Designing optimized food intake patterns for Korean adults using linear programming (I): analysis of data from the 2010~2014 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey / 한국영양학회지

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to design optimized food intake patterns that meet the nutritional recommendations with minimal changes from the current food intake patterns among Korean adults using linear programming. METHODS: Data of a one day 24-hour dietary recall from the 2010~2014 Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey were used to quantify the food items that Korean adults usually consumed. These food items were categorized into seven groups and 24 subgroups. The mean intakes and intake distributions of the food groups and the food subgroups were calculated for eight age (19~29, 30~49, 50~64, and over 65 years old) and gender (male and female) groups. A linear programming model was constructed to minimize the difference between the optimized and mean intakes of the food subgroups while meeting the Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans (KDRIs) for energy and 13 nutrients, and not exceeding the typical quantities of each food subgroup consumed by the respective age and gender groups. RESULTS: The optimized food intake patterns, which were a set of quantities of 24 food subgroups, were obtained mathematically for eight age and gender groups. Overall, major modifications of current diet were required to increase the intake of vegetables and milk/dairy products and decrease the Kimchi intake. The optimized intake of seasonings, including salt, was calculated to be 0 g for all the age and gender groups. CONCLUSION: The optimized food intake patterns designed using linear programming in this study lack feasibility because they suggest a seasoning consumption of 0 g. Modification of intake goal for sodium is needed to obtain optimized food intake patterns with improved feasibility.