Eating Patterns, Diet Quality, and Energy Balance

<p>NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: <br/>Nutrient and energy intake are a function of what is eaten, the volume ingested and how often eating occurs. This has prompted the study of eating patterns by those interested in food-diet-health interactions. Eating patterns are defined variously. Different studies have focused on A) nutrient, food or food group intake; B) portion size or C) eating timing (e.g., time of day, relative activity patterns) or frequency (i.e., the number of eating events in some unit of time such as a day (circadian pattern) or week, month, season or year (infradian patterns). Each approach generates important new information, but there is rarely any integration of the data leaving open important questions. For example, portion size and eating frequency (often used interchangeably with snacking) are both identified as contributors to the obesity problem, but there
is no consensus of which is primary and thus the most promising area for future investment to improve population health. Another example would be the lack of knowledge on the actual patterns of eating and weight gain by individuals. If weight gain is the result of an eating pattern that leads to steady consisted small positive energy balance, this may call for one type of dietary intervention whereas if weight gain stems from an eating pattern that leads to episodic marked positive energy balance (e.g. holiday eating that is not fully compensated), this would call for a different intervention strategy. Additionally, it must be recognized that eating patterns are often reflections of one's culture and circumstances and, as a result, they are susceptible to change with uncertain health implications. Examples of external influencers are changes of domiciliary, work shift, stress or
sleep patterns. This application seeks funds to support an international conference designed to bring together experts from the many facets of eating patterns with the plan to: A) Better integrate existing knowledge B) Identify key areas of needed future research C) Highlight promising approaches that may be taken by the food industry as well as health care providers to translate current and emerging knowledge to improve the health of individuals and the population.
<p>APPROACH: <br/>The Program Seven sessions are proposed and will address the following topics: 1) Plenary lecture - There is a wide variety of eating patterns globally. Each has evolved in concert with the local culture and environment. 2) Eating patterns can be defined by the foods and nutrients consumed. This varies across economic, race/ethnic, culture, gender and age with different health implications. 3) Eating patterns show strong circadian patterns. Marked changes have occurred recently in meal timing and eating frequency and this has been associated with various health issues. 4) Infradian eating patterns of varying length (e.g., week, annual, event (holiday)) have been described. Each poses unique health concerns and raises questions about the nature of dietary recommendations required to address them. 5) Eating patterns can result from or be disrupted by various
lifestyle choices and health conditions. Marked modulatory effects of exercise, sleep habits, shift work and eating disorders have been described. 6) Eating patterns evolve from and influence physiological processes. Improved understanding of the interactions between physiological systems (e.g., brain-gut) as well as between environmental and biological systems with respect to eating patterns is required to characterize their implications. 7) Group consensus on promising and needed future research efforts. Perspectives will be provided by experts from the food industry, government and clinical practice. Format: The meeting will begin with a plenary lecture that emphasizes the diversity, nature and importance of eating patterns. This will be followed by a reception and poster session. This is designed to allow all attendees to become acquainted and to set a tone of open and frank
discussion. The next day and a half will be comprised of blocks of 2-5 presentations on specific topics followed by ample time for discussion, to be led by an invited chair from the food industry knowledgeable in the area. The final session will entail presentations by invited representatives from the food industry, government and clinical practice who will summarize the information presented and identify new research directions from their perspectives. To facilitate the discussion and productivity of the last session, the presenters from each session will provide the speakers in the last session a list of the 3-5 key issues in their area that requires the most immediate research attention. This will be provided at least two weeks ahead of the meeting so the speakers in the final session can consider the points identified and incorporate them into their comments. Invited presenters will
be required to submit a manuscript covering the science and perspectives they covered. The manuscripts will be peer-reviewed, edited for consistency and published as the proceedings from the meeting in the journal, Physiology & Behavior. The aim of disseminating the proceedings is to promote research in the area and translation of existing knowledge to practice in the private (e.g., food industry) public (governmental) and clinical health care and food arenas.