Week 9: Human Nutrition in the

Developing World

Dietary transition

GE202
2020
Impact on nutrition (from week 8)

• Communities (countries) are scatterlingly located over

several thousand kilometers, only accessible by airplane.
• Infrequent train (container ships) transports goods.

• Transportation costs are reflected in commodity’s price.

• Fresh products are difficult to transport (heavy, quickly

expiring)
• Light processed food is suited for transportation to
isolated communities.

• Pacific Island countries tend to rely on overseas suppliers

for their food.
 Food and cultures/traditions
• Food plays a central role in many cultures; it represents
prosperity, generosity, and community support.
• Hospitality is extended to visitors, who are usually asked to
share a meal. Even if a visitor is not hungry, he or she will
generally eat a small amount of food so that the host is not
disappointed.
• Food is also often given as a gift, and a refusal of food is
considered an insult to the host or giver.
• An occasion, celebration, ceremony, ritual is rated based on
the quantity and quality of the food
So-called “traditional" diet in the Pacific….
 “Traditional" diets are believed to be…
• Very nutritious, fresh and healthy
• Accessible and easily obtained (abundant wild
harvests/easily grown & reared)
• Food patterns and culture in traditional Pacific communities
are/were nutritionally adequate with a
– good source of vitamins and minerals

• The traditional Pacific Islander diets are said to be superior

to Western diets in many ways
– Traditional foods are nutrient-dense, meals are prepared in healthful
ways, and oils are used sparingly.
– The high-fiber, low fat nature of these diets reduces the risk for heart
disease, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, obesity, and certain types
of cancer.
 “Traditional" foods …

Staple food diets…..

•Starchy foods are the foundation of the
traditional diet.
– (For example, the traditional Hawaiian diet is 75 to 80
percent starch, 7 to 12 percent fat, and 12 to 15 percent
protein.)
•Starch in the diet comes primarily from root crops
and starchy fruits, such as taro, cassava, yam,
green bananas, and breadfruit.
 “Traditional" foods …

Breadfruit (being prepared here) is one of many starchy fruits traditionally

eaten by Pacific Islanders.
 “Traditional" foods …
• The traditional diet is plentiful in fresh fruits, juices, nuts,
and the cooked greens of the starch vegetables (e.g., taro,
yam).
• Local markets with fresh foods are still abundant in most
islands.

THE SUVA MUNICIPAL

“Traditional" foods …
 “Traditional" foods …
• As expected, fish and other seafood are abundant in the Pacific
Islands and are eaten almost every day in some islands.
• Most fish and seafood are stewed and roasted, but some are served
marinated and uncooked.
Modern Food….
 Modern Food is …

… Convenient

… Poor in nutritional value

 Modern Food …
• Many Pacific Islanders have moved to a more Western
diet consisting of fast foods and processed foods.
• Pacific Islanders now hevily rely on imported foods
that are highly processed, such as white flour, white
sugar, canned meat and fish, margarine, mayonnaise,
carbonated beverages, candies, cookies, and breakfast
cereals.
• Many locals sell their fruits and vegetables and then in turn
purchase imported foods. (again, recall, from subsistence
agriculture to commercial agriculture…)
 Transition

• On many islands, 80% - 90% of the foods are

now imported. Imported rice is becoming the
staple food in some areas, instead of locally
grown provisions.

• The ability to purchase imported food is now a

status symbol.
 Transition

• Agricultural production also plays a role in the

dietary transition.

…. Local fruits and vegetables are increasingly less

available due to

…. population growth, urbanization, exporting of produce,

and selling produce to hotels for the tourism industry.
 Transition

• Traditional methods

… of hunting and gathering wild food, farming,

processing, storing, and preserving traditional
foods

... have all but disappeared in some areas.

Let’s see USP students’ dietary patterns…
• Eating habits and health: A comparative analysis among Tongan, Kiribati and
Vanuatu students in Laucala Campus 2019, by Blaise Gela, Jeromy Iputu,
Jennifer Sikele, and Thomas Yalu

• To identify the eating habits of the students of 3 Pacific Island countries.

• To identify the relationship between eating habits and Body Mass Index
(BMI).
• To identify the opinion of each individual about eating habits.

A sample of 20 individuals from each country

• B= Body
• M= Mass
• I= Index
• BMI formula = Weight (kg)/Height (m²)
• BMI = 70 kg/ 1.63 (m²) = 26.4 (Overweight)
Findings
• BMI of sample populations from 3 Pacific Island Country
Findings
Findings
• Seriousness in considering food consumption and health
Findings
Implications

• USP students are generally aware of the issue and some

of them plan to change
• Note that being aware or planning to change does not
necessarily mean that they are indeed changing.

• However, there are several challenges to make changes

• Student lifestyle
• Life in the city
• Home/work distance
 Transition

• Shifts in the nature of occupations have been

considerable.
• Less physical activities

• At the same time, energy expenditures in many

occupations have decreased and inactivity
during leisure has increased.
– The rapid increase of television use is one clear trend.
Findings continue…

• What was your findings from food log exercise?

 And recommendation?

• What were your recommendations in tutorial

activities/practical?