People from Black African, African Caribbean and South Asian backgrounds living in the UK are more likely to develop heart disease and type 2 diabetes compared to their Caucasian counterparts  (British Heart Foundation, Diabetes UK).

Furthermore, studies have shown that people from African or Caribbean origin are twice as likely to have a stroke, and at a younger age, than the rest of the UK population (Tillin et al., 2012 & Shibata et al., 2013). Even though the cause of these chronic diseases is multifaceted, what is known is that diet and lifestyle play a significant role in the development, prevention and management of these conditions (Eyre et al., 2004).

From a dietary perspective, healthy eating can help reduce the risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and some cancers (Eyre et al., 2004; Diabetes UK, 2018;  British Heart Foundation, n.d; Stroke Association, 2018) . The Eatwell Guide is a fantastic tool to help inform healthier eating choices among the UK population. However, it does not take into account the cultural and ethnic foods that some people from ethnic minority groups may regularly consume.

There are currently some health organisations, groups and individuals that have made some wonderful modifications of the Eatwell Guide for people within their local community. These should be shown to Public Health England (PHE) and UK Government and they should consider displaying cultural adaptations of the Eatwell guide on official websites like gov.uk or nhs.uk for a wider reach. 

Adapting the Eatwell guide and making it more culturally specific may encourage healthier eating habits in people from different ethnic groups. It will also provide an opportunity to draw attention to certain nutritional considerations, such as highlighting some traditional foods that are typically high in fat, salt and sugar and the need for people with darker skin from African, African-Caribbean and South Asian backgrounds to take a daily vitamin D supplement all year round.

There is some evidence to suggest that awareness of healthy eating messages can influence food choices of minority ethnic group and the way it is delivered is extremely important (Leung et al., 2011; Patel et al., 2016).

As the UK population becomes more ethnically diverse, population guidelines (especially the ones pertaining to diet and nutrition) should also be ethnically diverse too. I would like the UK government to take this petition into great consideration and suggest making ethnic adaptations of the Eatwell Guide publicly available, nationally. This might help individuals from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities make healthier informed choices when it comes to their traditional diet. Additionally, it will be an invaluable (and very much needed) resource for individuals who deliver healthy eating messages to people from various backgrounds in clinical and community settings.