Can a single set of FBDGs address the needs of the diverse South African population?
The editorial1 suggests that a more practical approach to dealing with the diverse South African population, where under- and over-nutrition coexist, might be to have two sets of dietary guidelines. The SA FBDGs Work Group considered this option very carefully, but decided that, on balance, it would be better to have one set of dietary guidelines. Apart from the potential social or ethnic segregation that can be implied by having different sets of nutrition messages, one also needs to consider the element of confusion that could result should an individual be exposed to both sets of information (as may happen with migration or urbanisation). The proposal for separate FBDGs for the under- and over- nourished also ignores the evidence that many South Africans are faced with the coexistence of under- and over-nutrition within the same household and even in the same person.4 Which set of guidelines would an obese person with anaemia receive, or a household with a stunted child and an overw
