The Danish Fitness and Nutrition Council has evaluated the basis for recommending strategies to p... more The Danish Fitness and Nutrition Council has evaluated the basis for recommending strategies to prevent obesity among children and adolescents. There is limited evidence of a preventive effect from large population based interventions. It is possible, though, to change to a healthier lifestyle. Currently, many different Administrations conduct interventions against obesity, and it is suggested that an independent authority should be established whose primary aim is to reduce the prevalence of obesity and which will be responsible for the effort against obesity.
Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, 2000
ABSTRACT. Functional foods are a challenge to food health policies, since they question central i... more ABSTRACT. Functional foods are a challenge to food health policies, since they question central ideas in the way that food health policies have been developed over the last decades. Driven by market actors instead of public authorities and focusing on the role of single foods and ...
The concept of victim blaming appears in critical discussions of public health but it also has re... more The concept of victim blaming appears in critical discussions of public health but it also has relevance in other political areas. In public debate in Denmark consumers are blamed for the decline in the quality of foods found on the Danish market, because they are seen as exclusively oriented towards cheap food and not interested in good quality fare. This paper addresses the way in which consumers relate to the issue of food quality in their everyday lives. Using a qualitative interview study, it asks how consumers view the foods they find on the Danish market and how they try to ensure that they get foods of the quality they prefer. Consumer conceptualizations of food quality not only related to the consumer's personal world, or individual well-being, but readily included broader societal concerns. Most consumers, however, reported that they were unable to buy food of the quality they wanted and saw the food they did buy as a compromise between their own demands, the pressures of everyday life and the inscrutabilities of the food market. Interviews with a small sample of individuals from the food industry and retail sector contrasted with the reports of consumers. These individuals viewed consumers as either conservative or unpredictable, although they also thought consumers focused on cheap foods. Producers and retailers displayed conflicting understandings of what caused the decline in food quality, and described barriers to product development and improved quality of foods. In Denmark food quality is an important issue in the wider public debate on the future of Danish export income, as this income depends largely on food and agricultural products. A recent change in government policies on the food sector, following the latest election, suggests that in the future consumers will continue to be blamed for any decline in food quality on the Danish market.
The paper reviews psychological and social scientific research on lay attitudes to food risks. Ma... more The paper reviews psychological and social scientific research on lay attitudes to food risks. Many experts (scientists, food producers and public health advisors) regard public unease about food risks as excessive. This expert-lay discrepancy is often attributed to a ‘knowledge deficit’ among lay people. However, much research in psychology and sociology suggests that lay risk assessments are complex, situationally sensitive expressions of personal value systems. The paper is organised around four themes: risk perception, the communication of risk, lay handling of risk, and public trust in institutions and experts. It suggests that an interdisciplinary, contextualised and psychologically sound approach to the study of risk is needed.
The authors analyzed the influence of acculturation on parental attitudes to, and use of, differe... more The authors analyzed the influence of acculturation on parental attitudes to, and use of, different sources of health advice about young children's food in Denmark. Using combined ethnic position of the children's parents as a proxy for household acculturation, the authors conducted a postal survey of 2,511 households with young children (6 months to 3.5 years) occupying ethnic minority, ethnic majority, or ethnic mixed position. The analysis showed that the use of advice differed in the 3 groups. Households with ethnic minority status were more likely to use the child's grandparents, general practitioners, and hospital staff as information sources, while households with ethnic majority status were more likely to use mothers' peer groups and written material. In all types of household municipal public health nurses were relied on as a source of advice on young children's food, but households with ethnic minority status were more likely to find the advice obtained...
Health inequality between ethnic groups is expressed in differences in the prevalence of diet rel... more Health inequality between ethnic groups is expressed in differences in the prevalence of diet related diseases. The aim of the study was to investigate and compare barriers toward eating healthier among ethnic majority and minority parents in Denmark. A postal survey was carried out among 2511 parents with either Danish or non-western ethnic minority descendant background, investigating barriers on cultural, structural, social, individual, and practical levels. The results showed that compared with parents of Danish origin, ethnic minority parents were more likely to evaluate their own diets negatively (OR 3.0, CI 1.7-5.3), and to evaluate their children's diets negatively (OR 4.6, CI 2.5-8.4). In addition, ethnic minority parents to a higher degree experienced barriers to eating healthier than Danish parents did. Most salient was ethnic minority parents' expression of a lack of control over their own food intake and the food given to their children in everyday life. Such a lack of control was identified on practical, social, structural and individual levels. Young age of the parents was found to explain some of the differences between ethnic groups. It is concluded that dietary interventions directed at parents of small children should address not only cultural background but also barriers operating on practical, social, structural, and individual levels, as some of these influence ethnic minorities and the majority population differently. Further exploration of the importance of young age and the interplay between structural and cultural factors in the lives of ethnic minority families is needed.
The desire to achieve a normal, culturally acceptable body is often seen as the main driver of fo... more The desire to achieve a normal, culturally acceptable body is often seen as the main driver of food-consumption practices adopted by individuals who are concerned about their body weight. In social research into weight management self-control is therefore often a central theme. Turning the focus towards practices and values related to food shopping, this study adds to our understanding of central features in perceptions of normality among people with weight concerns. In a qualitative study 25 people who participated in a dietary intervention trial in Denmark were interviewed and five people were observed. The study shows that the aim of achieving a normal body does not eclipse the importance of enacting values linked to ideas of the 'normal consumer'. Using empirical examples, the study illuminates how consumer freedom is attained in ways that are both complementary to, and in conflict with, practices and experiences of controlling food intake. The paper suggests that freedom and control are composite and complementary ideals of normality for people with weight concerns. On the basis of this insight, the authors discuss the contribution the paper makes to existing studies of weight management and food consumption.
In Western societies scientists are increasingly expected to seek media exposure and cooperate wi... more In Western societies scientists are increasingly expected to seek media exposure and cooperate with industry. Little attention has been given to the way such expectations affect the role of scientific experts in society. To investigate scientists’ own perspectives on these issues eight exploratory, in-depth interviews were conducted in Denmark with reputable nutrition scientists. Additionally, eight interviews were held with ‘key
Abstract In the new European food policy following the BSE crisis, the consumer is called upon to... more Abstract In the new European food policy following the BSE crisis, the consumer is called upon to take an active and responsible role. But in the political and organizational restructuring processes following the European Union policy, diverse constructions of the food consumer can be ...
The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 2013
ABSTRACT The ‘average consumer’ is referred to as a standard in regulatory contexts when attempts... more ABSTRACT The ‘average consumer’ is referred to as a standard in regulatory contexts when attempts are made to benchmark how consumers are expected to reason while decoding food labels. An attempt is made to operationalize this hypothetical ‘average consumer’ by proposing a tool for measuring the level of informedness of an individual consumer against the national median at any time. Informedness, i.e. the individual consumer's ability to interpret correctly the meaning of the words and signs on a food label is isolated as one essential dimension for dividing consumers into three groups: less-informed, informed, and highly informed consumers. Consumer informedness is assessed using a 60-question test related to information found on a variety of Danish everyday food products and divided into factual questions and informedness about signpost labels. A test was made with 407 respondents who participated in four independent studies on fairness in consumer communication, and the average score for all was 57.6% of correct answers. A score of 64% and beyond would place a consumer in the upper quartile (the group of highly informed consumers), whereas a score of 52% or below would place the individual in the lower quartile (the group of less-informed consumers). Female respondents performed better than males on label recognition, and those around 40 years of age irrespective of gender performed best on factual knowledge, whereas those aged around 30 performed best on label recognition. It is foreseen that independent future studies of consumer behavior and decision making in relation to food products in different contexts could benefit from this type of benchmarking tool.
... Tange Kristensen a & Lotte Holm b pages 151-173. ... In the afternoon you have ha... more ... Tange Kristensen a & Lotte Holm b pages 151-173. ... In the afternoon you have had half a piece of rye bread and a piece of coarse white bread and in the evening you have something once again … This is when everything runs well. You don't get too hungry before eating again. ...
The Danish Fitness and Nutrition Council has evaluated the basis for recommending strategies to p... more The Danish Fitness and Nutrition Council has evaluated the basis for recommending strategies to prevent obesity among children and adolescents. There is limited evidence of a preventive effect from large population based interventions. It is possible, though, to change to a healthier lifestyle. Currently, many different Administrations conduct interventions against obesity, and it is suggested that an independent authority should be established whose primary aim is to reduce the prevalence of obesity and which will be responsible for the effort against obesity.
Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, 2000
ABSTRACT. Functional foods are a challenge to food health policies, since they question central i... more ABSTRACT. Functional foods are a challenge to food health policies, since they question central ideas in the way that food health policies have been developed over the last decades. Driven by market actors instead of public authorities and focusing on the role of single foods and ...
The concept of victim blaming appears in critical discussions of public health but it also has re... more The concept of victim blaming appears in critical discussions of public health but it also has relevance in other political areas. In public debate in Denmark consumers are blamed for the decline in the quality of foods found on the Danish market, because they are seen as exclusively oriented towards cheap food and not interested in good quality fare. This paper addresses the way in which consumers relate to the issue of food quality in their everyday lives. Using a qualitative interview study, it asks how consumers view the foods they find on the Danish market and how they try to ensure that they get foods of the quality they prefer. Consumer conceptualizations of food quality not only related to the consumer's personal world, or individual well-being, but readily included broader societal concerns. Most consumers, however, reported that they were unable to buy food of the quality they wanted and saw the food they did buy as a compromise between their own demands, the pressures of everyday life and the inscrutabilities of the food market. Interviews with a small sample of individuals from the food industry and retail sector contrasted with the reports of consumers. These individuals viewed consumers as either conservative or unpredictable, although they also thought consumers focused on cheap foods. Producers and retailers displayed conflicting understandings of what caused the decline in food quality, and described barriers to product development and improved quality of foods. In Denmark food quality is an important issue in the wider public debate on the future of Danish export income, as this income depends largely on food and agricultural products. A recent change in government policies on the food sector, following the latest election, suggests that in the future consumers will continue to be blamed for any decline in food quality on the Danish market.
The paper reviews psychological and social scientific research on lay attitudes to food risks. Ma... more The paper reviews psychological and social scientific research on lay attitudes to food risks. Many experts (scientists, food producers and public health advisors) regard public unease about food risks as excessive. This expert-lay discrepancy is often attributed to a ‘knowledge deficit’ among lay people. However, much research in psychology and sociology suggests that lay risk assessments are complex, situationally sensitive expressions of personal value systems. The paper is organised around four themes: risk perception, the communication of risk, lay handling of risk, and public trust in institutions and experts. It suggests that an interdisciplinary, contextualised and psychologically sound approach to the study of risk is needed.
The authors analyzed the influence of acculturation on parental attitudes to, and use of, differe... more The authors analyzed the influence of acculturation on parental attitudes to, and use of, different sources of health advice about young children's food in Denmark. Using combined ethnic position of the children's parents as a proxy for household acculturation, the authors conducted a postal survey of 2,511 households with young children (6 months to 3.5 years) occupying ethnic minority, ethnic majority, or ethnic mixed position. The analysis showed that the use of advice differed in the 3 groups. Households with ethnic minority status were more likely to use the child's grandparents, general practitioners, and hospital staff as information sources, while households with ethnic majority status were more likely to use mothers' peer groups and written material. In all types of household municipal public health nurses were relied on as a source of advice on young children's food, but households with ethnic minority status were more likely to find the advice obtained...
Health inequality between ethnic groups is expressed in differences in the prevalence of diet rel... more Health inequality between ethnic groups is expressed in differences in the prevalence of diet related diseases. The aim of the study was to investigate and compare barriers toward eating healthier among ethnic majority and minority parents in Denmark. A postal survey was carried out among 2511 parents with either Danish or non-western ethnic minority descendant background, investigating barriers on cultural, structural, social, individual, and practical levels. The results showed that compared with parents of Danish origin, ethnic minority parents were more likely to evaluate their own diets negatively (OR 3.0, CI 1.7-5.3), and to evaluate their children's diets negatively (OR 4.6, CI 2.5-8.4). In addition, ethnic minority parents to a higher degree experienced barriers to eating healthier than Danish parents did. Most salient was ethnic minority parents' expression of a lack of control over their own food intake and the food given to their children in everyday life. Such a lack of control was identified on practical, social, structural and individual levels. Young age of the parents was found to explain some of the differences between ethnic groups. It is concluded that dietary interventions directed at parents of small children should address not only cultural background but also barriers operating on practical, social, structural, and individual levels, as some of these influence ethnic minorities and the majority population differently. Further exploration of the importance of young age and the interplay between structural and cultural factors in the lives of ethnic minority families is needed.
The desire to achieve a normal, culturally acceptable body is often seen as the main driver of fo... more The desire to achieve a normal, culturally acceptable body is often seen as the main driver of food-consumption practices adopted by individuals who are concerned about their body weight. In social research into weight management self-control is therefore often a central theme. Turning the focus towards practices and values related to food shopping, this study adds to our understanding of central features in perceptions of normality among people with weight concerns. In a qualitative study 25 people who participated in a dietary intervention trial in Denmark were interviewed and five people were observed. The study shows that the aim of achieving a normal body does not eclipse the importance of enacting values linked to ideas of the 'normal consumer'. Using empirical examples, the study illuminates how consumer freedom is attained in ways that are both complementary to, and in conflict with, practices and experiences of controlling food intake. The paper suggests that freedom and control are composite and complementary ideals of normality for people with weight concerns. On the basis of this insight, the authors discuss the contribution the paper makes to existing studies of weight management and food consumption.
In Western societies scientists are increasingly expected to seek media exposure and cooperate wi... more In Western societies scientists are increasingly expected to seek media exposure and cooperate with industry. Little attention has been given to the way such expectations affect the role of scientific experts in society. To investigate scientists’ own perspectives on these issues eight exploratory, in-depth interviews were conducted in Denmark with reputable nutrition scientists. Additionally, eight interviews were held with ‘key
Abstract In the new European food policy following the BSE crisis, the consumer is called upon to... more Abstract In the new European food policy following the BSE crisis, the consumer is called upon to take an active and responsible role. But in the political and organizational restructuring processes following the European Union policy, diverse constructions of the food consumer can be ...
The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 2013
ABSTRACT The ‘average consumer’ is referred to as a standard in regulatory contexts when attempts... more ABSTRACT The ‘average consumer’ is referred to as a standard in regulatory contexts when attempts are made to benchmark how consumers are expected to reason while decoding food labels. An attempt is made to operationalize this hypothetical ‘average consumer’ by proposing a tool for measuring the level of informedness of an individual consumer against the national median at any time. Informedness, i.e. the individual consumer's ability to interpret correctly the meaning of the words and signs on a food label is isolated as one essential dimension for dividing consumers into three groups: less-informed, informed, and highly informed consumers. Consumer informedness is assessed using a 60-question test related to information found on a variety of Danish everyday food products and divided into factual questions and informedness about signpost labels. A test was made with 407 respondents who participated in four independent studies on fairness in consumer communication, and the average score for all was 57.6% of correct answers. A score of 64% and beyond would place a consumer in the upper quartile (the group of highly informed consumers), whereas a score of 52% or below would place the individual in the lower quartile (the group of less-informed consumers). Female respondents performed better than males on label recognition, and those around 40 years of age irrespective of gender performed best on factual knowledge, whereas those aged around 30 performed best on label recognition. It is foreseen that independent future studies of consumer behavior and decision making in relation to food products in different contexts could benefit from this type of benchmarking tool.
... Tange Kristensen a & Lotte Holm b pages 151-173. ... In the afternoon you have ha... more ... Tange Kristensen a & Lotte Holm b pages 151-173. ... In the afternoon you have had half a piece of rye bread and a piece of coarse white bread and in the evening you have something once again … This is when everything runs well. You don't get too hungry before eating again. ...
Uploads
Papers by Lotte Holm