We are overfed but undernourished!
This is the conclusion reached after several government reports issued during 2006 revealed that essentially our food no longer nourishes us and it is actually making us ill!
It seems that in our race to make modern life more comfortable and convenient we have underestimated the importance of good nutrition to such an extent that that poor food quality is largely responsible for; rising levels of chronic illnesses, epidemic numbers of adult onset diabetes and obesity, and escalating numbers of people with depression, attention disorders and other mental problems.
The intensive farming drive over the last fifty years has provided an abundance of food but the qualiy of that food falls short on nourishment.
Data released in early 2006 comparing the quality of meat and dairy with in 1940 with figures from the Government's most recent 2002 tables shows that the mineral content of these popular foods has dropped significantly. The findings are based on comparative data for 15 different meat items and show an average 47% drop in iron content between the two periods. Milk data revealed a 60% iron content reduction. Figures for cream and eight different cheeses showed a 50% average drop in iron. The calcium content of today's cheeses showed an equal decline. Copper had declined by 60% in the meat products and by 90% in dairy foods and Magnesium had fallen by an average 10% and 25% in both food types respectively.
The vegetable kingdom seems to have fared much worse as figures reveal the startling decline in valuable nutrients over the last 20 years:
Banana Potato Spinach
phosphorus –84% calcium –70% magnesium –68%
vitamin B6 -92% magnesium –33% vitamin B6 –59%
The food companies…
A study by London's City University found that the response of most companies to the World Health Organisation guidelines on fighting obesity, cancer and heart disease was "lukewarm" in that most firms appeared not to care "a jot".
"Many of the world's 25 biggest food firms only pay lip service to their duty to help fight the global diet crisis"
The authors concluded: "The findings of this report suggest that the world's food companies are not yet fully engaged with the seriousness and urgency of this transformation. Companies should be wary about doing the minimum or presenting a few hurried initiatives in self-promotional terms. A lukewarm response from food companies to the enormity of the public health evidence amassed by the WHO and researchers risks engendering some cynicism."
No I don't think we can assume that the directors of these companies meet each month to review important research conclusions, which confirm our need for certain phytonutrients (usually the ones that are missing) or how their sweeteners and hydrogenated fats are actually killing people..No, more likely they discuss their latest project to create another fine tasting yet nutritionally empty foodstuff made from the cheapest ingredients on the world food markets: milk, sugar, white flour and hydrogenated vegetable oil. Yuk, yuk, yuk and more yuk!
Concerned campaigners have already stated:
§ "The UK faces a mental health crisis of monumental proportions if more Omega 3 is not consumed." (International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids Congress, Brighton, June 2004)
§ "Poor nutrition in the elderly is becoming sufficiently common to be a public health concern." (Nutrition and Health Conference, London, November 2003)
§ "More than a billion people worldwide are overweight, of whom at least 300 million are clinically obese." (World Health Organisation report, March 2003)
§ "Type II diabetes is not a "mild" form. More aggressive control of the whole blood glucose profile is essential if we are to prevent the life threatening complications." (International Diabetes Federation meeting, Switzerland, June 2002.)
The reports presented the following:
Childhood obesity…
One in four children is now obese according to a survey of 2,000 children by the Health and Social Care Information Centre. Figures show that childhood obesity in England has doubled in 10 years. From 1995 to 2004, obesity among boys aged 11-15 rose from 14% to 24% and girls from 15% to 26%. The rate rose slightly in the 2 to 10 years age group.
Earlier this year, public sector watchdogs the National Audit Office, Healthcare Commission and Audit Commission said good work going on at a local level but added that the government needed to show more leadership if the push was to succeed. Public Health Minister Caroline Flint said: "We recognise we need to do more. "Our public health agenda is the first concerted attempt to seriously tackle rising levels of obesity." She added "huge steps forward" have already been taken through campaigns to increase fruit and vegetable consumption and more investment in school sport. The survey also showed adult obesity is continuing to rise from 13% to 24% for men and 16% to 24% for women.
Professor Colin Waine, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, said the figures revealed a "public health timebomb". "This is serious news because obesity in adolescence is associated with the premature onset of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. It really augurs very badly for the future health of the population as these children move from adolescence to adulthood. This will have a significant impact on longevity and we are in danger of raising a generation of people who have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. This is a public health timebomb as these children move into adult life."
Weight Concern executive director Caroline Swain added: "If we are to preserve the health of the next generation, there is a desperate need for detailed research into what is triggering this rising trend, as well as practical action on a national level to encourage families to adopt healthier lifestyles." Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said:
"In the last decade British children have got fatter faster than anywhere else in Western Europe. We are at risk of an epidemic of vascular diseases as a result. Apparently the government's white paper in November 2004 talked about an obesity strategy but the implementation has been virtually non-existent."
The overall cost of obesity to the NHS is currently around £1bn, with a further £2.3bn to £2.6bn for the economy as a whole.
Malnutrition in the elderly and hospital patients
The European Nutrition for Health Alliance reported in late 2005 that urgent action was needed to prevent Europe's ageing population from dying of malnutrition. The number of 80-year-olds doubling every decade means that the number of malnourished people could also grow. The ENHA said care providers needed to do more work on identifying and treating those most at risk. This includes people who are sick with long-standing diseases as well as the elderly. The alliance's co-chairman Professor Jean-Pierre Baeyens said: "Malnutrition is indeed endemic. Many people are not aware of the problem. If we do not act now it could increase. We are facing a time bomb."
Professor Marinos Elia, Professor of Clinical Nutrition at Southampton University, estimated in a report late last year that:
malnutrition and associated diseases cost the UK £7 billion a year
"Hospital expenditure is really quite large. People who are malnourished tend to stay in hospital longer." He said there was also a great deal of malnutrition in the community, particularly among people with low incomes."
Following these reports The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has issued guidance designed to improve the way the NHS deals with malnutrition since it is estimated that as many as 40% of hospital patients are at risk. The problem is particularly serious among the elderly. It is thought more than 10% of people aged over 65 are malnourished, and as many at 60% of pensioners who are admitted to hospital.
They recommend all hospital and care home patients should be weighed and measured on admission, and all outpatients should be similarly checked at their first clinic appointment. Checks should be repeated weekly for inpatients, and where there is clinical concern for outpatients, say the guidelines.
Being malnourished is different from being underweight, although they often go hand in hand. It is possible to be overweight yet malnourished.
Dr Mike Stroud, of the Institute of Human Nutrition at the University of Southampton, who helped with the guidelines said, "Ensuring patients receive adequate nutrition is an essential part of basic patient care, yet we know malnutrition is still a big problem for the NHS. The guidelines contain one obvious and simple message - do not let your patients starve and when you offer them nutrition support, do so by the safest, simplest, most effective route."
Professor Elia said, "There is more recognition but it is still not enough".
Dr Lorna Layward, of the charity Help the Aged, said the guidelines were "incredibly welcome". "Our preoccupation with obesity means that malnutrition of our most vulnerable members of society has been swept under the carpet."
Mental health
New figures released at the beginning of 2006 by the Mental Health Foundation and Sustain show that mental ill-health is costing the UK almost £100 billion a year with evidence pointing towards changes to our diet in the last fifty years.
A body of evidence linking the impact of diet on mood and behaviour has been growing for many years and now scientific evidence reveals that food can have an immediate and lasting effect upon a person's mental health and behaviour because of the way it affects the structure and function of the brain their reports state.
The Mental Health Foundation and Sustain assert that many nutrients can improve a person's mental health, and dietary changes may hold the key to combating specific mental health problems including depression, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and Alzheimer's disease.
In recent decades, significant changes in the way food is produced and manufactured have not only reduced the amounts of essential fats, vitamins and minerals consumed, but have also disturbed the balance of nutrients in the foods eaten. The proliferation of industrialised farming has introduced pesticides and altered the body fat composition of animals due to the diets they are now fed. As a result, the population's intake of omega-3 fatty acids has decreased whilst the consumption of omega-6 fatty acids has increased. According to the research, this unequal intake combined with a lack of vitamins and minerals is associated with depression, concentration and memory problems.
At the same time, the UK population is consuming less nutritious, fresh produce and more saturated fats and sugars. According to the Mental Health Foundation and Sustain, new substances, such as pesticides, additives and trans-fats have also been introduced to the diet. These alone and in combination, can prevent the brain from functioning effectively.
Amino acids are also vital to good mental health. Neurotransmitters in the brain are made from amino acids, many of which need to be derived from the diet. A deficiency in certain amino acids can lead to feelings of depression, apathy and leave a person feeling unmotivated and unable to relax.
Dr Andrew McCulloch, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation, says: ''We are well aware of the effect of diet upon our physical health, but we are only just beginning to understand how the brain, as an organ, is influenced by the nutrients it derives from the foods we eat, and how our diets have an impact on our mental health. This evidence raises a number of important questions and concerns for us all, but the knowledge gives individuals the power to make decisions that will benefit them and future generations. On a larger scale, our Government cannot ignore the growing burden of mental ill health in the UK and must look to nutrition as an option in helping people to manage their mental health problems. The potential rewards, in economic terms, and in terms of alleviating human suffering, are enormous.''
The Mental Health Foundation and Sustain are calling for a major shift in national policy and practice to make nutrition a mainstream factor in mental health care and promotion. Specific recommendations in the Feeding Minds campaign include:
· The UK population and those at increased risk of mental health problems should be provided with information about foods that promote their mental, emotional and physical well-being
· UK Health Departments should review and improve food and nutrition standards for the mental health and social care sectors in light of the evidence that a range of nutrients contribute to mental health and well being
· Primary care should have ready access to information on the link between diet and mental health as well as a working knowledge of the information and expertise available to support people through dietary change
· All NHS and social care facilities that provide meals to service users, including the independent and not for profit sector, should instigate sustainable food policies and practices, so that all service users and staff are provided with foods that promote their mental, emotional and physical well-being
· All prison facilities should instigate sustainable food policies and practices so that all residents and staff are provided with foods that promote their mental, emotional and physical well-being
Mental health
· Some foods damage the brain by releasing toxins or oxidants that harm healthy brain cells. There are many more nutrients that serve the brain without deception or damage, which can improve mood and mental well-being.
· A balanced mood and feelings of well being can be protected by ensuring that a diet provides adequate amounts of complex carbohydrates, essential fats, amino acids, vitamins and minerals and water.
· Research indicates that good nutritional intake may be linked to academic success. A number of studies report that providing children with breakfast improves their daily and long-term academic performance.
· Among some young offenders, diets supplemented with vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids have resulted in significant and remarkable reductions in anti-social behaviour.
Mental health problems
· There is growing evidence that diet plays an important contributory role in specific mental health problems including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), depression, schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease.
· The presentation of depression in the UK population has increased dramatically over recent decades and this has been accompanied by a decrease in the age of onset, with more cases being reported in children, adolescents and young adults.
· The incidence of schizophrenia is similar across the globe, although there are differences in outcomes between countries. This implies that environmental factors have some role in determining the duration and severity of symptoms, and the role that diet has to play is attracting increasing scientific interest.
· Alzheimer's disease has become more common in the past fifty years and is believed to be the result of a combination of factors, including the aging population, genetics and environmental factors. Growing epidemiological evidence suggests that diet may be one of those environmental factors with associations being reported between the occurrence of Alzheimer's and high polyunsaturated fat consumption, and low vitamin and mineral consumption.
· Complementary mental health care services that focus on diet and nutrition report promising results, particularly among those who experience ADHD and depression. On the whole however, they are poorly funded and have received insufficient research attention to draw firm conclusions.
