The Influence of Time on Food: Nutrition, Age, Life, and Time Differences

By Lawrence Patterson

The effects of food on people's health and well-being are significant today.

Food has long been recognized as necessary for basic human survival.

Actual nutrition-focused work began in the early 20th Century when average life expectancies at birth in the United States ranged between 50 and 60 years, and infectious diseases ranked as the leaded cause of death. By the mid-Century, advances in technology, public health knowledge and practice, and understanding of nutrition and health paved the way for dramatic increases in life expectancy as infectious diseases gave way to chronic and degenerative health conditions—as conditions caused by overnutrition became dominant over those generated by undernutrition.

Clearly underrepresented in ongoing nutrition research are examinations of food intake variability, including most prominently the influences of 'time,' as expressed through age and the passage of calendar dates, and of 'diversity,' as captured by both the characteristics of people and the cultural, social, economic, and political elements of historical context. In short, knowledge and understanding of how and why food intake changes among different groups of people, from birth through death and from the past through the present day, remains poor.

Culture plays a role in producing food identities and routines that develop over time. Individual food culture may influence the foods consumed during meals. Food culture evolves over time due to the introduction of new food types, social interactions, and shared food experiences.

Another aspect lacking in current conceptual and process models of nutrition is the influence of historical events. Changes in the food industry or distribution impact food decisions. The food industry has evolved significantly over the last fifty years. Many areas of the United States historically relied on local farms for their food supply. Foods purchased in food stores were limited to basic necessities like flour, sugar, and salt. Now food is available from local, regional, and global food production markets.

• Language: English
• Publisher: vincenzo nappi
• Release date: Aug 20, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201746339

Book preview

Chapter 1: Introduction

Food has long been recognized as necessary for basic human survival, and for nearly a century there has been increasing research attention on the impacts of nutrition in general, and selected foods in particular, on health and wellbeing. True nutrition-focused work began in the early 20th Century, a period when average life expectancies at birth in the United States ranged between 50 and 60 years and infectious diseases ranked as the leaded cause of death. By mid-Century, advances in technology, public health knowledge and practice, and understanding of nutrition and health paved the way for dramatic increases in life expectancy as infectious diseases gave way to chronic and degenerative health conditions—as conditions caused by overnutrition became dominant over those caused by undernutrition.

The bulk of nutrition research through the 20th Century sought to identify linkages between specific nutrients and/or nutrient levels and health outcomes, and such work remains popular as researchers employ tools ranging from laboratory-based animal models to population-based inferential analyses of human health and nutrition data.

Clearly underrepresented in ongoing nutrition research are examinations of food intake variability, including most prominently the influences of ‘time,’ as expressed through age and the passage of calendar dates, and of ‘diversity,’ as captured by both the characteristics of people and the cultural, social, economic, and political elements of historic context. In short, knowledge and understanding of how and why food intake changes among different groups of people, from birth through death, and from the past through the present day, remains poor.

The central concepts employed, including nutrients and nutrition, notions of time; and life span life course distinctions. Nutrition is the multidisciplinary study of factors that affect food choices, the chemical and physiological processes involved in processing and delivering the chemical components of food to cells within the body, and how those chemicals affect individuals.

The chemical substances found in food are called nutrients and are essential for bodily functions. The six classes of nutrients are carbohydrates, protein, lipids (fat), water, vitamins, and minerals. Macronutrients include carbohydrates, protein, and lipids. Micronutrients include water, vitamins, and minerals. The macronutrients provide energy for the body and are needed in the highest amounts. Micronutrients do not provide energy but are absolutely essential for maintaining the chemical processes that support bodily functions and survival.

Dietary Guidelines. Defining what the adequate amounts of each nutrient are for individuals of all ages has been the challenge of health professionals and dietitians for many years. Certain nutrients are known to be required in higher amounts during particular stages in the life span. For example, nutrient needs are higher for women during pregnancy and lactation. The challenge when recommending carbohydrates,

protein, fat, water, vitamins, and minerals is that recommended intake levels are best given individually.

Recommended macronutrient intake levels for adults in particular life stages and sex groups are provided by the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA). The RDAs were developed during World War II by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in order to improve the health of Americans for national defense.

The current RDAs divide nutrient recommendations between men and women without any consideration for race. Age groups are divided into those aged 19-30, 31-50, 51-70, and over 70 years old. For example, the RDA encourages males and females aged 9-13 years to consume 34 grams of protein per day. Males over the age of 19 are encouraged to consume 56 grams of protein per day while women within that same age range, not pregnant or lactating, are encouraged to consume 46 grams of protein per day (DRI, 2005). According to the RDA, men and women (not pregnant or lactating) should

all consume 130 grams of carbohydrate per day. No recommendations are given by the RDA for total fat intake. These recommendations are given for healthy individuals. In the presence of disease, food recommendations vary based on nutritional status and disease pathophysiology. The majority of chronic diseases require individuals to reduce total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, and carbohydrate intakes (specifically for diabetes).

These recommendations come from organizations such as the American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Additionally, certain races of people exhibit a higher incidence of certain chronic diseases due to genetic factors. A more tailored recommendation may be of benefit to reducing chronic disease rates.

Involving Time. It is important to discuss the multiple notions of time. Time can be defined as the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future, regarded as a whole. Individuals define time differently based on context, experience, and culture. First, time may be relative, in existential terms, to activities being engaged in or remembered. For example, children playing with friends may complain that time moves too quickly when they must end their play to return home. Students in a classroom may view time as moving too slowly when the subject they are learning does not interest them. Parents watching their child graduate from college may think to themselves ‘where has the time gone?’ In these cases, time cannot be measured by standardized tools like clocks or calendars. Someone may think back on their life during the 1950s and say those were the best times. Next is chronological time, which can be measured, for example, by seconds, minutes, hours, days, years, or decades.

Historical time captures events that happen during a specific range of dates—a time period—that differentially influence similarly aged groups of people. Historical events, food policy, and the food industry interact with other socio-cultural and environmental factors that commonly result in distinct period affects.

Sociocultural factors will impact the influence of time on each individual. Social structures and norms influence food intake patterns. Social norms in the United States establish certain meal times and patterns. Americans typically eat three meals a day consisting of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. While the timing of these meals is somewhat individualized, they can be predicted. For example, lunch is traditionally consumed between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm. The presence of snacks throughout the day can also vary based on sociocultural norms. The predictability of meal patterns can be made depending on social cohort inclusion. A social cohort is a group of individuals, regardless of age, that experience similar social influences. For example, individuals working together in an office building may all receive a lunch break from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm. Social norms established in the work environment influence whether they bring their lunch, dine out or work through their lunch break. Social norms will also dictate what food is appropriate to eat during lunch breaks.

Culture plays a role in producing food identities and routines that develop over time. Individual food culture may influence the