Annual membership (subscriber) of HEC for only Au$29.95 (inc. GST) More.....

All members get:
- access to the on-line book "Food Facts" on CD-rom by Professor Wahlqvist
- access to do our body image module on-line
- member discounts for all our on-line healthy eating course modules

HEC short on-line Healthy Eating course ( 5 modules, $195) More ....
The HEC website is the only website currently offering on-line reputable course modules for the
general public in nutrition.

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SUBSCRIBE TO: Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition (APJCN) AU$135/year includes hard copy plus on-line access (via this website). FOUR issues plus supplements (based on International Nutrition Conferences) per year. APJCN is included in the key medical databases (e.g MEDLINE). To view SUBSCRIPTION FORM click here
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HEC FACT SHEETS (co-authored with Victorian Government Better Health Channel website)

When your cholesterol is stuck - what then? by Professor Wahlqvist More

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WHAT'S NEW IN NUTRITION RESEARCH

More evidence on the benefits of the traditional Greek diet

Researchers from the University of Athens Medical School (Professor Antonia Trichopoulou and colleagues) conducted a study on 22,000 adults in Greece and followed them up after 4 years to determine if sticking to a traditional mediterranean (Greek) diet reduced the risk of death. The results were published in the New England of Journal of Medicine 2003 (June vol 348, no 26). The traditional Greek diet was defined as small amounts of red and white meat, larger amounts of fish, lots of vegetables, legumes, fruit and nuts, moderate alcohol with meals and low dairy intake in the form of cheese and yoghurt and fat mostly as olive oil. After taking into account the exercise levels, body fatness and smoking they found that a higher degree of adherence to the traditional dietary pattern was associated with a reduction in total mortality, cardiac and cancer mortality. For the subjects aged over 55 who had substantially reduced his or her meat consumption and took in more olive oil, the risk of dying from any cause fell by 25% during the 4 years. Associations between individual food groups and total mortality were generally not significant - in other words one had to follow the total dietary pattern to get the health benefits.

HEC's Professor Mark Wahlqvist and Dr Antigone Kouris-Blazos have also published similar findings on research they conducted on elderly Greeks in Greece (British Medical Journal, 1995) and Greek and Anglo-Celtic Australians (British Journal of Nutrition, 1999).

For more information on the Mediterranean diet see HEC's fact sheet

Does the fashion industry need to change garment sizing?

A study on 5000 women found that women are taller and around 20% heavier than they were 60 years ago when the last major statistics were collected. Women are trying to fit into clothes based on sizes from decades ago when in reality bodies have changed. The study was conducted by fashion designer and researcher Daisy Veitch and Adelaide anatomist Professor Maciej Henneberg; the researchers reported that "the women who can't find clothing that fits them are normal, average, usual human beings and that the industry should cater, not for the idealised image but for robust reality". They also believe that the clothing industry should change the sizing to fit the majority of people, rather than people having to lose weight to fit whatever clothes are there. This story was reported on the ABC website.

Related HEC articles: Women's proportions larger

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RESOURCES ON THE WEB

Vegetarian diets.
The American dietetic Association and the Dietitians of Canada issued a position statement based on 256 references to research studies. They conclude that vegetarian diets must be carefully planned to avoid deficiencies of calcium, zinc, iodine, vitamin B12, vitamin D and omega 3 fatty acids. Otherwise, if nutritionally adrequate, they provide health benefits in prevention and treatment of certain diseases. See also HEC fact sheet.
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