Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-gtxcr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T03:53:20.715Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

What is the cost of a healthy diet in terms of achieving RDAs?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2007

Piero Conforti  and
Amleto D'Amicis
Piero Conforti*
Affiliation:
Istituto Nazionale di Economia Agraria, Rome, Italy
Amleto D'Amicis
Affiliation:
Istituto Nazionale della Nutrizione, Rome, Italy
*
*Corresponding author: Email conforti@inea.it
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Objective

Assessing how the Italian average food pattern would be affected in terms of consumption structure and expenditure by the adoption of nutritional prescriptions.

Design

A linear programming model with nutritional and food habits constraints was employed to generate a pattern following recommended daily allowances (RDAs) and nutritional guidelines provided for the Italian population.

Setting

Food consumption data from ISTAT Household Budget Survey of Italian population.

Subjects

Italian families investigated by the Family Budget Survey of the National Institute of Statistics.

Results

Compared to actual behaviour, the pattern generated by the model implies an increased consumption of vegetables, pasta, rice and fresh fish, and a decreased consumption of meats, bread, sugars and cakes, and especially fats and oils. At given prices, total expenditure is lower than actual expenditure.

Conclusions

Differences between actual behaviour and the generated pattern are consistent with long-term trends in food consumption. The adoption of RDAs is unlikely to result in an increased food expenditure.

Keywords

Diet costLinear programmingRDAsNutritional guidelinesFood habitsFood consumption trends
Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 3 , Issue 3 , September 2000 , pp. 367 - 373
Copyright
Copyright © CABI Publishing 2000

References

1Traill, B. New Food Consumption Patterns and Product Quality in Europe and Adaptation of Agricultural Production. Rome: Food and Agricultural Organization, 1994.Google Scholar
2Belletti, G, Marescotti, A.Le nuove tendenze dei consumi alimentari. Paper presented at the Convegno della Società Italiana di Economia AgrariaVerona 1995.Google Scholar
3Stigler, GJ. The cost of subsistence. J. Farm Econ. 1945; 27: 625–39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4Smith, VF. Linear programming models for the determination of palatable human diets. J. Farm Econ. 1959; 31: 56–72.Google Scholar
5Henson, S.Linear programming analysis of constraints upon human diets. J. Agric. Econ. 1992; 48: 223–36.Google Scholar
6Paris, Q. An Economic Interpretation of Linear Programming. Ames: Iowa State University Press, 1991.Google Scholar
7Hazell, P, Norton, R. Mathematical Programming for Economic Analysis in Agriculture. New York: MacMillan Publishing, 1986.Google Scholar
8Foytik, J.Very low-cost nutritious diet plans designed by linear programming. J. Nutr. Educ. 1981; 13: 63–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9Colavita, C, D'Orsi, R.Linear programming and paediatric dietetics. Br. J. Nutr. 1990; 64: 307–17.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10Istituto Nazionale di Statistica (ISTAT). I Consumi delle Famiglie. Rome: ISTAT, 1995.Google Scholar
11Arcella, D, Conforti, P.Nutritional adequacy and relative poverty in Italy: a multidimensional fuzzy approach. Rivista Italiana di Scienza dell'Alimentazione. J. Food Sci. Nutr. 1997; 1: 9–16.Google Scholar
12Ferro-Luzzi, A, Leclercq, C, Martino, L, Berardi, D. SIN: Sistema Informativo Nutrizionale. Quaderni della Nutrizione Monograph. Rome: Istituto Nazionale della Nutrizione, 1994.Google Scholar
13Ferro-Luzzi, A, Martino, L, Leclercq, C, Branca, F. Relazione al Ministero delle Risorse Agricole Alimentari e Forestali sul Sistema Informativo Nutrizionale. Rome: Unità di Nutrizione Umana, Istituto Nazionale della Nutrizione, 1994.Google Scholar
14Carnovale, E, Marletta, L. Tabelle di Composizione degli Alimenti. Rome: Istituto Nazionale della Nutrizione, 1997.Google Scholar
15Carnovale, E, Miuccio, F. Tabelle di Composizione degli Alimenti. Rome: Istituto Nazionale della Nutrizione, 1989.Google Scholar
16Istituto Nazionale della Nutrizione (INN). Linee Guida per una Sana Alimentazione Italiana [Guidelines for a Healthy Italian Nutrition]. Rome: INN, 1997.Google Scholar
17Società Italiana di Nutrizione Umana (SINU). Livelli di Assunzione Raccomandati di Energia e Nutrienti per la Popolazione Italiana, Rome: SINU, 1996.Google Scholar
18Cagliesi, G. La domanda di prodotti alimentari. In: Rossi, N, ed. MEISA. Un Modello Econometrico del Sistema Agroalimentare Italiano. Milan: ISMEA, 1988; 132–54.Google Scholar
19Caiumi, A.Consumi alimentari, prezzi relativi e distribuzione, 1960–90. Riv. Econ. Agraria 1991; 3, 407–27.Google Scholar