Incentivo à prática de hábitos alimentares vegetarianos em uma equipe do Programa Saúde da Família em São João Del Rei, Minas Gerais

Abstract

The vegetarian diet is associated with many health benefits, such as a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and cancer. Primary health care in Brazil faces a great challenge in the control of the chronic non-communicable diseases. This research has the objective of promoting the vegetarian diet among the health employees of the Family Health Program at São João del Rei, Minas Gerais, as an efficient method of primary and secondary prevention of such diseases. A narrative review was accomplished focusing the impact of the vegetarian diet on the chronic non-communicable diseases. A plan of action was elaborated to integrate the available information about vegetarian diet and the prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases, in a way that it could be easily reproduced using few resources. The plan of action is based on the Healthy Vegetarian Diet Project, comprising theoretical and practical workshops and lecture series about vegetarian diet and cooking, focused on the unit employees. Public policies and incentive programs to vegetarianism might be a viable and low-cost alternative in the struggle against chronic non-communicable diseases. This project hopes to create new ways to address the primary and secondary prevention of these diseases in the Primary Care at São João del Rei, Minas Gerais.