research. The Commons Science and Technology Committee is currently reviewing alcohol limits in order to tackle the increasing levels of alcohol abuse and, as better information has become available, the Department of Health is also looking at whether we need to change calorie limits. But nutritional therapist Jane Philpott thinks there needs to be an even more radical review. “UK guidelines haven’t been successful at improving our health. They have not placed enough emphasis on fibre and carbohydrates and have been concentrating on fat reduction when in fact sugar is fuelling the obesity epidemic in this country.” And she adds, “I think we need to look at whether the Government’s dietary guidelines – which are now 20 years old – reflect the current scientific consensus on the optimum
These are the UK recommended daily amounts of food and examples of what you would need to eat to reach the targets:
■ Salt No more than 6g (1 tsp) or a combination of four slices of bread (2g), two 25g packets of Hula Hoops (1g), one 200g portion of beans (1.5g), one 30g portion of cheese (0.5g) and one
rasher of bacon (1g). ■ Saturated fat (in butter, cheese and cream, cakes and
nutrients for a long and healthy life.” Sian Porter from
the British Dietetic Association does feel some guidance has hit the mark. “There have been some successful campaigns. The ‘five-a-day’ message seems to have got through to people and, after a £15 million Government awareness campaign, salt intakes went down – but there is still confusion among the British public about the science behind these guidelines.” Food psychologist Dr Christy Fergusson thinks that guidelines
Government guidance on food intake*
biscuits, sausages and bacon) Men should eat no more than 30g while women should eat no more than 20g. Two 10g servings of butter (10.8g), two sausages (4.9g) and two chocolate McVitie’s Hobnobs (4.4g) would
take you over the limit. ■ Fruit/veg At least 5x80g portions, such as one banana, one apple, a medium tomato, one 150ml glass of fruit juice and three heaped tablespoons of peas.
alone are not enough to keep us healthy. “A lot of people have heard of ‘five-a-day’ but
they don’t fully understand how to eat well. People are too focused on losing weight and choose low-fat products, which are loaded with sugar or artificial sweeteners. “Government guidelines can help but people need help to understand them. Nutritionists should be going into schools to teach children about healthy diets and doctors should be better trained in nutrition. Then we might have a chance of changing the UK’s eating habits for the better.”
■ Sugar No more than 60g. One standard Mars Bar (with 45g of sugar) and two coffees each with two sugars (16g sugar total) would
exceed the limit. ■ Fluids 1.2litres – this can be any non- alcoholic drink but the Government says water, milk and fruit juice are
the healthiest options. ■ Red and processed meat Eating too much has been linked to bowel cancer. Red meat includes beef, lamb or
pork and processed meat examples are sausages, salami, bacon, ham and pâtés. There are no recommended daily amounts but people who eat more than 90g a day are advised to cut down to 70g – around two slices of beef, lamb or pork, two sausages or two
rashers of bacon. ■ Oily fish (examples are mackerel, tuna, salmon or sardines) At least one portion per week.
Dr Christy Fergusson can be contacted via thefoodpsychologist.com Dr Jane Philpott’s website is cookingforhealth-uk.com *This guidance is aimed at adults Photos Rex Features, NI Syndication, Sunday Telegraph 2011