BIOM30001 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Trans Fat, Standard Drink, Opendocument
Solution to metabolic syndrome is to eat less
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Genetic/ Epigenetic: populations in China/India/Europe adapted to centuries of inadequate
diets, and now have a supply of cheap, calorie dense food
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External food supply and its availability and composition: hunter-gatherers > agriculturalists -
major changes in last 40 years
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Behaviour? i.e. it is their choice to overeat
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Psycho-social: eat to deal with anxiety
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Association with inequality, the embodiment of being a 'loser'. Affects private life
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The complexity of the condition and its associated morbidities that have to be treated,
alleviated
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The life-long dangers of childhood obesity: prevention is critical
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Causes and triggers of metabolic syndrome
Education and incentives to change population’s knowledge base re. healthy eating: Health
Promotion. (Everyone knows what they should be eating but don't do it due to lack of
access/poverty/prefer not to)
1.
Regulation of the food or beverage found to be dangerous to health: controlling its
composition, preparation, and points of sale
2.
Consumer behaviour modification via price: eg taxing alcoholic drinks or tobacco products
according to their alcohol content ➔higher prices to deter consumers. Can't really make food
more expensive because everybody needs food.
3.
Regulation of advertising that might influence vulnerable groups in the population, especially
children
4.
Economic policy to reduce price of fresh food at the expense of fast food.
5.
Traditional options open to public health
Health Promotion
1.
Necessary but over time has shown limited effectiveness in making a significant and
sustainable difference.
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‘BE ACTIVE, EAT WELL’
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6789 person hours
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3 year trial in Colac schools: appointed school dietitian, trained canteen staff and teachers,
supplied healthy lunches, exercise programs, walking school buses widespread publicity,
community activities, community garden etc etc ➱over three years reduction in weight gain
of 1 kg and waist circumference of 3 cms and this occurred across the full social gradient BUT
the prevalence of obesity in both the experimental group and the control group still increased.
Problem, the three major international studies of interventions have ‘not produced results of
sufficient magnitude to reduce the incidence of overweight or obesity’.
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Result doesn't justify the effort
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Regulation of food for quality and safety
2.
Colonial Victoria: severe alcohol addiction and dipsomania: colonial beers adulterated with
poisons because of poor manufacturing
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Colonial drinks far stronger than in Europe: beers - 5-6% more alcohol than in England; wine
50% more alcohol than in France; Victorian spirits - 32% proof. Spirits: local importers mixed
cheap UK gin, Brandy and “glasgow whisky” at 11d a gallon, mixed it with ‘plain spirit’ eg
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10: Managing and Preventing Metabolic Syndrome
Sunday, August 16, 2015
1:40 PM
Frontiers Page 1
