GASTROSASUNA

About the project

Obesity is currently the main preventable cause of death around the world and is considered to be one of the 21st century’s most serious public health problems. The most effective strategy for the prevention and/or treatment of this pathology is based on establishing good eating habits, performing physical exercise and promoting good emotional health. People who suffer from obesity are generally prescribed diets with a low calorie intake that are hard to follow, unsatisfactory and not at all stimulating. As a result, 81% of people who follow these types of diets do not manage to achieve the goal of losing weight (SEEDO). At the Basque Culinary Center we are committed to using gastronomy as a strategy to improve the flavours and textures of food, to thus encourage adhesion to healthy diets that improve the person’s well-being.

The Gastrosasuna project analyses how the gastronomic improvement of menus influences the well-being of people in situations of weight-loss. The population study focused on women, as this group is more prone to following diets. After the study it was found that the food where the improvement was applied, following a multi-sensory design, enhanced the perception of well-being among the participants in the study. Among the dimensions of well-being, the emotional, social and spiritual ones were those that saw the most positive impact. It has been proven that it is possible to develop menus for weight loss that are nutritionally balanced and improved gastronomically, capable of influencing the hedonic response and the well-being of women.