A Decade of Food and Nutrition Policy in Portugal (2010–2020)

Abstract

For the first time, in 2012, the Portuguese Government, through the National Program for the Promotion of Healthy Eating of the Directorate-General for Health, implemented a set of concerted measures for improving the dietary habits, nutritional status and health of the population. Prior to, and since 2007, several epidemiological, social and political circumstances converged, for later enabling the development of a national strategy throughout the decade 2010–2020. This was also supported by specific international guidelines, namely from the World Health Organization and the European Commission. The national strategy objectives have been: (a) To increase the knowledge about the population’s food consumption, its determinants and consequences; (b) to modify the access to certain food items specially in schools, workplaces and public spaces; (c) To inform and empower individuals regarding shopping, preparation and storage of healthy foods, especially amongst those most vulnerable or with a lower income; (d) to identify and promote actions capable of encouraging a healthier diet through the integration of other societal sectors, namely agriculture, sports, environment, education, social security and local authorities; and (e) to better capacitate different professionals who, owing to their roles, may influence nutritional knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. Several actions are described, including the creation of legislation to address these objectives. It is worth noting that one of the biggest challenges to this public policy has been the interventions within the environments where people live. By knowingly being central to food choice determinants, these environmental modifications were also where the stakeholders felt the greatest tensions and difficulties, but also where there are the greatest gains to be made. Solutions to overcome these problems and other perceived difficulties have been proposed here and are considered to be some of the main lessons and achievements throughout this process.

“More Than Buying Extra Fruits and Veggies, Please Hide the Fats and Sugars”: Children’s Diet Latent Profiles and Family-Related Factors

“…Although this is not an ideal amount of unhealthy food consumption, these figures are low compared to results of an Australian sample of 947 elementary-school students [ 27 ]. These results reinforce the idea that Portuguese children are not following the dietary recommendations in terms of intake of F/V and unhealthy foods [ 4 , 7 ]. Moreover, the Very Unhealthy Eating profile was mostly comprised of boys.…”

“…Following this line of reasoning, the World Health Organization establishes eating guidelines for children, with great focus on the intake of fruits and vegetables (F/V) and on the restriction of fat and sugar consumption [ 3 ]. These guidelines are also followed by the Portuguese Directorate-General for Health [ 4 ]. However, evidence that children are not meeting the recommendations (e.g., five pieces of F/V per day) is extensive, including in Portugal [ 5 , 6 , 7 ].…”

Nutrition Literacy of Portuguese Adults—A Pilot Study

“…It is estimated that more than half of premature deaths worldwide are due to chronic noncommunicable diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, or metabolic syndrome, which are largely influenced by the adoption of less healthy behaviors and lifestyles [ 2 ]. Chronic noncommunicable diseases are one of the most recurrent problems in public health in Portugal [ 3 ]. In 2015, approximately 29.7% of deaths in the Portuguese population were due to cardiovascular diseases [ 3 ], with stroke being more prevalent in Portugal than in all other European countries [ 4 ], while diabetes was common in approximately 10% of the Portuguese population, and high blood pressure was prevalent in approximately 36% [ 3 ].…”

“…Chronic noncommunicable diseases are one of the most recurrent problems in public health in Portugal [ 3 ]. In 2015, approximately 29.7% of deaths in the Portuguese population were due to cardiovascular diseases [ 3 ], with stroke being more prevalent in Portugal than in all other European countries [ 4 ], while diabetes was common in approximately 10% of the Portuguese population, and high blood pressure was prevalent in approximately 36% [ 3 ]. In addition, chronic disease and a risk factor for developing others, obesity, together with overweight, affects more than half of the population [ 3 ].…”

“…Unhealthy eating habits are one of the main risk factors for these diseases in Portugal [ 4 ]. The increase in the prevalence of overweight is linked to overnutrition, where high energy consumption is associated with an insufficient intake of some nutrients [ 3 ]. Thus, nutrition is an essential factor for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases, where a diet based on an ideal caloric intake, low intake of processed and red meats and also alcohol, and high consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is essential for the prevention of these pathologies [ 5 ].…”