individualized diets

Food is an important part of quality of life (QoL) and an unpalatable/unhealthy diet can lead to poor food intake that can become undernutrition and other negative health effects3. From the earliest stages of life we receive an individualized diet from our mothers. Tailor-made for exactly what we need on a given day. That is fortunate because early nutrition can have long-lasting effects into adulthood1. Maybe we should expect a similar approach to the diet we adopt for the rest of our lives. 

One study looking at diabetes found no single diet was adequate to treat all people2. They concluded that diets should be individualized to meet the unique needs of every person2. An assortment of different meal plans can be used to fit specific lifestyles, food preferences, and educational needs of diverse individuals. It is their recommendation that health professionals and dietitians need to push people with diabetes to use tailored meal plans as a part of their self-management2.

The American Dietetic Association (ADA) thinks the QoL and nutritional status of elderly adults can be benefited by individualization 3. The ADA wants assessment and evaluation of the need for nutrition interventions specialized to each “person's medical condition, needs, desires, and rights.” Practitioners need to look at risks vs benefits of therapeutic diets, especially in vulnerable populations. And, including people in decisions about their food can increase the want to eat and improve QoL. It is the ADAs belief that there should be guidance to practitioners on using individualized diets and other nutrition care.

Individual diets improve outcomes and it is my belief we should advocate for them for every health condition. No people are exactly the same and their diets shouldn’t be either. We need the optimal diets for our unique body compositions. 

References

1. Lemaire, M., Le Huërou-Luron, I., & Blat, S. (2018). Effects of infant formula composition on long-term metabolic health. Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, 9(6), 573–589. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2040174417000964

2. Gehling, E. (2001). Medical nutrition therapy: An individualized approach to treating diabetes. Lippincott’s Case Management: Managing the Process of Patient Care, 6(1), 2–9; quiz 10–12.

3. Dorner, B., Friedrich, E. K., Posthauer, M. E., & American Dietetic Association. (2010). Position of the American Dietetic Association: Individualized nutrition approaches for older adults in health care communities. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 110(10), 1549–1553. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2010.08.022