Chocolate-flavoured or the real deal?
I love good chocolate. And, having tasted the best, it’s hard to settle for less.
But you don’t know what’s in the bar until it’s too late…
Consumer law offers some protection – Here in the UK at least, anything less than 25% cocoa solids can only call itself ‘chocolate-flavoured’ – although as a 70% cocoa fan, that seems like a homoeopathic dose to me.
What’s that got to do with the lights?
I’m privileged to visit lots of places with my trusty light meter.
And, as I grimace at the reading that pops up on the screen, my host often asks, anxiously, ‘is it okay’? The answer is often – ‘depends what you mean’.
Is it legal? Yes – if you mean does it meet the minimum standards required by law.
Is it safe? Probably, for the average viewer under average conditions, assuming they spend a ‘standard’ working day there.
But would you want to leave your mother or sister, son or uncle in there overnight – let alone for weeks on end – especially if they’re in pain, worried or sad?
For those who make decisions about the lighting, what does that ‘minimum viable product’ attitude say about how you value your people, your clients and ultimately your business?
It takes a while for the law to catch up with the evidence from the real world, as anyone concerned about climate change will know.
Doctors knew that asbestos increased the risk of fatal lung conditions over a century before it became illegal – Asbestos Cover-Up. It’s a similar story for smoking – The history of the discovery of the cigarette–lung cancer link: evidentiary traditions, corporate denial, global toll, A Review of the Adverse Effects of Neonicotinoids on the Environment. Environments, seat belts (Wikipedia: Seat belt), and driving after a couple of drinks – A History of Drink Driving & Motoring Laws in the UK.
So many ‘no-brainer’ insights that took a while for the law to catch up. I have a feeling we’ll look back and say the same about the lights.
Biobank studies at the population scale, small-scale randomised control experiments, and personal experience all point to the vital importance of the right light at the right time – starting with daylight and darkness at night. Here are three of the dozens of major publications from recent years.
- Circadian-informed lighting and patient health- Circadian lighting is an effective non-pharmacological intervention to improve sleep and associated mental and physical health outcomes across the lifespan, from neonatal intensive care, stroke and post-operative recovery to older adults living with dementia in both community-dwelling and institutional settings. Quote from consensus review of 285 leading scientists ‘There is now sufficient evidence to support the widespread introduction of circadian lighting that adjusts light intensity and blue content across day and night to maintain robust circadian entrainment and health’ – Lights should support circadian rhythms: evidence-based scientific consensus.
- Circadian-informed lighting and shift work health. Growing awareness of the need to design lighting to support specific operational and physiological requirements, balancing those of the patients. Quote from editorial in Sleep journal ‘Optimized lighting can be an effective countermeasure for shiftwork-related adverse effects on health and safety’ – Lighting the path forward: the value of sleep- and circadian-informed lighting interventions in shift work.
- Darkness and health – Exposure to artificial light at night poses significant health risks (quote from 2023 Parliamentary Health Committee report ‘Not only can they cause annoyance, impacting quality of life, but through the disruption of sleep and circadian rhythms, both noise and light pollution can contribute to heart disease and premature death.) – Light and noise pollution are “neglected pollutants” in need of renewed focus. A recent study using satellite data in the USA concludes ‘Nighttime light exposure (is) more strongly associated with AD prevalence in those under the age of 65 than any other disease factor examined’ – Outdoor nighttime light exposure (light pollution) is associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
But coming back to chocolate…
As well as a breakdown of ingredients and nutritional value, many brands feature a ‘traffic light’ system designed to nudge consumers to make healthier choices. A recent experiment combining grocery shopping analysis with eye tracking confirmed that featuring a ‘high in’ label on the front of packaging effectively reduced the quantity and dollar value of products high in sugar and sodium – Impact of ‘‘high in” front-of-package nutrition labelling on food choices: Evidence from a grocery shopping experiment.
Just like chocolate, artificial light isn’t bad in itself, it’s the quality, quantity and timing that count.
Frail foodies
We tend to need fewer calories as we age to maintain the same weight because of changes in the way our bodies process food, less exercise et al. But paradoxically, we may need more nutrient-rich foods, including protein, to keep our brains on track.
And yet, health conditions and the side-effects of drugs used to treat them, lack of sleep and exercise and changes in our ability to see, smell and taste food, all make it harder to tuck in. An estimated 23% of older adults are at high risk of malnutrition – Prevalence of protein-energy malnutrition risk in European older adults in community, residential and hospital settings, according to 22 malnutrition screening tools validated for use in adults ≥65 years, associated with increased risk of frailty, falls and cognitive decline – Malnutrition in older adults.
Researching this article, I assumed that community-dwelling seniors would struggle most. But it turns out that those living in residential care are twice as likely as their friends still living at home to fail to get the nutrients they need to keep their brains and bodies on track.
So what can care providers do to make mealtimes more tempting?
It’s no surprise that ambient noise makes a difference to our willingness to tuck in, so simply adding acoustic treatments to a busy dining room will help – The effect of age, gender and noise sensitivity on the liking of food in the presence of background noise.
Colour rendering index – or the balance of wavelengths coming from a light source will make food look more vivid and appealing, especially for older eyes – The effect of correlated colour temperatures of indoor light sources in vegetable markets on consumers’ visual preferences and product perceptions. Higher contrast tableware can increase food and fluid intake, too – although the mechanisms are complex.
The distribution of the light makes a difference too, with one recent study finding that increasing contrast not only affected how tasty and moist the foods looked, but how good they tasted as well. Most care homes I visit are lit with a grid of panels or downlights, with little or no variation across the space. Adding USB-chargeable table lights could be a simple and affordable way to add a bit of sparkle to the experience – Effects of varying the standard deviation of the luminance on the appearance of food, flavour expectations, and taste/flavour perception.
I wonder whether another factor in the poor nutritional status of people living in residential care may be an enforced schedule.
While it’s more convenient for the catering team to serve and clear up at set times, we have our personal routine: my mum often doesn’t have breakfast until 10am, while I get ‘hangry’ if I haven’t eaten by 8. My nieces, on the other hand, groan if you mention food before noon.
To quote the inspiring Margot Whittaker of Southern HealthCare, a more person-centred approach to mealtimes could help the sector shift from ‘hotel’ to ‘home’.
Bon appetit!
Eyes on the prize
Countdown to the Jurassic Trail half-marathon on the 14th of March, and I’ve been splashing through thick mud and relentless rain to get the off-road miles under my belt.
While you might think it’s more dangerous to run on uneven ground, it turns out you may be just as likely to get injured running on the road – not only because the pavement is harder on your joints, but because your eyes and brain – and muscles – get better at responding to the variations in terrain – Biomechanics and energetics of running on uneven terrain.
You’re also using up around 5% more energy than sticking to the roads, so I can enjoy the hot chocolate when I cross the finish line – How human runners regulate footsteps on uneven terrain.