Does Short Term Dietary Intervention Change Dietary Carbon Footprint?

Year 2022, Volume: 5 Issue: 3, 493 - 499, 01.09.2022

Feride Ayyıldız , Büşra Atabilen , Hilal Yıldıran

https://doi.org/10.19127/bshealthscience.1116410

Abstract

In this study, we aimed to observe whether short-term weight loss program changes dietary carbon footprint (CF) and its effect on the risk of chronic disease. This study was carried out between April 2019 and January 2020. Participants received a diet intervention for four weeks. Their anthropometric measurements and food records were evaluated before and at the end of the study. 61 individuals (51 female; 10 male) aged 19-59 years and with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of ≥25 kg/m2. Their dietary CF of sweets/snacks, drinks, potatoes/bread/pasta, meat, and butter/oil also decreased statistically significantly according to the eight major food groups. The total dietary CF increased in this study (P=0.018). This increase resulted from the increase in the consumption of dairy/egg food group. At the end of the study the body weight, BMI, waist, hip and neck circumference, waist-hip ratio, and the waist-height ratio of participants decreased statistically significantly after the weight loss program (P<0.001). In conclusion, participants lost weight and their health risks were reduced by the short-term weight loss program. However, total dietary CF increased, which can be related to the increase in the consumption of dairy/egg food group in this study. We think that more research into nutrition is required for the prevention of health and the environment.

Keywords

Carbon footprint, Weight loss, Sustainability, Dietary intervention, Chronic disease

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