Unveiled: The Swiss Government's Advocated Diet for Optimal Health
Switzerland's population, though boasting one of the world's highest life expectancies and overall health, still grapples with 2.2 million cases of non-communicable diseases, a growing trend. The Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) outlined this concern in a press release on April 3rd.
"The Swiss population follows an unbalanced diet," the Office stated bluntly. "They consume excessive sweets, salty and fatty snacks, and insufficient fruits, vegetables, and legumes."
This lifestyle leads to undesirable consequences: around 15% of children and adolescents, and a startling 43% of adults in Switzerland are overweight or obese. Not only does this pose health risks, but it also negatively impacts the environment, with food waste in Switzerland equaling approximately 2.8 million tonnes annually.
In response, the FSVO has devised the 'Swiss Nutrition Strategy 2025-2032'. This strategy focuses on preventing chronic health conditions while advocating for the sustainability of the food system.
Eat Your Vegetables, Skip the Sweets
Many people eat poorly due to a lack of knowledge about a healthy, balanced, and health-boosting nutrition, the FSVO highlighted. Consequently, the government aims to bolster the population's nutritional knowledge, improve the availability of healthy food options, and boost research in the field of nutrition.
To accomplish its goal, the government will focus on four major areas of action:
Knowledge is Power
"Understanding the relationship between nutrition, health, and sustainability enables informed food choices," the FSVO stated, emphasizing their intent to strengthen the nutritional knowledge of children and adults over the coming years. Physical activity promotion is also included in this strategy.
Sugar, Salt, and Fat: Out, Health and Sustainability: In
Children should be shielded from products rich in sugar, salt, and fat. The government intends to achieve this by promoting health and sustainability in schools.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Collaboration between the federal government, cantons, and communities will be strengthened to ensure everyone is working towards the common goal. Switzerland will continue to collaborate with international institutions such as the World Health Organization and the European Food Safety Authority.
Evidence-based Practice
"An effective and current nutrition strategy must be based on scientific foundations," the FSVO asserted. To that end, the government will ramp up its data collection in the areas of nutrition. This effort will involve the menuCH national nutrition survey, which reflects the eating habits of adults and children of all ages.
To implement the strategy, the FSVO will develop an action plan by the end of 2025, complete with "quantifiable measures and objectives" in each of the four areas of action.
What's a Healthy Plate?
The FSVO, in conjunction with the Swiss Society for Nutrition (SSN), has created guidelines addressing this question. Essentially, these rules advocate for fresh food over processed ones, placing emphasis on regional and seasonal products, whole grains, and plant-based protein sources.
The guidelines suggest consuming five portions of varied fruit and vegetables daily, favoring regional and seasonal options. Water remains the most important beverage group, while sugary drinks, sweets, and salty snacks are considered optional in the daily diet.
The food pyramid below illustrates what - and how much - to consume daily:
FSVO
For more information about the official nutritional guidelines, visit: READ HERE
Additional reading: *How the Swiss government wants you to eat*
- The Swiss Nutrition Strategy 2025-2032 aims to prevent chronic health conditions and advocate for the sustainability of the food system, placing a significant emphasis on prioritising nutrition.
- The Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) emphasised the need to boost research in the field of nutrition to improve the population's nutritional knowledge.
- The strategy includes a focus on scalable actions to achieve a healthier environment, such as reducing food waste and minimising the consumption of products rich in sugar, salt, and fat, particularly in schools.
- In the fight against climate change, the Swiss government is working towards collaboration with international institutions such as the World Health Organization and the European Food Safety Authority to promote evidence-based approaches in prioritising nutrition, health-and-wellness, fitness-and-exercise, and environmental-science.
- The FSVO and the Swiss Society for Nutrition (SSN) have jointly created guidelines that illustrate a balanced, health-boosting, and sustainable nutrition plan, including consuming five portions of varied fruit and vegetables daily while emphasising regional and seasonal products, whole grains, and plant-based protein sources.
