Commentary: What is the best way to promote healthy eating?

Recent findings from two pan-European cohorts of older participants are consistent with the view that dietary patterns have a profound effect on mortality risk, even in the eighth decade of life. 1,2 Leaving aside residual doubts about the size of the protective effects of a healthy diet, 3 there is a long-standing question about how best the epidemiological evidence can be converted into dietary change in the population as a whole. Policy options range from market laissez-faire and choice to some controls on food availability and advertising, witness the current campaign on school food provision in the UK and concerns about the global epidemic of obesity. 4 The effect of dietary advice given to healthy adults is an important dimension of the evidence in the debate on dietary change strategies. Sacerdote et al. 5 have contributed substantially in this respect, showing small but significant mean net increases in consumption of fruit and vegetables (0.19 servings/ day), fish (0.24 servings/week), and olive oil (15% increase in persons consuming) and reduction in red meat consumption (0.22 servings/week) 1 year after a 15 min personalized intervention. In addition to these self-reported outcomes, the intervention resulted in significant weight reduction (mean BMI change 0.41 kg/m 2 ) against no change in the control arm of the trial.