A/71/282
low incomes to afford healthier food options. In the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland, for example, low-income pregnant women and
families receive vouchers to buy dairy and vegetables, and in the United States, the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program gives incentives to spend on fruits and
vegetables.
87. Taxation, import restrictions, subsidies and labelling initiatives may, however,
be scrutinized for violation of trade agreements. They may also give rise to debates
as to whether such governance tools intrude unreasonably on personal and
individual freedoms and differing cultural understandings of “nutrition”. 57
4.
Behavioural changes, education and dietary guidelines
88. States have recognized the importance of nutrition education, making it
mandatory within school curricula or providing education progr ammes targeting
cities, workplaces and food providers. Some have initiated campaigns for healthier
diets, provide nutrition advice for at-risk individuals or publish food-based dietary
guidelines recommending a balanced diet. Dietary guidelines should guid e not only
consumer choices but also policy choices. Such initiatives should be culturally
sensitive and based on scientific evidence. Brazil’s revised dietary guidelines of
2014 are a good example, as they are comprehensive, take cultural dimensions into
account and promote the consumption of minimally processed foods while
encouraging sustainable food systems.
5.
Influencing the food supply
89. Some countries have understood the need for more systemic changes to
improve the nutritional quality of food products available on the market. Overall
improvements can be achieved through dialogue with the food industry to reformulate
food products by setting targets to reduce salt and fats, eliminate trans -fats and make
products less energy dense, or put a cap on portion size. Good examples include
schemes to collaborate with food suppliers to provide healthier ingredients for
public entities serving food, or requirements that a certain percentage of food
products be sourced from agroecological farms. Other init iatives focus on
improving the accessibility of healthy foods at retail outlets, for example by
providing incentives to set up “healthy” food enterprises in deprived
neighbourhoods or placing planning restrictions on fast food outlets.
90. While the above-mentioned examples are positive indications, national
policies are often fragmented, and it is crucial to go further to encourage States to
implement comprehensive plans to combat malnutrition in all its forms.
91. Several helpful initiatives exist to assist policymakers in ensuring nutrition
accountability. For example, the WHO global database on the implementation of
nutrition action set forth national policy actions and strategies to eliminate all forms
of malnutrition. Similarly, the International Netwo rk for Food and Obesity/
Non-Communicable Diseases Research, Monitoring and Action Support
(INFORMAS), an international collaboration of universities and global
non-governmental organizations, seeks to monitor, benchmark and support actions
__________________
57
16-13441
David Adam Friedman, “Public health regulation and the limits of paternalism”, Connecticut
Law Review, vol. 46, No. 5 (July 2014); Katherine Pratt, “The limits of anti-obesity public heath
paternalism: another view”, Connecticut Law Review, vol. 46, No. 5 (July 2014).
21/24
Seleccionar párrafo de destino3
Conectar a un párrafo
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Añadir a la tabla de contenidos