. Journal of Health Economics, 72, 102326.
Seyedhamzeh, S., Nedjat, S., Hosseini, H., Shakibazedeh, E., Viera, A. J., & Motlagh, A. D. (2020). The potential effect of different nutritional labels on food choices among mothers: A study protocol. BMC public health, 20(1), 1-7.