A cross-cultural study of sustainable nutrition and its environmental impact in Asia and Europe: A comparison of China and Germany

Q1 Social Sciences
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Abstract

Global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and health crises necessitate a shift towards sustainable diets. Incorporating sustainability into food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) is essential for this shift, and cultural considerations also play a vital role, as food culture significantly influences dietary habits. Considering that Asia and Europe exhibit distinct food cultures, tailored approaches are necessary. Additionally, countries face diverse nutritional challenges, ranging from malnutrition to diet-related diseases, and regional variation in environmental impact necessitates context-specific strategies. Achieving sustainable nutrition depends on understanding cultural influences and regional dynamics. This paper compares China’s and Germany’s dietary guidelines and dietary patterns and their impact on sustainability. It shows that Chinese and German FBDGs only slightly differ, despite the different eating cultures and habits of each country. Alone the recommended amounts for eggs and fish are considerably higher in China than in Germany. However, in both China and Germany, actual dietary patterns deviate from the dietary guidelines. In China, concomitant with economic growth and urbanization, a dietary shift towards increased consumption of animal products and decreased consumption of vegetables and cereals has been observed in the last decades, which has led to a decline in nutritional deficiencies but an increase in obesity and overweight. Obesity and overweight are also on the rise in Germany. A dietary shift could therefore also be beneficial for public health. While following the respective national guidelines would benefit the environment, alternative diets such as a plant-based diet offer even lower environmental footprint. Revising guidelines to prioritize sustainability in addition to health aspects while considering regional contexts and cultural preferences is recommended to foster sustainable eating habits globally. This approach is pivotal for promoting dietary shift towards sustainability on a global scale.

对亚洲和欧洲可持续营养及其环境影响的跨文化研究:中国与德国的比较
气候变化、生物多样性丧失和健康危机等全球性挑战要求人们向可持续膳食转变。将可持续性纳入以食物为基础的膳食指南(FBDGs)对这一转变至关重要,而文化因素也起着至关重要的作用,因为饮食文化对膳食习惯有着重大影响。考虑到亚洲和欧洲的饮食文化截然不同,有必要采取量身定制的方法。此外,各国面临着从营养不良到膳食相关疾病等不同的营养挑战,而且环境影响的地区差异也要求采取因地制宜的策略。实现可持续营养取决于对文化影响和地区动态的理解。本文比较了中国和德国的膳食指南和膳食模式及其对可持续发展的影响。结果表明,尽管中德两国的饮食文化和习惯不同,但两国的膳食指南仅有细微差别。仅鸡蛋和鱼类的推荐量,中国就比德国高出很多。然而,中德两国的实际膳食模式都与膳食指南存在偏差。在中国,随着经济增长和城市化进程的推进,过去几十年来,人们的膳食结构发生了变化,动物性食品的消费量增加,蔬菜和谷物的消费量减少,这导致营养缺乏症的发病率下降,但肥胖症和超重的发病率上升。在德国,肥胖症和超重也呈上升趋势。因此,饮食结构的转变也有利于公众健康。虽然遵循相应的国家指导方针对环境有益,但植物性饮食等替代饮食对环境的影响更小。为了在全球范围内培养可持续的饮食习惯,建议对指南进行修订,在考虑地区背景和文化偏好的同时,将可持续发展与健康问题放在首位。这种方法对于在全球范围内促进饮食向可持续性转变至关重要。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
Regional Sustainability
Regional Sustainability Social Sciences-Urban Studies
CiteScore
3.70
自引率
0.00%
发文量
20
审稿时长
21 weeks
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