Fortifying wellbeing: How Chinese consumers and doctors navigate the role of functional foods.

Appetite
Denise M ConroyJennifer Young

Abstract

China's rapidly developing economy has seen an increase in medical problems commonly associated with affluent lifestyles such as increases in metabolic diseases and digestive issues. One response to this problem is an increase in the amount of functional foods currently available, which may take a Western food form, or be more closely associated with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This research seeks to understand how functional food and wellbeing intersect in order to better understand how consumers perceive the complex construct of wellbeing, and their agency in its creation. Interviews and Focus Group Interviews were undertaken in Shanghai, China; with consumers who self-identified as having health concerns, and with Doctors trained in Western Medicine and in TCM. Using an iterative process, the primary objective was to holistically examine how consumers navigate the role of functional foods in relation to their wellbeing. Our findings reveal three broad intersecting themes: (1) self-managed therapy using functional foods; (2) building trust with knowledge sharing; and (3) the importance of functional food heuristics. Functional food was not simply considered to be food with an added benefit, but also a cultural symbol ...Continue Reading

References

Apr 20, 2005·Lancet·Dongfeng GuUNKNOWN InterASIA Collaborative Group
Feb 2, 2006·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology·Ashok K LalwaniTimothy Johnson
Mar 4, 2006·Qualitative Health Research·Diane Walker, Florence Myrick
Oct 25, 2008·Health Policy·Judy Xu, Yue Yang
Jan 17, 2012·Environmental Pollution·Hong WangZheng-Tao Liu
Oct 16, 2012·Appetite·Macario Rodríguez-Entrena, Melania Salazar-Ordóñez
Jan 17, 2013·Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health·Yongning Wu, Yan Chen
Jun 12, 2013·Lancet·Hon-Ming LamSamuel Sai-Ming Sun
Dec 18, 2013·Obesity Reviews : an Official Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity·P Gordon-LarsenB M Popkin
Mar 24, 2016·Health·Dorthe Brogård KristensenSøren Askegaard
Nov 5, 2016·Appetite·Huliyeti HasimuMaurizio Canavari
Nov 6, 2018·Appetite·Claire McCaffertyCeline Murrin
Nov 22, 2019·Appetite·Ruomei XuJingdong Luan

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.