preview

Overview Of Dietary Practices And Food Frequencies On The Center And South Regions Essay

Decent Essays

OVERVIEW OF DIETARY PRACTICES AND FOOD FREQUENCIES IN THE CENTER AND SOUTH REGIONS
1.1. Introduction

Since the beginning of the eighteenth century, the nutrition transition that accompanied economic development has caused large shifts in food consumption patterns in Europe and the United States (Fogel et al., 2002). When economic development occurs in developing countries as well, as is the case in China today (IMF, 2010), nutritional changes put additional pressure on limited natural resources. This study was carried out to describe the dietary practices, food frequencies and the rate of deforestation in the center and south regions of Cameroon. Food items form the basis of food consumption patterns, defined as the consumption of specific food items and their combination in dishes and meals. These patterns show large temporal and spatial differences, mainly caused by the availability of commodities, cultural aspects and economic factors (Whitney et al,. 1999). The repeated arrangements of consumption, characterized by types and quantities of food items and their combination in dishes and meals, are termed food consumption practices (Gerbens et al, 2002). Food frequencies is defined as the frequency (in terms of days of consumption over a reference period) that a specific food item or food group is eaten at the household level (WFP, 2007). Factors such as preferences, habits, availability, tradition, culture and income influence these patterns (Van der

Get Access