I. You Are What You Eat
What do we know about the food we eat?
In the EU and the UK, laws on mandatory food labels have been put in place in order to enable consumers to make informed choices about the food they eat.
Nevertheless, while people may become aware that some foods are unhealthy they often still choose to consume them for cost and availability-related reasons, unaware of the grave diseases unhealthy nutrition practices may lead to. For example, according to Tim Smith, Food Standards Agency Chief Executive:
"People say they do know that saturated fat is bad for them but they don’t necessarily link it to heart disease and what they are eating."
Furthermore, of the people surveyed as part of the FSA’s 2009 annual survey of Public Attitudes to Food Issues (PAFI):
• 94% had heard of saturated fat and
• 61% stated we should be eating less
Yet the UK continues to eat more than is recommended for health despite being aware that certain foods are unhealthy.
Do our food labels tell us too much or not enough or is it the wrong sort of information?
In the European Union, rules are put in place on the labelling of foodstuffs to enable European consumers to get comprehensive information on the contents and the composition of food products. The UK Food Labelling Regulation requires food to be marked or labelled with certain requirements such as:
• the name of the food
• a list of ingredients (including food allergens)
• the amount of an ingredient which is named or associated with the food
• an appropriate durability indication (e.g. 'best before' or 'use by')
• any special storage conditions or instructions for use
• the name and address of the manufacturer, packer or retailer
• the place of origin (where failure to do so might mislead)
With all this readily available information, consumers can potentially be highly informed about the food they consume. However, what consumers seem to lack is knowledge of the consequences certain foods and diet can have on health.
The availability of nutrition information aims to help consumers, including young people, to understand the nutrition composition of different foods. They can then consider how those foods would contribute to their diet overall and make informed choices that suit their dietary needs
Nevertheless, in line with DEFRA and the UK Government, front of pack labelling should be voluntary as it is not necessary to repeat information on the front of a pack when it is already on the back. Similarly, the energy value should not be repeated as energy alone does not provide consumers with an assessment of nutritional content and nutrients that are relevant to public health priorities.
Who verifies the claims on the food we buy - if it is really 'organic' or if it really 'helps weight loss'?
The EU Regulation on Nutrition and Health Claims made on foods ( Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 ) lays down harmonised rules across the European Union for the use of nutrition claims such as “low fat”, “high fibre” or health claims such as “reducing blood cholesterol”.
Articles 15 to 18 of this Regulation lay down the Community authorisation procedure, which consists of different steps involving the competent national controlling authorities (UK Food Standards Agency), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Commission.
This Regulation foresees implementing measures to ensure that any claim made on foods' labelling, presentation or marketing in the European Union is clear, accurate and based on evidence accepted by the whole scientific community. Consequently foods bearing claims that could mislead consumers are eliminated from the market. In addition, in order to bear claims, foods must have appropriate nutrient profiles, which enhance consumers' ability to make informed and meaningful choices.
With regard to organic foods, they may only be marked as "organic" if at least 95% of their agricultural ingredients are organic. Organic production must respect natural systems and cycles. Sustainable production should be achieved insofar as possible with the help of biological and mechanical production processes, through land-related production and without the use of GMOs. The distribution of organic products from third countries is only permitted on the common market, when they are produced and controlled under the same or equivalent conditions as the EU.
Should 'Aberdeen Angus' beef get special protection, or should we welcome cheaper imports from outside the EU?
We have the privilege of having local, high-quality beef which benefits our farmers and reduces unnecessary CO2 emissions in meat imports. While imported meat may seem like a better option price-wise, other countries may have different standards on meat quality.
Should we be worried or optimistic about GM foods?
There are already many millions of farmers worldwide growing genetically modified crops and millions of people eating GM food, with no ill-effects.
Various potential negative effects of GMOs on human health have been proposed over the last 20 years; however, after 14 years of large commercial use, no negative effects have been substantiated.
Furthermore, biotechnology can improve food quality. For example, agricultural biotechnology is capable of improving supplies of livestock feed by reducing levels of natural toxins (e.g. mycotoxins in maize) and making feed more efficient for animal utilisation and reduction in animal waste.
Moreover, GMOs can contribute to the elimination of substances in certain products which usually produce common allergies.
Farmers should be given the freedom to choose whether or not to grow GM crops and it can only be hoped that Member States will use science instead of prejudice when it comes to biotech crops.
Are we getting too fat as a nation?
In 2010, 24-26% of Scots were obese. Scotland is struggling to get a grip on its obesity problem and figures revealed one in five very young children are still classed as overweight. Public health minister Shona Robison said that obesity remained "a huge health challenge" for Scotland.
Only 39% of Scottish adults and 69% of Scottish children currently meet existing nutritional guidelines. Within these figures specific groups of the population remain particularly inactive. These include women of all ages (particularly adolescent girls) and older adults.
The worrying aspect of this is that diet can have a major impact on health. Consuming too many calories can result in obesity, and obesity can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, some cancers and heart disease.
Furthermore, in 2007, the UK Government-commissioned Foresight report predicted that if no action was taken, 60% of men, 50% of women and 25% of children would be obese by 2050. Without action, obesity-related diseases will cost an extra £45.5 billion per year.
Is our food healthy enough?
Our supermarkets are stocked with plenty of healthy foods. Our food is healthy; the choices we make are not.
Many people are eating more saturated fat, salt and added sugar than Government recommendations; and too little fruit, vegetables, oily fish and fibre. Some people are also getting below recommended levels of particular vitamins and minerals.
According to a Technical Report by WHO, nutrition is coming to the fore as a major modifiable determinant of chronic disease, with scientific evidence increasingly supporting the view that alterations in diet have strong effects, both positive and negative, on health throughout life. Most importantly, dietary adjustments may not only influence present health, but may determine whether or not an individual will develop such diseases as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer much later in life.
It is vital that we start making healthy food choices in order to lessen the consequences of the obesity epidemic that Scotland is currently facing.
Do we produce enough food to feed ourselves in the years to come?
In an ideal world we would all eat plentiful, fresh, locally grown produce. But the reality is that there is not enough food to go round all the world’s citizens, and we have to come up with a viable alternative.
By 2030, the world population will have expanded by such an extent that we will require a 50% increase in food production to meet anticipated demand.
By 2080, global food production will need to double. But the reality is that an area the size of the Ukraine is being taken out of agricultural food production every year due to drought and climate change. Global food production is declining rather than expanding.
The spectre of empty supermarket shelves must now be considered a real possibility. We need to accept that we no longer live in a world where fresh food is plentiful and readily available. We need to cast aside our fears and biases and realise that GM food would be a way to ensure that we can feed the world.
II. You Are What You Eat - Health concerns
"Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are"
- Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (Physiologie du Goût, ou Méditations de Gastronomie Transcendante, 1826)
Bad diet, bad health
Diet can have a major impact on health. Consuming too many calories can result in obesity, and obesity can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, some cancers and heart disease.
Diet-induced diseases
According to a Technical Report by WHO, nutrition is coming to the fore as a major modifiable determinant of chronic disease, with scientific evidence increasingly supporting the view that alterations in diet have strong effects, both positive and negative, on health throughout life. Most importantly, dietary adjustments may not only influence present health, but may determine whether or not an individual will develop such diseases as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer much later in life.
Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes accounts for most cases of diabetes worldwide. Complications of type 2 diabetes include blindness, kidney failure, foot ulceration which may lead to gangrene and subsequent amputation, and appreciably increased risk of infections, coronary heart disease and stroke. The enormous and escalating economic and social costs of type 2 diabetes make a compelling case for attempts to reduce the risk of developing the condition as well as for energetic management of the established disease. Lifestyle modification is the cornerstone of both treatment and attempts to prevent type 2 diabetes.
Heart Disease
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the major contributor to the global burden of disease among the noncommunicable diseases. WHO currently attributes one-third of all global deaths (15.3 million) to CVD. Excess body weight, central obesity, high blood pressure, dyslipidaemia, diabetes and low cardio-respiratory fitness are among the biological factors contributing principally to increased risk. Unhealthy dietary practices that can contribute to CVD include the high consumption of saturated fats, salt and refined carbohydrates, as well as low consumption of fruits and vegetables, and these tend to cluster together.
Cancer
Dietary factors are estimated to account for approximately 30% of cancers in industrialized countries, making diet second only to tobacco as a theoretically preventable cause of cancer. Body weight and physical inactivity together are estimated to account for approximately one-fifth to one-third of several of the most common cancers, specifically cancers of the breast (postmenopausal), colon, endometrium, kidney and oesophagus (adenocarcinoma).
How This Affects Us
Europe
According to the Health at a Glance: Europe 2010 report published by the European Commission and the OECD, the rate of obesity has more than doubled over the past 20 years in most EU Member States. This has considerable implications on health, health systems and on the wider economy. Furthermore, heart disease accounted for 40% of all deaths in Europe in 2008.
UK
The UK has been labelled the fattest nation in Europe and at a time when around half of all women and two thirds of all men in the UK are overweight or clinically obese, this is a serious issue. Many people are eating more saturated fat, salt and added sugar than Government recommendations; and too little fruit, vegetables, oily fish and fibre. Some people are also getting below recommended levels of particular vitamins and minerals.
In 2007, the Government-commissioned Foresight report predicted that if no action was taken, 60% of men, 50% of women and 25% of children would be obese by 2050. Without action, obesity-related diseases will cost an extra £45.5 billion per year.
Scotland
According to a BBC News article, in 2010 24-26% of Scots were obese. Scotland is struggling to get a grip on its obesity problem and figures revealed one in five very young children are still classed as overweight. Public health minister Shona Robison said that obesity remained "a huge health challenge" for Scotland.
Only 39% of Scottish adults and 69% of Scottish children currently meet existing nutrition guidelines. Within these figures specific groups of the population remain particularly inactive. These include women of all ages (particularly adolescent girls) and older adults.
Response
Nevertheless, according to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), Brits are becoming more health-conscious. There has been a rapid increase in the number of doctors per capita in the UK, where it rose by 30% between 2000-2008, rising from 2.0 per 1000 population to 2.6 (Health at a Glance: Europe 2010, EC and OECD).
Furthermore, there have been a number of healthy eating initiatives, such as the following campaigns:
• NHS 5 a day: Introduction to 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day, including portion size, what counts and recipeshttp://www.nhs.uk/livewell/5aday/pages/5adayhome.aspx/
• NHS Change 4 Life (Eat well, move more, and live longer):http://www.nhs.uk/change4life/Pages/change-for-life.aspx
• Jamie Oliver's "Feed me Better" 2005 campaign in order to move British schoolchildren towards eating healthy foods and cutting out junk food. As a result, the British government also pledged to address the issue.
The health craze has also become embedded in popular culture through TV shows such as:
• You Are What You Eat, Channel 4
• Supersize vs. Superskinny, Channel 4
• The Biggest Loser, ITV
• Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, ABC
Moreover, many supermarkets have launched healthy eating campaigns, for example:
• Jamie Oliver was the public face of Sainsbury's in 2000
• Sainsbury's Diets and Healthy Eatinghttp://www.sainsburysdiets.co.uk/Home?utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc
• Marks & Spencer Healthy Eating Plan Ahttp://plana.marksandspencer.com/we-are-doing/health/stories/62/
• Tesco Healthy Living Initativehttp://www.tesco.com/health/
In addition, the FSA has also launched public health campaigns to combat heart disease, the UK's biggest killer.
Would Clearer Food Labels Help?
Food labels aim to enable consumers to make informed choices, yet Tim Smith, Food Standards Agency Chief Executive, said:
"People say they do know that saturated fat is bad for them but they don’t necessarily link it to heart disease and what they are eating."
Of the people surveyed as part of the FSA’s 2009 annual survey of Public Attitudes to Food Issues (PAFI):
94% had heard of saturated fat and
61% stated we should be eating less
The UK continues to eat more than is recommended for health despite being aware that certain foods are unhealthy.
Conclusions
Scientific evidence is increasingly supporting the view that alterations in diet have strong effects, both positive and negative, on health throughout life. Thus, we are what we eat.
Nutrition-induced disease is plaguing the UK, which will cost the Government £45.5 billion per year if this health nightmare is not addressed by 2050.
The UK has already had to employ more doctors in order to respond to the rapid degradation in national health and the rise in the obesity epidemic.
People know what kind of foods they should be eating, but do not realise the grave consequences of an unhealthy population, and the effect this will have on taxpayers.
