Worldwide, seniors make up the fastest-growing age group which is associated with a gradual loss ... more Worldwide, seniors make up the fastest-growing age group which is associated with a gradual loss of muscle health as well as metabolic health. Previous studies have shown that personalised feedback and advice is more effective than general information in improving health behaviour. The primary focus of the current pilot-study was to demonstrate that personalisation of lifestyle advice improves muscle and metabolic health in a population of active seniors.Therefore, a total of 59 seniors aged 60 years or older with a sedentary lifestyle were recruited. The study was designed as a 9-week single-blind randomised controlled trial. At baseline and end, biological, genetic and socio-psychological measurements were performed. Food intake and compliance were monitored at three moments during the study. The intervention group (n=30) received personalised dietary and lifestyle advice (PA), based on their dietary intake, phenotype and genotype, whereas the control group (n=29) received generic advice (GA) based on the Dutch dietary guidelines.Both groups showed a significantly improved muscle as well as metabolic health. Interestingly, the PA group showed a significantly greater reduction in body fat percentage and hip circumference as compared to the GA group. In terms of dietary intake both groups showed a significant improvement, but only the PA group showed increased plasma vitamin D levels as well as higher EPA and DHA levels. Although protein intake decreased in both groups, plasma levels of several amino acids increased in the PA group, including essential and aromatic amino acids.In conclusion, this study indicates that personalised lifestyle advice results in additional health benefits as well as improved nutritional status in a population of active seniors as compared to general lifestyle advice.Acknowledgements: TNO, Wageningen Universit
Restaurants are characterized by high levels of meat being consumed in this out-of-home setting, ... more Restaurants are characterized by high levels of meat being consumed in this out-of-home setting, while plant-based meat alternatives remain a niche product, thus preserving a high environmental impact of food consumption. We tested whether subtly re-designing the restaurant menu, so that plant-based meat alternatives were perceived as the default to a greater extent, increased consumer selection of plant-based meat alternatives. Consumers' freedom of choice was preserved by leaving all choice options on the menu. An online experiment in The Netherlands showed that consumers choose plant-based meat alternatives more often relative to meat when the plant-based option is framed as the default. In a field experiment in a Dutch restaurant, we found that the amount of ordered plant-based meat alternative dishes increased relative to an equivalent meat dish when implementing a default nudge (bean alternative: from 8.6% to 80.0%; seaweed alternative: from 16.1% to 58.3%). Thus, re-designing the menu in a way that suggests that plant-based meat alternatives are the default, while preserving autonomous decision-making, is a promising route to promote out-of-home adoption of plant-based meat alternatives in restaurants.
Individuals can apply different healthy eating strategies to help them make healthy eating choice... more Individuals can apply different healthy eating strategies to help them make healthy eating choices. Previous research showed that individuals differ in their preferred strategy, but also that a mix of strategies is often applied by a single person across contexts. The current research investigated the extent to which differences within an individual across contexts (i.e., meal moments, social environment and physical environment) predicted openness to healthy eating strategies in addition to personal predictors that differ between individuals (i.e., intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, physical opportunity and social opportunity). A representative sample of the Dutch adult population was recruited (N = 892). The within-individual (contextual) predictors were measured nine times just before a meal moment over a period of three weeks, by means of a smartphone application. The between-individual (personal) predictors were administered with a baseline questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis distinguished three healthy eating strategies: Increasing healthy foods, Limiting unhealthy foods and consuming Light products. A random intercept model, in which within-individual predictors and between-individual predictors were entered successively, showed that context matters for openness to all three strategies, but is most important for increasing healthy foods and least important for light products. Individuals are most open to increase healthy foods at dinner as compared to breakfast, whereas the opposite is true for limiting unhealthy foods and consuming light products. Eating at home is beneficial for openness to all three strategies and eating with others positively influences openness to increase healthy foods but has no effect on the other strategies. Insights gained from this research increase our understanding of an individual's openness to apply healthy eating strategies.
Worldwide, seniors make up the fastest-growing age group which is associated with a gradual loss ... more Worldwide, seniors make up the fastest-growing age group which is associated with a gradual loss of muscle health as well as metabolic health. Previous studies have shown that personalised feedback and advice is more effective than general information in improving health behaviour. The primary focus of the current pilot-study was to demonstrate that personalisation of lifestyle advice improves muscle and metabolic health in a population of active seniors.Therefore, a total of 59 seniors aged 60 years or older with a sedentary lifestyle were recruited. The study was designed as a 9-week single-blind randomised controlled trial. At baseline and end, biological, genetic and socio-psychological measurements were performed. Food intake and compliance were monitored at three moments during the study. The intervention group (n=30) received personalised dietary and lifestyle advice (PA), based on their dietary intake, phenotype and genotype, whereas the control group (n=29) received generic advice (GA) based on the Dutch dietary guidelines.Both groups showed a significantly improved muscle as well as metabolic health. Interestingly, the PA group showed a significantly greater reduction in body fat percentage and hip circumference as compared to the GA group. In terms of dietary intake both groups showed a significant improvement, but only the PA group showed increased plasma vitamin D levels as well as higher EPA and DHA levels. Although protein intake decreased in both groups, plasma levels of several amino acids increased in the PA group, including essential and aromatic amino acids.In conclusion, this study indicates that personalised lifestyle advice results in additional health benefits as well as improved nutritional status in a population of active seniors as compared to general lifestyle advice.Acknowledgements: TNO, Wageningen Universit
Restaurants are characterized by high levels of meat being consumed in this out-of-home setting, ... more Restaurants are characterized by high levels of meat being consumed in this out-of-home setting, while plant-based meat alternatives remain a niche product, thus preserving a high environmental impact of food consumption. We tested whether subtly re-designing the restaurant menu, so that plant-based meat alternatives were perceived as the default to a greater extent, increased consumer selection of plant-based meat alternatives. Consumers' freedom of choice was preserved by leaving all choice options on the menu. An online experiment in The Netherlands showed that consumers choose plant-based meat alternatives more often relative to meat when the plant-based option is framed as the default. In a field experiment in a Dutch restaurant, we found that the amount of ordered plant-based meat alternative dishes increased relative to an equivalent meat dish when implementing a default nudge (bean alternative: from 8.6% to 80.0%; seaweed alternative: from 16.1% to 58.3%). Thus, re-designing the menu in a way that suggests that plant-based meat alternatives are the default, while preserving autonomous decision-making, is a promising route to promote out-of-home adoption of plant-based meat alternatives in restaurants.
Individuals can apply different healthy eating strategies to help them make healthy eating choice... more Individuals can apply different healthy eating strategies to help them make healthy eating choices. Previous research showed that individuals differ in their preferred strategy, but also that a mix of strategies is often applied by a single person across contexts. The current research investigated the extent to which differences within an individual across contexts (i.e., meal moments, social environment and physical environment) predicted openness to healthy eating strategies in addition to personal predictors that differ between individuals (i.e., intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, physical opportunity and social opportunity). A representative sample of the Dutch adult population was recruited (N = 892). The within-individual (contextual) predictors were measured nine times just before a meal moment over a period of three weeks, by means of a smartphone application. The between-individual (personal) predictors were administered with a baseline questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis distinguished three healthy eating strategies: Increasing healthy foods, Limiting unhealthy foods and consuming Light products. A random intercept model, in which within-individual predictors and between-individual predictors were entered successively, showed that context matters for openness to all three strategies, but is most important for increasing healthy foods and least important for light products. Individuals are most open to increase healthy foods at dinner as compared to breakfast, whereas the opposite is true for limiting unhealthy foods and consuming light products. Eating at home is beneficial for openness to all three strategies and eating with others positively influences openness to increase healthy foods but has no effect on the other strategies. Insights gained from this research increase our understanding of an individual's openness to apply healthy eating strategies.
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