Along with the development of countries and the spread of world trade and globalization in general, the diet and lifestyle of people are changing. The most significant changes are observed in countries that become richer and more industrialized. There is an increasing shift towards an abundance of sugary, fatty, and highly processed foods (Breewood, 2018). These changes in lifestyle and eating are at the heart of the global nutrition model and have negative implications for both health and environmental sustainability.
The food industry is a complex, diversified sector that contributes to producing, processing, and distributing food energy for the world’s population. Globalization is the main driving force that has led to the emergence of a rapidly changing world, and the fast food industry is also its consequence (Breewood, 2018). It is increasingly difficult for modern people to allocate time to prepare food by themself, so it is easier for them to turn to eat unhealthy or convenience foods. However, processed foods with high sugar, salt, or fat concentration can have serious health consequences, even when cooked at home. At the same time, marketing greatly influences the consumption pattern, which, however, focuses on profit and not on positive impact.
In addition, modern food production has a strong impact on climate and environmental changes. The most harmful is the production of animal products, especially meat. To spread a healthy diet, bio-products that are not genetically modified are gaining popularity. They should not include any flavor and color enhancers, preservatives, or other unhealthy additives, as well as animal products should not contain hormones or antibiotics (Popkin, 2017). Although the trend towards healthy nutrition and bio-foods is spreading, their production still strongly impacts the world. Thus, the trend of changing nutrition continues to maintain its negative impact.
References
Breewood, H. (2018). What is the nutrition transition? Foodsource Building Block. Web.
Popkin, B. M. (2017). Relationship between shifts in food system dynamics and acceleration of the Global Nutrition Transition. Nutrition Reviews, 75(2), 73–82. Web.