DIETARY

GUIDELINES
ACROSS
THE WORLD

Daphne Beimans, Danique

Klomp, Vinna Pahlplatz, A3G
In this report the Dietary Guidelines from
America, Australia, Finland and the Netherlands
will be discussed. Furthermore, the Dietary
Guidelines from America, Australia and Finland
will be compared to the Netherlands.
 Dietary guidelines across the world

Table of contents
DIETARY GUIDELINES THE NETHERLANDS
Dietary Guidelines..................................................................................2
DIETARY GUIDELINES AUSTRALIA
Dietary Guidelines..................................................................................3
Comparison.............................................................................................4
Advise Danique.......................................................................................5
DIETARY GUIDELINES USA
Dietary Guidelines..................................................................................6
Comparison.............................................................................................7
Advise Daphne........................................................................................8
DIETARY GUIDELINES SWEDEN
Dietary Guidelines..................................................................................9
Comparison...........................................................................................10
Advise Vinna.......................................................................................11
LIST OF SOURCES
Sources 12

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DIETARY GUIDELINES THE NETHERLANDS

The dietary guidelines of the Netherlands is the disk of 5 (schijf van 5). The
government wants to let the Dutch people make a healthy, safe and sustainable
choice when making decisions in food.

The information which was required to make the dietary guidelines, was given by the
RIVM. The RIVM, National institute for health and environment, did all the calculations
in which they concluded the amount of food you need. The people who funded the
dietary guidelines consists out of scientific experts which are specialized in the
academic world and diets.

The aim of the dietary guidelines is to show to different audiences how a balanced diet
looks like.
There are 5 parts:

Beverages
Vegetables and fruit
Greases and cooking fats
Dairy, nuts, fish, legumes, meat and eggs
Bread, cereals and potatoes

The dietary guidelines with the disk of 5:

Eat from each part the recommended

amounts
Eat on a daily basis vegetables
Eat on a daily basis fruit
Choose for the healthier greases and saturated fats
Take daily dairy, milk yogurt or cheese
Choose more often for vegetable protein sources
Eat on a daily basis unsalted nuts
Eat on a weekly basis fish, most preferred the fat types of fish
Eat on a weekly basis legumes
Reduce the amount of meat on a weekly basis to 500 gram a week
Eat on a daily basis enough whole grains or brown bread and choose for
wholegrain cereals
Drink tap water and green and black tea, and choose for filtered coffee
Dont eat too much added sugars and salts

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By choosing your food in a proper way, most of the chronic diseases are lowered in the
Netherlands. Furthermore, when you choose by help op the disk of 5, most of the
essential fuels and a big part of the needed energy is provided.

Advice on the products which arent on the disk of 5:

Not too much and keep it small

Pay attention to the difference what can be eaten on a daily basis and weekly
basis
Dont eat too much processed meat
Dont drink too much sugar-containing drinks
Dont drink alcohol, at least not more than one glass on a daily basis

DIETARY GUIDELINES AUSTRALIA

Dietary Guidelines
The Australian guidelines for healthy eating exists out of a diagram which says which
food you need to eat per day. You need to choose at least 1 type of food out of 5
different categories. So their aim is a nutritious diet.

The guidelines were made by the Australia government and they were tested by the
national health and medical research council. The guidelines were established in 2013.
They were combined with records of the people eating vegetables and people eating
junk food. The guidelines are based on the research conducted by looking at tables of
old research and tables of new results after a change in diet. This kind of research is
conducted every couple of years, because they change the guidelines and then look at
the result of the change. For example when they change a couple of McDonaldss into
vegetables/fruits stores and they see that the people in that area begin to eat more
vegetables, they will make a table and maybe change this in the whole country.
evidence that the guidelines work is that people in Australia begun to eat more
vegetables and less junk food. The report about dietary guidelines for Australia
havent changes since 2013, but every year new scientific research is added to the
report.

The guidelines of Australians:

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Use small amounts of oil during cooking

Limit the amount of sweets, fast food
and alcohol
Eat different things every day, what
results in a nutritious diet (a diet
whereby a lot of different nutrients are
ingested)
Food should be preserved according to
guidelines
Take regular exercise

The advice given in choosing your daily food is

that you need to choose 1 thing out of every
category. In this way you can put together you
whole meal and ingest enough different
nutrients.

The five categories are:

Vegetables.
Fruit.
Dairy (most of the time reduced in fat)
Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds (unsalted) and canned
fruit\vegetables
Grain food (like cereal), mostly wholegrain and/or high fiber varieties.

As you can see some food is not included in the circle. The food that is not included
are mostly not recommended in big amounts, like alcohol and food full of sugar. There
is no category for oil. Oil belongs to the group which you need to use in small
amounts.

Comparison
Both the guidelines of Australia and the Netherlands are made of a disk of 5. The only
difference is that the categories are different.

The Australian categories are

Vegetables
Fruit
Dairy (most of the time reduced in fat)

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Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds (unsalted) and canned
fruit\vegetables
Grain food (like cereal), mostly wholegrain and/or high fibre varieties
The Dutch categories:

Beverages
Vegetables and fruit
Greases and cooking fats
Dairy, nuts, fish, legumes, meat and eggs
Bread, cereals and potatoes
As you can see, in the Dutch disk they took the beverages into account. In the
Australian disk they havent, but in the report they say that you need to dink enough
water. The Australian disk has the fruits and vegetables divided into 2 categories and
dairy has its own categories. The Dutch disk has fruit and vegetables together and
dairy belongs to the category with fish, meat and nuts.

Some of the guidelines with the disk are almost the same:

You need to eat from each part the recommended amount

Daily eat vegetables and/or fruits
Dont eat too much salt, sweets and alcohol
In the Netherlands there are far more guidelines than in Australia, but what both
countries want to accomplish is the same thing: a healthier lifestyle for the population.
In the Netherlands they say that you need to eat fat types of fish and reduce the
amount of meat on a weekly basis. In Australia they only say dont eat too much meat
and they give a suggestion of eating fish instead of meat.

The cause of the similarities is probably because they both want to vary in food with
help of the disk of 5. They both want their population to have a healthy lifestyle and
thats why they both chose for the disk of 5. But there are differences, because the
Australian government want that the people eat fish instead of meat. This is probably
the cause of having a sea surrounding them, which gives them an advantage of having
way more species to be eaten than in the Netherlands. Besides, in Australia they use
aquaculture, also known as farming seafood. This is catching fish without having
consequences on fish populations or environment. This will be a cause for having a lot
of fish and saying eat fish instead of meat.

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Dietary advise
The guidelines of the Netherlands say you need to eat 200 grams of vegetables and
200 grams of fruit every day. Eating those
vegetables and fruits per day is good for
lowering the chance of cardiovascular diseases
due to the hardening of arteries. It also lowers
the chance of cancer and the chance to get
obesity. So my first advise which I would give,
is to eat the right amount of vegetables and
fruit.
My second advise I would give, is to drink
more water a day and especially during
training and competitions. During training we
sweat and you lose a lot of liquid inside your
body, but most of the people dont drink to
compensate it. It is important to maintain the
body fluid balance, because if it gets disturbed
you can get problems with your digestive,
absorption and circulatory system.

To give this advice I used sites that gave the

dietary guidelines of the Netherlands. Besides this site, I used sites that gave the
advantages of drinking enough water and eating 200g of fruit and 200g of vegetables.
I also used my own experiences to draw up thing that can be improved, especially
when it has a bad result on my health and of course I use the information about
Australian guidelines.

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DIETARY GUIDELINES USA

Dietary guidelines
The dietary guidelines in America are produced each 5 years. In this report were going
to use the dietary guidelines for 2015-2020. The 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory
Committee provides scientific information which is needed for the HHS and USDA to
develop the dietary guidelines for Americans. The main aim is to choose a healthy diet
and prevent chronic diseases which are related to diets.

The dietary guidelines for 2015-2020 is intended to help the Americans eating a
healthier diet. It is based on the most current scientific information which is required
by the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. This committee consists of
researchers in areas of nutrition, health and medicine. They create the Advisory Report
which is informed by:

Original systematic reviews

Review of existing systematic reviews

Meta-analyses and reports by federal agencies of leading scientific organizations

Data analyses

Food pattern modeling analyses

When this report came out, the experts in health and food then developed the dietary
guidelines. Those experts were from the USDA and HHS. The USDA, United States
Department of Agriculture, is specialized in food, agriculture and nutrition. The HHS,
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, are specialized in the humans health
and well-being. So the research was done by the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory
Committee and the experts who wrote the dietary guidelines were from the USDA and
the HHS.

The 2015-2020 dietary guidelines is focusing on choosing a healthy diet and

preventing chronic diseases that are related to diets. The American government thinks
it will help individuals improve and maintain health. Furthermore they hope it will
reduce the risk of getting a chronic disease by preventing it, not treating it. Besides
this all, the government wants to let the Americans enjoy their food, while they are
making healthy choices.
The American government feels it is getting more important to have a healthy diet.
The amount of physical activity and chronic diseases related to diets, is getting much

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more than before, so the dietary guidelines is an important part of the daily lives of
the Americans.

The guidelines for Americans:

Follow a healthy eating pattern across the lifespan. Choosing a healthy eating
pattern at a fitting calorie level, helps to achieve and maintain a healthy body
weight. This will support nutrients adequacy and reduces the risk of getting
chronic diseases.

Focus on variety, nutrient density and amount. To get all the nutrients you need
within calorie limits, choose a variety of nutrient-dense foods in recommended
amounts.

Limit calories from added sugars and saturated fats and reduce sodium intake.
Consume an eating pattern low in added sugars, saturated fats and sodium.

Shift to healthier food and beverage choices. Choose nutrient-dense foods and
beverages across and within all food groups instead of less healthy choices.

Support healthy eating patterns for all.

Comparison
When you compare the dietary guidelines of the USA to the Netherlands, you will see
some similarities but also differences.
Similarities:

Choosing a healthy diet

Focusing on variety
The Netherlands has the disk of 5 to make sure there is enough variety and the
Americans try to focus on the variety of nutrient densities and amounts.

They both want the population not to eat too much of added sugars

Choose foods within all the groups of food

Try to reach a wide audience

Try to reduce the chronic diseases caused by diets

Differences:

The American government is aiming on not eating too much calories, while the
Dutch government wants to have a variety-rich food pattern.

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The American government also wants the population to be active, but in the
dietary guidelines of the Netherlands it almost says nothing about being fit and
active.

The dietary guidelines of the Netherlands is very precise in saying how much
you need to eat on a daily or weekly basis. The American dietary guidelines isnt
as detailed as the Dutch guidelines.
There are a lot of similarities, because the guidelines are made for a healthy diet. All
the similarities are about choosing a healthy food pattern, which are very likely to be
in the guidelines. However, the most important similarity is to reduce the risk of
chronic diseases caused by diets. Over 50% of the deaths are caused by chronic
diseases which were caused by choosing unhealthy food. It is really important that this
amount will be reduced, so that is why this is present in both of the guidelines.
The differences are mainly because there are a lot of Americans with overweight
compared to the Netherlands. In America 31% which have overweight and in the
Netherlands it is only 10%. The overweight is caused by all the junk food which is very
popular in America. So this is why the American government is emphasizing on the
calories and fitness.

Advise
My dietary advise is to eat smart while enjoying your meal. This includes eating a
balanced diet with all the nutrients balanced and variation. Also eat the right amount
of food, so dont eat too much.
The amount of food which is needed depends upon different factors, namely the
gender, age, body size and physical activities. So the amount of food which is needed
is different for everybody.
A balanced diet consists of all the nutrients. There are six nutrients in total:

Proteins

Carbohydrates

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Fats

Water

Minerals

Vitamins

You need to get the right amount of proteins, because it is essential for your body as it
contributes to the growth and repair of your body. Proteins can be found in fish, meat
and eggs.
Carbohydrates are an important factor for your body as is contains glucose, sugar and
starch. These products provide fuel. So potatoes and bread are good examples of
carbohydrates.
Furthermore, you need to get a certain amount of fats. But do know it isnt acceptable
to get too much fat, because your body will store the exceeded fats and this can be
seen as a thick layer of skin. Fat is mainly found in oil, crisps and butter.
Water makes up 70% of your body and is therefore essential for your body. It has an
important role as it transports substances through your body. So to get enough water
you can drink water, but fruit like cucumber or watermelon also contain a high amount
of water.
Minerals are often eaten too much. You dont need much salt, but it is essential for
your bones to be strong and providing protection. A lot of minerals are found in nuts
and fish.
And lastly, is healthy to eat around 250 grams of vegetables and to eat 2 pieces of
fruit a day. This will be included in vitamins. And vitamins are mostly found in fruits
and vegetables.
On the right is a small table on which you can
roughly calculate your calorie intake. When
you eat and more than you need, a part of the
food is stored in your body, mostly as fat.
When you eat and drink too less than what
you actually need, your body weight will
decrease, because it doesnt have something
to store.
So my advise is to eat all the nutrients in the
right amounts within your maximum calorie
intake. My advise is based on the information
given above. Ive used the book and
www.healthaliciousness.com to get the information where I supported my dietary
advise with.

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DIETARY GUIDELINES SWEDEN

Dietary Guidelines
The Swedish dietary guidelines entitled Find
your way to eat greener, not too much and to be
active!.
The main aim is to encourage consumers to eat
less meat and meat products and more plant-
foods including whole grains, vegetables and
fruit, as well as healthy oils and some fish to
decrease the risk of common chronic diseases in
Sweden, especially cardiovascular disease,
overweight/obesity, type 2 diabetes and certain
types of cancer.
Sweden uses a simple and clear graph with three
key messages in a traffic light colours.

Green: eat more vegetables, fruit, berries,

fish, shellfish, nuts, seeds, exercise.

Amber: switch to whole grains, healthy fats and low-fat dairy products.

Red: eat less red and processed meat, salt, sugar and alcohol.

The guidelines for Swedes:

Eat more vegetables and fruits

Eat more seafood

Exercise more

Choose wholegrain

Switch to healthier fats

Eat less red/processed meat

Minimize your salt and sugar intake

Maintain a balance in eating

The Swedish National Food Agency made the dietary guidelines for Sweden. They used
the Nordic Nutritional Recommendations (NNR 2012) for this. An extensive research
was done, considering the effects on the environment and the human body. The report
is written by the Livsmedelsverket (the national food agency).

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Comparison
The dietary guidelines of Sweden and the Netherlands have a few similarities, but are
quite different.
Similarities:

Eat more vegetables

Cut down red meat

Eat wholegrain products

However, there are still some differences present:

In the disk of 5 is no exercise included, while the Swedes did include it in their
traffic light.

In Sweden they want to you to switch to healthy fats, however in the

Netherlands they only include a handful of unsalted nuts and dairy.

In the disk of 5 are drinks included, this isnt so in the Swedish traffic light,
except for alcohol. Even though there isnt a focus on drinks in the traffic light,
you can find the recommendations in the report of the National Food Agency.

The Swedish government advises you what food to eat less, like salt, sugar and
alcohol, which the Dutch government doesnt.
I think these differences are caused by different factors. One is how much the county
is focused on the environment, and the other is what advice already is available. If a
country is concerned about their environment they will recommend you to eat less
animal products and more plant-based foods. In the Netherlands they still advise you
to eat lots of dairy products, while in Sweden the recommendation of diary is not as
present.

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Dietary advise
I think its very important to focus on nutrition dense foods, and foods out of nature. I
also think its important to maintain a balance and indulge from time to time.
The dietary guideline I agree with and would advise to people, is the voedselzandloper.

The voedselzandloper is made by Kris Verburgh, a medical-researcher and writer.

This diagram is very extensive and gives you a very clear advice of what to eat, and
with what to replace unhealthy foods. If you compare the voedselzandloper with the
Swedish traffic lights you can see they are quite alike.
I read the book about the voedselzandloper and thats how I got my information and
my own agreement with this dietary guideline.

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SOURCES
www.voedingscentrum.nl

www.nhmrc.gov.au/guidelines-publications/n55

health.gov/dietaryguidelines

www.livsmedelsverket.se/en/food-habits-health-and-environment/dietary-
guidelines#

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www.marineconservation.org.au/pages/sustainable-seafood.html

www.healthaliciousness.com

www.voedselzandloper.com/

www.fao.org/3/a-az907e.pdf

www.webmd.com/diet/features/6-reasons-to-drink-water

whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=dailytip&dbid=127

www.facebook.com/stunningfacts

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