Question 2
If you were a dietitian in Japan how would you address your young clients on the consumption of soft drinks?
posted by Colin @ 10:34 AM
13 comments
ISU Dietetic Internship Journal Club
Objective: To become familiar with current scientific literature on a variety of nutrition topics and to gain experience in gathering, organizing, critically evaluating, presenting and facilitating group discussion of the literature and the implications to practice.
13 Comments:
I don't know if I would address it unless their diet recall showed excessive intakes of "empty calorie" drinks. If I were teaching young clients about a healthy diet, I would emphasize the "traditional" Japanese diet staples, and remind students that less healthy choices should one, be consumed in moderation, and two, will replace more nutritious choices that put them at risk for nutrient deficiencies at an important developmental time in life.
The intake of soft drinks is still lower in Japan than in the U.S. Traditional Japanese tea intake still remains high compared to other beverages. Based on this information I would explain to the clients how important it is to limit soft drink consumption. I would explain that soft drinks provide little nutritional value and that limiting these drinks is important. I would inform them that this is a critical time in their lives, while they are still growing, and that eating a healthy, balanced diet and getting an adequate amount of exercise, is key. There is also a concern regarding soft drink consumption and calcium inadequacy. If my client(s) was consuming a large number a soft drinks I would educated them on the importance of eating more high calcium foods (milk, cheese, yogurt, green leafy vegetables, tofu and other soy based products).
It is unfortunate that the people of Japan are heading in the direction of a 'Westernized diet', because the Japanese diet staples are much, much more healthy. Even though soft drink consumption in Japan is still lower than it is here in the United States, it is increasing. I would stress the importance of limiting soft drinks and building a diet around the staples. This would promote a much healthier population. Since I would be working with young clients, I would want to also make it a point that they would not have to completely cut out soda and other soft drinks from their diets, but instead choose healthier options more often.
Similar to any sweetened beverage that has no nutritional value, I would advise young clients to limit their intake. I would encourage them to switch to diet, light, or "zero" products if they were available, but also advise them to consume these in moderation as well.
I would help them to incorporate soft drinks into an eating plan if they still wished to consume them. Nutritional intervention would only be needed if consumption of soft drinks was causing a decreased intake of fruits, vegetables, fish, milk, protein, fiber, etc., or an excess intake of calories.
The study conducted showed a much lower percentage of Japanese students who drank soft drinks compared with US students. The study did show that those who drank soft drinks had a poor diet quality. In saying that, I would address the issue of soft drinks with those who had a problem. I would analyze their diet and make sure that they are substituting a soft drink for a healthy snack. If my client did not seem to have a problem with soft drink usage, than I would probably not even address it.
The outcome was not overly high for the Japanese students but it does not hurt to reiterate the importance of more nutrient dense food and beverage. They are still young and developing so it is important to get all of the right nutrients. Teaching them better habits now may have a positive influence on their choices later in life.
Susan
I think promoting moderation in things is more likely to be successful when dealing with any client. Telling them their are "bad" food or drinks they should be having isn't likely to persuade them to not have those things.
Emily,
I agree. If the client doesn't have a dietary problem then it may not even be necessary to "address" soft drink consumption.
Emily,
I agree that adressing the subject might not need to be covered if the client doesn't drink soda on a regular basis.
Tori
To start off I would talk about how soda just provides empty calories and has no nutritional value. Then I would go on to talk about all the sugar in the drink that can cause tooth decay and other health problems like high blood sugars. Then I would go on to say that soda is okay in moderation maybe 1 or 2 a day as part of a balanced diet. Last I would explain what I meant by balanced diet with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and exercise.
Tori
Carrie,
I like your perspective on the topic; that nutritional intervention would probably only be necessary if soft drink intake was having a negative impact on his/her diet, including consumption of fewer fruits and vegetables and excess calories. This is a great point, and one that we all should be aware of. The 'perfect' diet does not really exist, and so a moderate amount of soft drinks in one's diet may not be a real issue.
I would make the youth aware of the high energy content of regular soft drinks, but I am not sure I would make a big deal about limiting their soft drink consumption unless I saw an issue with their consumption upon initial evaluation. Other things such as candy and other sweets are also calorie dense and should be addressed as well.
Carrie, I think it is a good idea to establish goals or limits for certain foods in an eating plan. This allows them to determine whether they are on track nutritionally and allows for a possible rewards program to be established for those who need a little more encouragement.
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