Introduction
Nowadays, much attention is paid to the role of food in human life. Food literacy turns out to be a serious topic for discussion in many countries as it helps to manage and prevent a number of food-related health problems, including obesity, diabetes, and the development of metabolic syndrome (Cullen, Hatch, Martin, Higgins, & Sheppard, 2015; Drewnowski & Kawachi, 2015). Regarding recent medical achievements, the current technological progress, and never stopping globalization, people should always deal with new things and meet expectations despite the level of their readiness (Christopherson, Garretsen, & Martin, 2008). These requirements also determine the quality of food people eat and the knowledge people have about healthy eating. The relationship between health (mental and physical) and diet has been thoroughly discussed by many authors to prove that appropriate food intake, malnutrition control, and personal attitudes to the diet may influence human behavior, mood, productivity, and decision making (Fontana & Partridge, 2015; O’Neil et al., 2014). Still, despite the evident connection between the changes caused by globalization and health, not much information about American food literacy through globalization is actually available.
Analysis
Such global topic as a health-diet connection can be developed through answering the following research questions: “Does globalization have a positive impact on Americans and their intentions to improve health through diet?” or “Is it enough for the US population to create programs and interventions at local levels to observe certain improvements in public health?” The goal of this new project is to understand the nature of the relationship between globalization and healthy eating promoted in the United States and clarify the steps the population takes to improve its health. To address these gaps, it is possible to develop a descriptive study and investigate current interventions and programs that are available to Americans in their intentions to use diet, change their lifestyles, and avoid health-related complications.
The evaluation of national achievements, the identification of public knowledge about healthy eating and globalization, and the consideration of people’s attitudes to the diet through the analysis of peer-reviewed and newspaper articles (published during the last five years) should help to answer the main research question and contribute an understanding of the impact of American diet on health. Content analysis and the description of American food literacy may create a solid basis for future research in terms of which it is possible to develop new interventions for the population and helpful healthy eating guides.
References
Christopherson, S., Garretsen, H., & Martin, R. (2008). The world is not flat: Putting globalization in its place. Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, 1(3), 343-349.
Cullen, T., Hatch, J., Martin, W., Higgins, J. W., & Sheppard, R. (2015). Food literacy: Definition and framework for action. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Perspectives in Practice, 76(3), 140-145.
Drewnowski, A., & Kawachi, I. (2015). Diets and health: How food decisions are shaped by biology, economics, geography, and social interactions. Big Data, 3(3), 193-197.
Fontana, L., & Partridge, L. (2015). Promoting health and longevity through diet: From model organisms to humans. Cell, 161(1), 106-118.
O’Neil, A., Quirk, S. E., Housden, S., Brennan, S. L., Williams, L. J., Pasco, J. A.,… Jacka, F. N. (2014). Relationship between diet and mental health in children and adolescents: A systematic review. American Journal of Public Health, 104(10), 31-42.