The Planetary Health Diet in contrast to the food-based dietary guidelines of the German Nutrition Society (DGE)

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A DGE statement

Introduction

The topic of “health-promoting and sustainable nutrition” has been on the agenda of various international institutions for several years now [1–5]. The EAT-Lancet-Commission Report, which was drawn up by international experts, is the first report to specify a universal reference diet (the Planetary Health Diet) that includes recommended food quantities for a health-promoting diet. This diet is intended to provide for a future world population of 10 billion people in 2050 whilst staying within the ecological limits of the Earth (planetary boundaries) and it is intended to prevent about 11 million premature deaths per year worldwide [6, 7].

The authors explain that current global food production is affecting the stability of the climate and the resilience of ecosystems, and that food production is threatening to exceed planetary boundaries. In addition, diet-related diseases currently constitute a major burden on society. The global recommendations of the Planetary Health Diet state that the diet should be adjusted in terms of food quantities and food choices to suit the eating cultures of individual countries. The local resources that are available, such as grazing land, water supplies and precipitation, are to be taken into account when making these adjustments [6, 7]. ...

Abstract

The Planetary Health Diet was developed as a global concept for a health-promoting diet that stays within planetary boundaries. It received a great deal of attention when it was published. However, the methods used to derive the Planetary Health Diet, its statements, and its feasibility in terms of practical implementation nevertheless need to be evaluated through scientific discourse. To this end, this German Nutrition Society statement compares the recommended food quantities of the Planetary Health Diet with the German Nutrition Society’s food-based dietary guidelines and with data on actual food intakes in Germany. The results show that there is broad agreement between the Planetary Health Diet and the German Nutrition Society’s recommendations as they are both plant-based diets. The main differences are in the recommendations for milk and dairy products. The practical implementation of the Planetary Health Diet requires that regional conditions are taken into account as an additional step. The German Nutrition Society’s recommendations already consider regional conditions. The nutritional reality in Germany sharply contrasts with both recommendations.

Keywords: Food-Based Dietary Guidelines, Planetary Health Diet, sustainability, food intake, Germany

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