Food consumption patterns in the 1960s in seven countries

• Published in: The American journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 49; no. 5; pp. 889 - 894
• Main Authors: Kromhout, D, Keys, A, Aravanis, C, Buzina, R, Fidanza, F, Giampaoli, S, Jansen, A, Menotti, A, Nedeljkovic, S, Pekkarinen, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD Elsevier Inc 01-05-1989; American Society for Clinical Nutrition
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; CONSOMMATION ALIMENTAIRE; CONSUMO DE ALIMENTOS; Diet; Diet Surveys; DIETA; Eating; ENCUESTAS; ENQUETE; ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMERICA; ETATS-UNIS; Feeding Behavior; Finland; FINLANDE; FINLANDIA; GRECE; GRECIA; Greece; HOMBRES; HOMME; Human physiology applied to population studies and life conditions. Human ecophysiology; Humans; ITALIA; ITALIE; Italy; Japan; JAPON; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Netherlands; Nutrition Surveys; Nutritional survey. Food supply and nutritional requirement; PAISES BAJOS; PAUTAS ALIMENTARIAS; PAYS-BAS; REGIME ALIMENTAIRE; TYPE DE REPAS; United States; YOUGOSLAVIE; YUGOSLAVIA; Human; Feeding behavior; Asia; Food intake; United States; Europe; Japan; America; North America; Feeding
• ISSN: 0002-9165; 1938-3207
• DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/49.5.889

At the end of the 1950s the Seven Countries Study was designed to investigate the relations between diet and cardiovascular diseases. Sixteen cohorts were selected in Finland, Greece, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, United States, and Yugoslavia. During the 1960s food consumption data were collected from random samples of these cohorts by use of the record method. In Finland the intake of milk, potatoes, edible fats, and sugar products was very high. A similar but lower intake pattern was observed in The Netherlands. Fruit, meat, and pastry consumption was high in the United States; cereal and alcoholic drink consumption was high in Italy; and bread consumption high in Yugoslavians except for those in Belgrade. In Greece the intake of olive oil and fruit was high and the Japanese cohorts were characterized by a high consumption of fish, rice, and soy products. These differences in food consumption patterns have lessened during the past 25 y.