Abstract
Obesity is a chronic non-communicable condition. Rates of obesity have
risen globally over the last few decades, like the rates of comorbidities of obesity, such
as the clustering of metabolic risk factors, as seen in the condition diabesity. Given the
high prevalence and widespread nature of these chronic conditions, much effort has
been put towards lifestyle interventions, many of which target weight loss or
prevention of weight gain. Reducing weight and body fat remains a highly effective
treatment for mitigating the adverse health effects of obesity and reducing the risk of
related chronic diseases. There is a burgeoning cache of evidence suggesting that
certain macro and micronutrient intake, and diet composition and patterns may be more
or less effective at preventing diabesity. Several dietary interventions, such as the
Mediterranean diet and DASH diet, have proven to reduce obesity and the risk or
severity of obesity-related conditions such as insulin resistance, diabetes, and metabolic
syndrome. While these dietary patterns have similar elements to those of the
recommendations for general healthy eating, minor adjustments could be made to the
current guidelines to optimize the prevention of diabesity. Alternatively, a secondary
set of dietary information could be developed, specifically addressing dietary
requirements for people living with obesity and diabetes. This chapter will discuss
current dietary and nutritional guidelines, highlight similarities and differences between
countries and resources, and identify discrepancies and agreements between current
guidelines in nutritional epidemiology literature.
Keywords: AI, CDRR, Diabesity, Dietary Guidelines, Dietary Recommendations, DRI, EAR, EFSA, FAO, FBDG, Food, Food Pyramid, IDF, Insulin Resistance, Macronutrients, Metabolic Syndrome, Micronutrients, Obesity, Over-Weight, Planetary Diet, RDA, Sustainable Diet, UL, WHO