NUTRITION OF THE POPULATION AS A COMPONENT OF ITS QUALITY OF LIFE

The problem of rational nutrition in Russia is recognised as a key component of improving the quality of life of the population. The quality of nutrition directly affects the health of the nation and the demographic situation as a whole and according to the new Food Security Doctrine is taken into account as a basic element of the country''s national security. The analysis of statistical materials describing the diet of Russians shows the necessity to solve the problems of organizing nutrition and controlling its quality at the state level as it is the quality of nutrition that determines the low life expectancy of Russians who do not reach even 70 years. The monograph presents the results of sociological research on a number of original directions in the field of the catering industry and the state policy pursued in relation to the school catering system. The author has made an attempt to study the problem of rational nutrition in a comprehensive way from the point of view of socio-economic and demographic approaches. After analyzing all the data an algorithm of the main directions for improving the quality of nutrition of the population in Russia is proposed.