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SUPPLEMENT
Proceedings of the IUNS 20th Congress of Nutrition
The FINUT Healthy Lifestyles Guide: Beyond
the Food Pyramid
1–3
Angel Gil,
4,7
* Maria Dolores Ruiz-Lopez,
5
Miguel Fernandez-Gonzalez,
7
and Emilio Martinez de Victoria
6
Departments of
4
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II,
5
Nutrition and Food Science, and
6
Physiology, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology,
Center of Biomedical Research, University of Granada, Granada, Spain; and
7
Iberomerican Nutrition Foundation (FINUT), Granada, Spain
ABSTRACT
The WHO has proposed that health be promoted and protected through the development of an environment that enables sustainable actions at
individual, community, national, and global levels. Indeed, food-based dietary guidelines, i.e., food pyramids, have been developed in numerous
countries to disseminate nutritional information to the general population. However, wider recommendations are needed, with information on
an active healthy lifestyle, not just healthy eating. The objective of the present work is to propose a three-dimensional pyramid as a new strategy
for promoting adequate nutrition and active healthy lifestyles in a sustainable way. Indeed, the Iberoamerican Nutrition Foundation (FINUT)
pyramid of healthy lifestyles has been designed as a tetrahedron, with its 3 lateral faces corresponding to the facets of food and nutrition,
physical activity and rest, and education and hygiene. Each lateral face is divided into 2 triangles. These faces show the following: 1) food-based
guidelines and healthy eating habits as related to a sustainable environment; 2) recommendations for rest and physical activity and educational,
social, and cultural issues; and 3) selected hygiene and educational guidelines that, in conjunction with the other 2 faces, would contribute to
better health for people in a sustainable planet. The new FINUT pyramid is addressed to the general population of all ages and should serve as a
guide for living a healthy lifestyle within a defined social and cultural context. It includes an environmental and sustainability dimension
providing measures that should contribute to the prevention of noncommunicable chronic diseases. Adv. Nutr. 5: 358S–367S, 2014.
Introduction
In recent years, the definition of health has been under de-
bate (1). The most commonly quoted definition of health
was published by the WHO in the 1940s: “a complete state
of physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity”(2). At the end of the 20th
century, Saracci (3) included the consideration of human
rights, basic and universal, in the definition of health. In
the present century, Bircher (4) related the term “health”
to age, culture, and personal responsibility. Others consider
the social, emotional, and spiritual wellness of the whole
community in addition to the wellness of the individual (5).
In the Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity, and
Health (6), the WHO has proposed developing an environ-
ment that enables sustainable actions at the individual, com-
munity, national, and global levels to promote and protect
health and to reduce disease and death rates related to un-
healthy diet and physical inactivity. Within this context,
the FAO has established links between agriculture, health,
and the environment and food industries in the document
“Sustainable Diets and Biodiversity”(7). This document in-
cludes the concept of sustainable diets and their contribu-
tion to nutrition security and a healthy life for present and
future generations. In addition, it proposes the double pyramid
of healthy food for people and sustainable food for the planet
andpromotestheMediterraneandietasasustainablefood
model, which preserves both agriculture and health. Moreover,
it also promotes the idea that biodiversity and traditional food
systems can ensure food security in developing countries.
1
Published in a supplement to Advances in Nutrition. Presented at the International Union of
Nutritional Sciences (IUNS) 20th International Congress of Nutrition (ICN) held in Granada,
Spain, September 15–20, 2013. The IUNS and the 20th ICN wish to thank the California
Walnut Commission and Mead Johnson Nutrition for generously providing educational
grants to support the publication and distribution of proceedings from the 20th ICN. The
contents of this supplement are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not
necessarily represent the official views of the IUNS. The supplement coordinators were
Angel Gil, Ibrahim Elmadfa, and Alfredo Martinez. The supplement coordinators had no
conflicts of interest to disclose.
2
This article has been funded by Consejería de Innovacio
´n, Ciencia y Empresa,
Secretaría General de Universidades, Investigacio
´n y Tecnología, Junta de Andalucia,
Spain (grant re. no. 441.49). This is a free access article, distributed under terms
(http://www.nutrition.org/publications/guidelines-and-policies/license/) that permit
unrestricted noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is properly cited.
3
Author disclosures: A. Gil, M. D. Ruiz-Lopez, M. Fernandez-Gonzalez, and E. Martinez de
Victoria, no conflicts of interest.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: agil@ugr.es.
358S ã2014 American Society for Nutrition. Adv. Nutr. 5: 358S–367S, 2014; doi:10.3945/an.113.005637.
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In addition to the WHO Global Recommendations on
Physical activity and Health (8) and the position statement
of the American College of Sports Medicine about fitness in
healthy adults (9), the United Nations Educational, Scientific,
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has emphasized sus-
tainable active living as a way to better integrate sustainable
development with physical education and sport (sustainable
active living) and how they are related to a healthy society (10).
Since 1992, when the International Conference on Nu-
trition established the need for the development of food-
based dietary guidelines as a new strategy to disseminate
nutritional information to the general population, many
countries have developed their own food guidelines. These
guides promote sustainable foods and diversification of the
diet through the production and consumption of foods that
are rich in micronutrients (11–14). Several pictorial represen-
tations, mainly in the form of food pyramids, have been de-
veloped in a number of countries; the first one was proposed
by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of
Sciences (12,13). The European Food Information Council
has reviewed the European food guidelines; most of these
guidelines include recommendations on food consumption
using a “triangle,”usually referred as to “food pyramid,”al-
though others adopted other forms, such as circles mimick-
ing a dish or truly three-dimensional figures (14). On the
basis of the USDA Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory
Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 (15),
the MyPlate pictorial was created; later, the Healthy Eating
Plate was designed by nutrition experts at the Harvard School
of Public Health and editors at Harvard Health Publications
to address deficiencies in the USDA’s MyPlate (16).
Despite the nutritional recommendations and food
guidelines, the pandemic of noncommunicable chronic dis-
eases (NCCDs)
8
continues in both developed and develop-
ing countries (17). Therefore, wider recommendations are
needed, with information on an active healthy lifestyle, not
just on food. Thus, the recently revised Mediterranean pyr-
amid includes some lifestyle recommendations, such as reg-
ular physical activity, eating with others, cooking at home,
etc. (18–20). However, these recommendations do not ap-
pear to be enough to help the citizens worldwide reach an
optimum health status. In addition to appropriate food
guidelines, global health recommendations should promote
physical activity and exercise, personal and food hygiene, ed-
ucation and other aspects associated with a sustainable envi-
ronment, and human rights.
The Iberoamerican Nutrition Foundation (FINUT) is a
nonprofit organization; its trustees are the International
Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS), the Spanish Society
of Nutrition (SEÑ), and the Latin American Federation of
Nutrition Societies (SLAN). In consideration of all of the pre-
viously mentioned factors, FINUT has developed a new three-
dimensional pyramid of food and active healthy lifestyles in a
sustainable environment. The goal is to decrease the burden
of NCCDs around the world and particularly in Latin Amer-
ica, where the double burden of malnutrition and obesity
coexists with chronic diseases. The FINUT proposed this
new pyramid at the recent 21st International Congress of Nu-
trition held in Granada, Spain.
Methods
The pyramid was developed from 2011 to 2013 as the central message of
the exhibition “Nutrition, Source of Life,”which was open to the public at Par-
que de las Ciencias de Granada, Spain, on the occasion of the celebration of
the IUNS 20th International Congress of Nutrition in September 2013.
To develop the FINUT pyramid concept, in addition to the information
obtained through specific PubMed searches as described below, 3 different
focus groups were organized in conjunction with a communication com-
pany (Ogilvy Action, Madrid, Spain) with the participation of people of dif-
ferent ages and socioeconomic status. A mixed scientific committee formed
by members of the Parque de las Ciencias de Granada, 2 community mem-
bers from secondary schools, and 3 full professors from the University of
Granada, Spain (A.G., M.D.R.-L., and E.M.d.V.) were involved in the eval-
uation of focus group results.
At the request of the FINUT, the authors of the present article con-
ducted a literature search and review on the food guidelines and healthy
lifestyles. Reviewers, working independently, were to select, quality as-
sess, and extract relevant data where appropriate and possible. Studies
were restricted to those with human participants only and included pro-
spective studies. We conducted the literature search by using the PubMed
databases for articles cited through September 2013. Searches were con-
ducted by using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) combined with key-
word searches to capture all indexed studies. Bibliographic searches were
also conducted to ensure inclusion of all relevant studies. Initially, we
performed a prospective and qualitative review by using combinations
of the following selected MeSH terms, among others: “diet/standards,”
“environment,”“environmental health,”“exercise,”“feeding behavior,”
“food .habits,”“food guidelines,”“guidelines as topic,”“food pyra-
mid,”“practice guidelines as topic,”“physical fitness,”“public health,”
“sanitation,”“social conditions,”and “social environment.”Later, we
performed a systematic review, and the search strategy retrieved 899 pri-
mary articles. The abstracts were reviewed and studies were included if
they were related to food guidelines and recommendations for healthy
lifestyles. Full-text copies of the articles meeting those criteria were
then screened for their suitability for inclusion, and those meeting the
inclusion criteria were manually cross-referenced. A total of 198 articles
met the initial search criteria.
The following equations for specific searches were used to find and eval-
uate relevant literature related to food pyramid and healthy lifestyles: “Diet
Pyramid”;(“food habits”OR “diet”) AND (“environment”OR “conserva-
tion of natural resources”OR “agriculture”)AND (“guidelines as topic”OR
“practice guidelines as topic”); “diet/standards”AND (“guidelines as topic”
OR “practice guidelines as topic”); “Eating" AND “Pyramid”;(“exercise”)
AND (“environment”) AND (“guidelines as topic”OR “practice guidelines
as topic”); “exercise" OR ”Motor activity" OR “physical fitness" AND “Pyr-
amid”;(“feeding behavior”OR “nutrition policy”OR “food habits”) AND
(“environment”OR “conservation of natural resources”OR “agriculture”)
AND (“guidelines as topic”); “Food Pyramid”;(“hygiene”OR “sanitation”)
AND (“environment”OR “conservation of natural resources”OR “agricul-
ture”) AND (“guidelines as topic”); “hygiene" AND “Pyramid”;(“motor ac-
tivity”) AND (“environment”) AND (“guidelines as topic”OR “practice
guidelines as topic”); and (“physical activity”OR “physical fitness”) AND
(“environment”) AND (“guidelines as topic”OR “practice guidelines as
topic”) . In addition, review bibliographies of books and review articles,
and references from retrieved articles were explored.
On the basis of the title of publication and the abstract identified from the
trial search, irrelevant citations were discarded by the reviewers (A.G., M.D.R.-L.,
and E.M.d.V.). If there was any possibility that the article could be relevant,
the full-text article was retrieved for further assessment. Two reviewers (A.G.
and E.M.d.V.) independently decided which trials met the inclusion criteria.
Any disagreement was resolved by discussion between the reviewers, with
8
Abbreviations used: FINUT, Iberoamerican Nutrition Foundation; IUNS, International Union
of Nutritional Sciences; NCCD, noncommunicable chronic disease.
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referral to a third reviewer (M.D.R.-L.) to adjudicate any persisting
differences.
On the basis of that review, we developed a new three-dimensional life-
style pyramid (The FINUT pyramid) addressed to the general population,
which included selected recommendations on the following 3 main facets
of active healthy lifestyles: 1) food and nutrition, 2) physical exercise and
rest, and 3) education and hygiene. Each of these facets occupies one-half
of the 3 lateral faces of a tetrahedron. The other half of each face is paired
with a number of practices and recommendations to increase environmen-
tal sustainability and to improve the local educational, social, and cultural
surroundings. Hence, each lateral face of the tetrahedron is divided into
2 triangles. The right halves are structured recommendations as follows:
1) food consumption, arranged in ascending order on the basis of relative
intake frequency; 2) adequate patterns of rest, physical activity, and exercise,
also arranged by recommended frequency, with less frequent activities at the
summit; and 3) appropriate measures and patterns of education and hy-
giene. The present FINUT pyramid of active healthy lifestyles has been de-
signed as a simple and intuitive tool so that it does not need any additional
information to be easily interpreted. The base of the FINUT pyramid makes
the claim for healthy lifestyles in a sustainable planet. Citations for all of the
claims included in a pyramid graphic are not feasible in this supplement ar-
ticle. However, to trace the scientific basis of the various claims for the
FINUT pyramid, we have identified the major documents we considered
in building up the evidence base of our pictorial (6–8,15,17,20–24).
Results
Figures 1–3depict the 3 facets corresponding to food and nu-
trition, physical activity and rest, and education and hygiene
that constitute the FINUT pyramid. Figure 4 corresponds to
thebaseofthepyramid,whichmakestheclaimforhealthy
lifestyles for people within the context of a sustainable planet.
Food and nutrition
On this face of the tetrahedron, we show food-based guidelines
and healthy eating habits as related to a sustainable environ-
ment (Fig. 1) (6,15,20–22).
Right half of triangle. In this triangle, guidelines for a var-
ied, balanced, healthy diet, including daily, weekly, and
occasional consumption of foods, are provided. The recom-
mended frequency for intakes of the most important groups
of foods is illustrated in ascending order from the most to
the least frequent. These recommendations are in agreement
with those recently proposed in the Mediterranean diet pyra-
mid (18–20). Water and liquid foods are located at the base,
FIGURE 1 Food and nutrition face of the Iberoamerican Nutrition Foundation (FINUT) pyramid of healthy lifestyles. The images of the
FINUT pyramid were previously registered as a trademark by the FINUT.
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promoting body hydration; 1.5–2 L/d of water is recommen-
ded. Water from different sources, namely tap or spring water,
together with the water in infusions, teas, soups, fruit juices,
and other low-sugar drinks, is represented.
On the next step, cereals and their main derivatives
(bread, pasta, etc.) are shown. This contributes to a signifi-
cant portion of the energy provided by the diet along with
potatoes, which are frequently used in side dishes in the
Mediterranean diet (18–20). From 4 to 6 portions daily of
those foods (1 portion = 60–68 g of pasta or rice or 40–60 g
of bread), with at least one-half of these from whole-grain
cereals, are recommended.
Fruits, vegetables, and related products occupy the next
level. This is a diverse food group, including plant roots, bulbs,
stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits, which are rich in dietary fiber
and micronutrients, as well as bioactive compounds (18–20).
At least 5 portions (1 portion = 150–200 g), with a minimum
of 2 fresh portions, are recommended.
The fourth level contains milk (i.e., low-fat milk) and
dairy products, particularly fermented milks and cheese,
which provide protein of a very high quality, as well as cal-
cium and other minerals and vitamins (15,20); the recom-
mended intake for this type of food is 2–3 portions daily
(1 portion = 200–250 mL of milk, 200–250 g of yogurt, or
80 g of fresh cheese).
At the next level, virgin olive oil, a major food in the
Mediterranean diet (18–20), as well as other healthy unsat-
urated oils, namely rapeseed or colza, including canola, sun-
flower, and soybean oils, are considered as the dietary fat of
preference not only as part of salad dressing but also for food
cooking and frying (15). This group includes olives, which
are also rich in bioactive compounds and fiber. Daily
consumption of 3 to 5 portions (1 portion = 10 mL) is
recommended.
On the sixth level, the consumption of 2–3 portions daily
of protein-rich foods of animal origin (range: 60–150 g), in-
cluding poultry and other white meats, eggs and fish, as well
as plant-based protein-rich foods, namely legumes and nuts,
is recommended (15,18–20). These foods, which provide
not only protein but also many micronutrients and a
FIGURE 2 Physical activity and rest face of the Iberoamerican Nutrition Foundation (FINUT) pyramid of healthy lifestyles. The images
of the FINUT pyramid were previously registered as a trademark by the FINUT.
The FINUT pyramid of healthy lifestyles 361S
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number of PUFAs (22), should be consumed by alternating
them in main dishes during the week. Up to 4 portions of
poultry and white meats (1 portion = 100–125 g), 4 eggs (1
portion = 60–80 g), 2–3 fish portions (1 portion = 125–150 g),
and 2 servings of legumes (1 serving = 60–80 g) per week are
recommended. In addition, 2 portions (1 portion = 20–30 g)
of nuts should be consumed. At the vertex of the triangle, red
meats, high-fat products, sweets, and other sugar-enriched
products are grouped in the “consume occasionally”bracket
(15,16,25–30).
Wine in moderation plays a role in most Mediterranean
countries, and it is widely accepted that ~1 glass/d of red
wine (150–200 mL) might be beneficial mainly due to its
relatively high amounts of polyphenols (20). However,
the consumption of wine by North African and Asiatic
Mediterranean countries is almost negligible. Because the
FINUT pyramid constitutes a global healthy lifestyle guide
and is intended not only for adults but also for teenagers
we did not include the consumption of wine, even in
moderation.
Even though salt has been used for years in the Mediterra-
nean basin for food preservation, namely fish, the Mediter-
ranean diet is intrinsically a relatively low-salt diet (20). In
addition to the relative high consumption of fruits and vege-
tables, the wide use of spices and herbs in the preparation of
meals provides a way to reduce the daily intake of salt.
Left half of triangle. In this portion of the triangle, we tried
to emphasize good food habits and behaviors favoring envi-
ronmental sustainability and healthy living (7,23). The first
pictogram, related to the familiar environment, states the
importance of breastfeeding to sustain healthy growth and
development (6). Other social messages include eating with
others, particularly with family (i.e., conviviality), as well as
cooking at home, which in turn leads to varied and slow eat-
ing with relatively small portions (20)
With the label “sustainable agriculture,”we incorporate a
new focus on food production linked to the environment
and more socially centered on the ecologic sustainability
of the production systems (7). Related to this, avoidance
FIGURE 3 Education and hygiene face of the Iberoamerican Nutrition Foundation (FINUT) pyramid of healthy lifestyles. The images
of the FINUT pyramid were previously registered as a trademark by the FINUT.
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of pesticides for pest control is recommended to maintain
the soil quality and healthy agrosystems. Finally, we empha-
size the need to maintain biodiversity as a world heritage for
present and future generations (7,23).
Agricultural policies are needed to support greater avail-
ability. In addition, food distribution policies to facilitate the
acquisition of fruits and vegetables at lower prices by con-
sumers should be considered (24,31,32). Indeed, fair pay
and eating of local and seasonal products and sustainable ag-
riculture and livestock are recommended (Fig. 1,left side).
Physical activity and rest
On this face of the tetrahedron, we illustrate healthy life-
styles related to rest and physical activity (Fig. 2)(8–10).
Right half of triangle. On this half of the triangle, we in-
clude the recommendations for rest and physical activity,
the latter arranged by their importance in frequency, dura-
tion, and intensity in daily life. On the base of the triangle,
we include the recommendation for sleeping at least 8 h/d,
although this period should be higher in children and lower
with advancing age. A brief daily resting period after lunch is
also recommended (e.g., a “siesta”).
On the second level, 8 h of professional or daily labor ac-
tivities with a brief resting period of at least 30 min are
included. Small intervals for stretching are highly recom-
mended for those activities associated with postural stress,
such as working for hours in front of a computer (see yellow
boxes in Fig. 2).
In the third level, relatively light activities (cooking,
housekeeping, and quietly walking) are considered. Some
daily time for leisure is also recommended (lectures, watch-
ing television, cinema, etc.).
The fourth level is devoted to mild physical activity, such
as walking, and in the next level, moderate to intense phys-
ical activity is recommended, such as rhythmic walking
(6 km/h), dancing, jogging, and other active play. The last
2 levels, close to the vertex of the triangle, are dedicated to
practicing sports, with aerobic sports in the lower level
and anaerobic sports in the upper level. All types of activities
(light, mild, and moderate-intense) should be carried out on
a daily basis, whereas sports should be played on a weekly
basis.
Physical activity should be performed during free time or
during time outside the home, at work, and at home, within
the context of daily familiar and community activities. Rec-
ommendations related to frequency, duration, and intensity
are at least 150 min/wk (ideally, 300 min/wk) of aerobic
moderate physical activity and approximately half of this
value for intense aerobic activities. The former should be
split into 30-min periods of moderate exercise 5 times/wk.
In addition, muscle-strengthening exercises are recommen-
ded at least 2 times/wk.
Left half of triangle. The left half of the triangle includes
all aspects of physical activity and rest related to the environ-
ment and sustainability, as well as educational, social, and
cultural issues (8–10). Thus, to avoid sedentary behavior,
FIGURE 4 Base of the
Iberoamerican Nutrition
Foundation (FINUT) pyramid,
which makes a claim for
healthy lifestyles for people in
a sustainable planet. The
images of the FINUT pyramid
were previously registered as a
trademark by the FINUT.
The FINUT pyramid of healthy lifestyles 363S
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active leisure and transportation, physical activity at school,
and the promotion of active aging populations are recom-
mended. Similarly, social aspects related to physical activity,
such as sportsmanship, and environmental aspects, such as
adaptation and adequate design of outdoor spaces in towns
for the practice of physical activity and sports, are envisioned.
Education and hygiene
On this face of the tetrahedron, we include the hygiene and ed-
ucational habits that should contribute to healthy lifestyles
(Fig. 3) (6,15,17).
Right half of triangle. On this face, we show the most im-
portant aspects related to education and hygiene that, in
conjunction with the other 2 faces, contribute to better
health. Body hygiene is critical to preventing microbial con-
tamination and avoiding infectious diseases. Similarly, keep-
ing a home clean and well ventilated results in a suitable
environment for domestic tasks, including cooking, playing,
and resting, while preventing parasitic infections. An appro-
priate room design will also decrease the incidence of do-
mestic accidents.
Food hygiene and the appropriate handling of foods, par-
ticularly cooking using safe and sustainable foods and non-
contaminated tools as well as refrigerating and freezing raw
foods and meals, allow people to maintain and preserve the
maximum quality of foods, leading to improved food safety
and disease prevention (15). Similarly, personal contribu-
tion to reducing enviromental pollution is important to
avoiding cross-contamination. In addition, the global pro-
tection of children and the commitment to facilitate their
education and to augment their social interaction appear
to be critical in the acquisition of lifestyle habits that
will result in maintaining health. Moreover, road safety and
preventing work accidents are key to minimizing deaths
worldwide. In addition, providing adequate access to safe
drinking water is a key social commitment in the mainte-
nance of health.
Left half of triangle. The left side of the triangle emphasizes
how we should contribute to the sustainability of the envi-
ronment, particularly by the responsible use and consump-
tion of water and energy, including using sustainable means
of transport, as well as maintaining a clean atmosphere by
keeping the emissions of residues to a minimum and facili-
tating the collection and recycling of wastes (7,23).
Discussion
Currently, health cannot be considered only the absence of
disease or the presence of “positive health”as it was estab-
lished by the WHO’s 1948 definition (32). In the 20th cen-
tury, the WHO suggested that health conditions and
contextual factors in the form of personal and environmen-
tal variables interact to influence two distinct components of
health: 1) body functions and structures; and 2) activities
and participation (33). Because an individual’s functioning
and disability occur within specific contexts, the International
Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health also in-
cluded a list of environmental factors (33).
Considering those aspects of health related to healthy
lifestyles in a sustainable environment (6–8,15,17,20–
24,34,35), the FINUT has designed a novel three-dimensional
pyramid, as a tetrahedron, that is addressed to the general
population of all ages to serve as a guide to healthy lifestyles
within a defined social and cultural context and with an en-
vironmental and sustainability dimension.
This guide is novel in that it reaches far beyond the cur-
rent recommendations proposed in the current published
and available guides of healthy lifestyles. Most current guides
deal exclusively with food habits and physical activity, along
with some recommendations related to alcohol abuse and
tobacco consumption (12–14,18–20,36–45).
A three-dimensional, truncated, and staggered healthy
lifestyle pyramid exclusively addressed to children and ado-
lescents has also been developed (46). On this pyramid, 2
faces are formulated around achieving daily food intake
(face 1) and daily activities (face 2). The third face is an ad-
aptation of the traditional food guide pyramid, adapted to
children’s energy, nutritional, and hydration needs; and
the fourth face addresses both daily and life-long habits.
However, this pyramid does not include any aspect related
to interactions between the environment and food habits,
physical activity, and education and hygiene.
The most recent Mediterranean pyramid is a food guide
represented as a triangle. Its recommendations include basic
information on active living. It mentions social aspects related
to conviviality and cultural and environmental aspects, such
as home and traditional cooking using local and seasonal pro-
ducts and agricultural sustainability (18–20). However, the
guide does not consider any specific recommendations for
physical activity and rest or other aspects related to health,
namely educational and hygiene aspects, and their interac-
tion with the environment.
One of the most important differences in the present
FINUT healthy lifestyles pyramid is that in each of the 3 faces
related to health, we devote 1 area to aspects related to fre-
quency of consumption of different foods (Fig. 1), patterns
of physical activity and rest (Fig. 2), and individual and com-
munity commitments and behaviors related to hygiene in a
larger sense (Fig. 3). We devote another area to social, cul-
tural, and environmental aspects as they relate to sustainable
development within each of the 3 pyramid faces (Figs. 1–3).
On the face dedicated to food and nutrition, we have used
the Mediterranean diet pattern with minimal differences,
which has been repeatedly reported both in epidemiologic
and intervention studies to have a role in the prevention
of NCCDs with high mortality and morbidity, namely cardi-
ovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and depression (47–51).
A number of authoritative reviews provided evidence that
consumption of red meat, due to its high content of satu-
rated fat, should be limited (25–30). Hence, in this context
we adopted a similar recommendation to that of the Har-
vard School of Public Health’s Healthy Eating Plate and pyr-
amid for Americans (16).
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For the food and nutrition face, we emphasized the im-
portance of breastfeeding not only to support adequate
growth and development of infants but also to prevent
NCCDs later in life. In fact, current scientific evidence re-
lated to early programming suggests that exclusive breast-
feeding during the first months of life contributes to the
prevention of obesity and associated chronic diseases (52).
Many countries have included the promotion of breastfeed-
ing in their nutritional goals because of its preventative as-
pects. In some of these countries, the average duration of
breastfeeding has decreased to <2 mo in recent decades,
which is much shorter than the WHO and UNICEF recom-
mendations to maintain exclusive breastfeeding for at least
the first 6 mo of life (52).
Similar to the Mediterranean diet pyramid, we recom-
mend the consumption of seasonal and local products. Local
food systems should not be designed to completely isolate
themselves from trade but rather aim to adapt local food
production and markets to suit the environmental and
health priorities of a community (24). Eating locally con-
tributes to the utilization and preservation of species and
varieties, which has a clear impact on biodiversity (7), de-
creases CO
2
emissions, and improves the price of basic
foods, promoting a fair market. Current research indicates
that local food systems may offer social, environmental,
and health benefits, although the links between use of local
food systems and better eating habits and reductions
in chronic diseases need to be more clearly established
(7,24,31,32). We also recommend regulating food produc-
tion, monitoring food quality and safety, and responding
to nutritional and safety issues that arise through sustainable
agriculture and the protection of biodiversity, as emphasized
by the present FINUT pyramid (7,15).
With regard to the physical activity and rest face, our goal
was to illustrate a daily or weekly routine, providing easy
recommendations in terms of the frequency, duration, in-
tensity, type, and total amount of physical activity needed
to prevent NCCDs (8–10,34). Similarly, we emphasize how
important it is to promote an appropriate environment for
physical activity in all ages, especially at schools and for the
elderly, creating spaces, particularly in urban areas, for exer-
cising and sports. It is well known that physical inactivity is
the fourth risk factor for mortality in the world. It consider-
ably influences the prevalence of NCCDs and the health of the
general population, and international recommendations on
physical activity have been developed to prevent NCCDs
(6). In addition, inadequate sleep and rest are associated
with obesity and other chronic diseases (53). Hence, the FI-
NUT pyramid can serve as a useful tool to promote physical
activity and good resting habits, contributing to the preven-
tion of NCCDs.
Body hygiene and food safety are essential factors in
maintaining good health. Major sources of food poisoning
in heavily populated and industrialized countries include
pathogenic microorganisms, toxic agents, parasites and other
organisms entering the food supply, and chemical contamina-
tion, including additives and contamination of the food
supply by toxic industrial waste (54,55). Moreover, climate
change can affect global food production with uncertain con-
sequences for human health, particularly in developed coun-
tries (56). Similarly, adequate water supply and sanitation are
critical for the prevention of many diseases. In fact, vast num-
bers of people are without improved sanitation (57), and too
much wastewater still remains untreated (58). The FINUT
pyramid emphasizes personal commitment to maintaining
good personal hygiene habits and safely producing food while
maintaining a clean home and environment. It also empha-
sizes a personal contribution to environmental hygiene and
a social commitment to protecting children and providing
safe sources of water. We recommend promoting the respon-
sible use and consumption of water while keeping emissions
of residues to a minimum and strengthening existing struc-
tures and policies to facilitate the collection and recycling of
waste, as described in the current FINUT pyramid.
In conclusion, the FINUT healthy lifestyles pyramid,
which is based on the 3 facets of food and nutrition, physical
activity and rest, and education and hygiene, and their inter-
actions with environmental sustainability, is a novel approach
that provides healthy lifestyle guidelines in a holistic frame-
work for populations of all ages. It provides individuals
with the information needed to recognize and put into prac-
tice individual and social behaviors that promote better in-
dividual and community health and the health of future
generations.
Acknowledgments
A.G. had primary responsibility for the FINUT Pyramid
design, development, final content and contributed to the
systematic review of the literature. M.D.R. and E.M.V. were
involved in the design, data interpretation, and manuscript
preparation; and M.F.-G. was in charge of the pictorials. All
authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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