IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/riskan/v37y2017i11p2041-2052.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Fish for Dinner? Balancing Risks, Benefits, and Values in Formulating Food Consumption Advice

Author

Listed:
  • Karen Rideout
  • Tom Kosatsky

Abstract

Many and complex factors underlie seemingly simple decisions about what to eat. This is particularly so for foods such as fish, which present consumers with both risks and benefits. Advice about what type of and how much fish to consume is abundant, but that advice is often confusing or contradictory, reflecting the differing mandates and orientations of those advising. We survey a range of issues that can and should be incorporated into dietary advice, and offer tools for health agencies tasked with providing it. We argue that risks and benefits should not be limited to direct physical health. Rather, socioeconomic and community factors, unintended or indirect effects, and nonhuman‐health outcomes such as animal welfare and planetary health should also be considered and weighed. We provide examples of existing fish consumption guidance to highlight the conflicting messages that emerge when different sources of advice with singular aims of avoiding risk, gaining nutritional benefit, or sustaining fish populations are juxtaposed. We then offer tools borrowed from health and other fields to guide health agencies toward developing more comprehensive advice and targeting that advice for specific populations.

Suggested Citation

  • Karen Rideout & Tom Kosatsky, 2017. "Fish for Dinner? Balancing Risks, Benefits, and Values in Formulating Food Consumption Advice," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 37(11), pages 2041-2052, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:riskan:v:37:y:2017:i:11:p:2041-2052
    DOI: 10.1111/risa.12769
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/risa.12769
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/risa.12769?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shimshack, Jay P. & Ward, Michael B. & Beatty, Timothy K.M., 2007. "Mercury advisories: Information, education, and fish consumption," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 53(2), pages 158-179, March.
    2. Anonymous, 1948. "World Health Organization," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 2(2), pages 374-377, June.
    3. Anonymous, 1948. "World Health Organization," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 2(1), pages 138-140, February.
    4. Meyer, I.H. & Schwartz, S., 2000. "Social issues as public health: Promise and peril," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 90(8), pages 1189-1191.
    5. Ralph L. Keeney, 1982. "Feature Article—Decision Analysis: An Overview," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 30(5), pages 803-838, October.
    6. Shimshack, Jay P. & Ward, Michael B., 2010. "Mercury advisories and household health trade-offs," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(5), pages 674-685, September.
    7. Arnold, S.M. & Lynn, T.V. & Verbrugge, L.A. & Middaugh, J.P., 2005. "Human biomonitoring to optimize fish consumption advice: Reducing uncertainty when evaluating benefits and risks," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 95(3), pages 393-397.
    8. Helen May & Joanna Burger, 1996. "Fishing in a Polluted Estuary: Fishing Behavior, Fish Consumption, and Potential Risk," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(4), pages 459-471, August.
    9. Jeff Niederdeppe & Nancy A. Connelly & T. Bruce Labuer & Barbara A. Knuth, 2015. "Using Theory to Identify Beliefs Associated with Intentions to Follow Fish Consumption Advisories Among Anglers Living in the Great Lakes Region," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 35(11), pages 1996-2008, November.
    10. Jay Shimshack, 2004. "Are Mercury Advisories Effective? Inofrmation, Education, and Fish Consumption," Discussion Papers Series, Department of Economics, Tufts University 0423, Department of Economics, Tufts University.
    11. Anonymous, 1948. "World Health Organization," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 2(3), pages 540-542, September.
    12. McDaniels, Timothy L. & Trousdale, William, 2005. "Resource compensation and negotiation support in an aboriginal context: Using community-based multi-attribute analysis to evaluate non-market losses," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(2), pages 173-186, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Nydia‐Yuriana Zamora‐Arellano & Miguel Betancourt‐Lozano & César Ilizaliturri‐Hernández & Jaqueline García‐Hernández & Matín Jara‐Marini & Cristina Chávez‐Sánchez & Jorge Ricardo Ruelas‐Inzunza, 2018. "Mercury Levels and Risk Implications Through Fish Consumption on the Sinaloa Coasts (Gulf of California, Northwest Mexico)," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 38(12), pages 2646-2658, December.
    2. Paul E. Ouboter & Gwendolyn Landburg & Gaitrie U. Satnarain & Sheryl Y. Starke & Indra Nanden & Bridget Simon-Friedt & William B. Hawkins & Robert Taylor & Maureen Y. Lichtveld & Emily Harville & Jeff, 2018. "Mercury Levels in Women and Children from Interior Villages in Suriname, South America," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-13, May.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Carrieri, Vincenzo & Principe, Francesco, 2022. "WHO and for how long? An empirical analysis of the consumers’ response to red meat warning," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    2. Odelia Koh & Jeannette Lee & Maudrene L S Tan & E-Shyong Tai & Ce Jin Foo & Kok Joon Chong & Su-Yen Goh & Yong Mong Bee & Julian Thumboo & Yin-Bun Cheung & Avjeet Singh & Hwee-Lin Wee, 2014. "Establishing the Thematic Framework for a Diabetes-Specific Health-Related Quality of Life Item Bank for Use in an English-Speaking Asian Population," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(12), pages 1-12, December.
    3. Fielden, Sarah J. & Rusch, Melanie L. & Masinda, Mambo Tabu & Sands, Jim & Frankish, Jim & Evoy, Brian, 2007. "Key considerations for logic model development in research partnerships: A Canadian case study," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 115-124, May.
    4. Olga Pakholok, 2013. "The Idea of Healthy Lifestyle and Its Transformation Into Health-Oriented Lifestyle in Contemporary Society," SAGE Open, , vol. 3(3), pages 21582440135, August.
    5. Viola, Lora Anne, 2008. "WHO says competition is healthy: How civil society can change IGOs [Die WHO sagt: Wettbewerb ist gesund. Wie Zivilgesellschaft IGOs verändern kann]," Discussion Papers, Research Unit: Global Governance SP IV 2008-307, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    6. Barrington, D.J. & Sridharan, S. & Shields, K.F. & Saunders, S.G. & Souter, R.T. & Bartram, J., 2017. "Sanitation marketing: A systematic review and theoretical critique using the capability approach," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 128-134.
    7. Letizia Appolloni & Alberto Giretti & Maria Vittoria Corazza & Daniela D’Alessandro, 2020. "Walkable Urban Environments: An Ergonomic Approach of Evaluation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-31, October.
    8. João M. S. Carvalho & Célio A. A. Sousa, 2018. "Is Psychological Value a Missing Building Block in Societal Sustainability?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-14, December.
    9. Modranka Emilia & Suchecka Jadwiga, 2014. "The Determinants Of Population Health Spatial Disparities," Comparative Economic Research, Sciendo, vol. 17(4), pages 173-185, December.
    10. Völker, Sebastian & Kistemann, Thomas, 2013. "Reprint of: “I'm always entirely happy when I'm here!” Urban blue enhancing human health and well-being in Cologne and Düsseldorf, Germany," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 141-152.
    11. Heather J. Sutherland & Hilary Llewellyn-Thomas & Norman F. Boyd & James E. Till, 1982. "Attitudes Toward Quality of Survival," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 2(3), pages 299-309, August.
    12. Pilar Sanjuán & María Ávila, 2019. "The Mediating Role of Coping Strategies on the Relationships Between Goal Motives and Affective and Cognitive Components of Subjective Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 1057-1070, April.
    13. Jozef Bavoľár & Oľga Orosová, 2015. "Decision-making styles and their associations with decision-making competencies and mental health," Judgment and Decision Making, Society for Judgment and Decision Making, vol. 10(1), pages 115-122, January.
    14. Souad Smaili, 2018. "I Feel Myself in a Cage of Bird: Berber Female Students’ Self-Identification in the Algerian Society - A Phenomenological Study," European Journal of Social Sciences Articles, Revistia Research and Publishing, vol. 1, September.
    15. Amaresh Panda & Sanjay Mohapatra, 2021. "Online Healthcare Practices and Associated Stakeholders: Review of Literature for Future Research Agenda," Vikalpa: The Journal for Decision Makers, , vol. 46(2), pages 71-85, June.
    16. Marco Fuscaldo, 2012. "Physical limitations, depressive symptoms and cognitive problems: exploring the complex structure of un-health among older people in Italy," Center for the Analysis of Public Policies (CAPP) 0098, Universita di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Dipartimento di Economia "Marco Biagi".
    17. Tim Lomas & Kate Hefferon & Itai Ivtzan, 2015. "The LIFE Model: A Meta-Theoretical Conceptual Map for Applied Positive Psychology," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 16(5), pages 1347-1364, October.
    18. Jeanne Landgraf, 2001. "Measuring and monitoring quality of life in children and youth: A brief commentary," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 46(5), pages 281-282, September.
    19. Immergut, Ellen M. & Schneider, Simone M., 2020. "Is it unfair for the affluent to be able to purchase “better” healthcare? Existential standards and institutional norms in healthcare attitudes across 28 countries," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 267(C).
    20. Rock, Melanie J. & Degeling, Chris, 2015. "Public health ethics and more-than-human solidarity," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 61-67.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:riskan:v:37:y:2017:i:11:p:2041-2052. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://doi.org/10.1111/(ISSN)1539-6924 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.