The Nutrition Society Celebrating 70 years of the Nutrition Society
In 2011, the Nutrition Society marks its 70th anniversary. With the 24th President, Professor Sean Strain, taking up office at the AGM 2010, 2011 will see some exciting firsts for the Society. Here is a taster of just some of the things happening in the anniversary year.
In 1941, Britain was in the midst of World War II. To a nation used to importing 55 million tons of food during the 1930s, WWII saw Britain’s food supplies being stretched as the enemy blockaded the country. Many basic, every day items were rationed such as fuel, cloth and food – including: meat, milk, butter, cheese, eggs, sugar, and bread. Importing of fresh fruit was virtually stopped all together. Rationing of basic food items was designed to ensure a fair distribution to all people and prevent rapid inflation of food prices. These restrictions were introduced by the Government following the advice of nutritional scientists. The understanding of nutritional science had been increasing greatly from the beginning of the 20th century so these scientists knew enough about good nutrition to keep the public healthy despite the food shortages. A 'Vitamin Welfare Scheme' was also introduced to ensure that children and pregnant women were properly nourished by giving them free supplies of cod liver oil, blackcurrant juice, and, when available, orange juice. Around the time of all this activity, some of the most eminent nutritional scientists in Britain – some of whom had a hand in these Government schemes – came together to form The Nutrition Society.
The original purpose of the
Society being to get the scientists together to talk about exciting new research and their ideas to solve public health problems.
In the early 1940s,
membership was nearly 200, now it’s 2600 and is open to anyone with an interest in nutrition. Seventy years later, although food supply in
Britain isn’t currently a problem (climate change, natural disasters, foreign policy, agricultural policy,
and the escalating oil price might change that), we still face challenges involving food and nutrition. The aim of the Nutrition Society remains the same: ‘To advance the scientific study of nutrition and its application to the maintenance of human and animal health’. We even still publish the same journal – the British Journal of Nutrition (although it is now fortnightly and online as well as being printed) – alongside our other journals and specialist books. Meetings remain central to the Society’s
activities, and the 70th anniversary year will be no exception. The Scottish Section are hosting a two- day programme, from 5th-6th April, in Glasgow, titled ‘Nutrition and Health: from conception to adolescence’. Further details will follow in the next edition of Complete Nutrition, but registration is open now! Visit the Nutrition Society’s website for the full programme, details about submitting Original Communications (the deadline for which is 27th January) and how to register:
www.nutritionsociety.org. June will see the first joint event with the
American Society of Nutrition, at the Irish Section meeting.
The meeting, ‘Vitamins in early
development and healthy ageing’ will be held at University College Cork, Ireland, from 15th-17th June.
Forging exciting new affiliations with
international Societies is high on Professor Strain’s agenda, and promises to bring new benefits to the membership, including joint meetings and shared journal access. To reflect the importance of this new area of development, a new trustee post has been approved. Suggestions for suitable candidates to stand for the Honorary International Affairs
Officer post are now being sought. For further information or to put forward a suggestion, please email Sarah James:
s.james@nutsoc.org.uk. The flagship, Summer meeting will be held at
Reading University from 4th-6th July, titled ‘From plough through practice to policy’. And a special, extended format Winter meeting will round the year off in London, at the Royal College of Physicians, under the heading ‘Body weight regulation - food, gut and brain signalling’. Further details of all Society meetings will be made available on the Society’s website in the New Year. As the UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists
and course accreditation are now managed by the Association for Nutrition, an approved change to the Honorary Professional Affairs Officer role has been made. Dr Beckie Lang has kindly agreed to be seconded into this amended post, responsible for Training and Education, with her first official responsibility being a Sport and Exercise Nutrition training day in November 2011 to coincide with the launch of a brand new Nutrition Society textbook on the subject, which will take the format of a one- day meeting and a one-day specialist training day, at Surrey Sports Park, Guildford.
This two-day
event promises to be a first for the Society, with similar events to be organised around the publication of new editions of the other titles in the textbook series. We would be delighted to hear from readers of Complete Nutrition with your thoughts and ideas for the new Training and Education programme: what can WE offer YOU? Please send your comments and suggestions to Sarah James, email:
s.james@nutsoc.org.uk.
www.nutritionsociety.org
52 | Complete Nutrition Vol.10 No.6 December/January 2010/11
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