Our dietary habits have effects on our health and well-being. A healthy diet provides us with energy and vital nutrients such as proteins, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, fibre, and phytochemicals that fuel and nourish our bodies. Unhealthy food choices, in contrast, increase the risk of chronic diseases related to poor health outcomes: obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer.
Traditionally, public health nutrition campaigns are based on a “one-diet-fits-all” approach and use food pyramids and/or portion sizes to make recommendations at a population level. However, people are all unique and have different health needs, nutritional requirements, and personal preferences. Dietary advice given at the population level may therefore not suit everybody. That’s why the Stance4Health i-Diet app will create personalised nutrition programs that provide dietary advice based on the individual situation of each person. Ultimately, the Stance4Health project aims to improve dietary behaviour to promote healthy food choices and a balanced diet in the long term.
People differ in many ways and these differences affect how the body responds to certain foods and nutrients. The reasons vary from individual lifestyle choices to specific health conditions and illnesses but also genetic considerations. Another vital role towards a personalised diet is the emerging importance of the gut microbiome with rapidly growing new insights. Moreover, religious beliefs, personal values, and sensory preferences determine dietary behaviour. Followers of certain religions avoid specific foods due to their faith. Other people choose not to eat any type of meat or animal products at all. In addition, individual taste preferences make people opt for certain foods over others.
Whilst not all individual differences can be captured with today’s everyday technology, the Stance4Health i-Diet app will consider a wide variety of characteristics. As such genotypic differences like sex and phenotypic characteristics like age, body size, health status, including specific allergies and intolerances, are fundamental variables that influence our nutritional requirements. The composition and activity of the gut microbiota is another central aspect of Stance4Health. Findings from the different studies on the gut microbiota within the project will be included in the development of the app. These will allow to make further conclusions on the health status of each individual and modify it where it is needed to optimize its function. Furthermore, the app will consider physical activity levels adapted to the various energy needs. Finally, personal, and sensory preferences play an important role to adjust the suggested diet within the app. Based on the individual taste and liking, different foods and recipes will be considered for each user. The user will also be able to choose the number of daily meals, the number of dishes per meal and the preferred portion sizes. Adapting the menus to the user’s lifestyle, habits, tastes and preferences, shall facilitate the adoption of healthy habits in the long term. The personalised nutrition programs by Stance4Health shall ultimately provide dietary advice based on the unique users input creating a balanced diet suitable for the individual.
Check here our project infographic!
Traditionally, public health nutrition campaigns are based on a “one-diet-fits-all” approach and use food pyramids and/or portion sizes to make recommendations at a population level. However, people are all unique and have different health needs, nutritional requirements, and personal preferences. Dietary advice given at the population level may therefore not suit everybody. That’s why the Stance4Health i-Diet app will create personalised nutrition programs that provide dietary advice based on the individual situation of each person. Ultimately, the Stance4Health project aims to improve dietary behaviour to promote healthy food choices and a balanced diet in the long term.
People differ in many ways and these differences affect how the body responds to certain foods and nutrients. The reasons vary from individual lifestyle choices to specific health conditions and illnesses but also genetic considerations. Another vital role towards a personalised diet is the emerging importance of the gut microbiome with rapidly growing new insights. Moreover, religious beliefs, personal values, and sensory preferences determine dietary behaviour. Followers of certain religions avoid specific foods due to their faith. Other people choose not to eat any type of meat or animal products at all. In addition, individual taste preferences make people opt for certain foods over others.
Whilst not all individual differences can be captured with today’s everyday technology, the Stance4Health i-Diet app will consider a wide variety of characteristics. As such genotypic differences like sex and phenotypic characteristics like age, body size, health status, including specific allergies and intolerances, are fundamental variables that influence our nutritional requirements. The composition and activity of the gut microbiota is another central aspect of Stance4Health. Findings from the different studies on the gut microbiota within the project will be included in the development of the app. These will allow to make further conclusions on the health status of each individual and modify it where it is needed to optimize its function. Furthermore, the app will consider physical activity levels adapted to the various energy needs. Finally, personal, and sensory preferences play an important role to adjust the suggested diet within the app. Based on the individual taste and liking, different foods and recipes will be considered for each user. The user will also be able to choose the number of daily meals, the number of dishes per meal and the preferred portion sizes. Adapting the menus to the user’s lifestyle, habits, tastes and preferences, shall facilitate the adoption of healthy habits in the long term. The personalised nutrition programs by Stance4Health shall ultimately provide dietary advice based on the unique users input creating a balanced diet suitable for the individual.
Check here our project infographic!
