April 2003 Newsletter

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 (MEDLINE, APAIS, Australian Medical Index, CAB International, Chemical Abstracts Service, Current Contents/Clinical Medicine, Current Opinion, ISI Alerting Service, Science Citation Index)

To view abstracts from the first issue this year (published March 2003) on HEC website click here (only current subscribers to APJCN have access to full papers publsihed in 2003)

T o view FREE samples of papers published in past issues of APJCN on the

Monash University APJCN website (vol 1-7) click here OR
Blackwell Publishing website (vol 8-11) click here

ISSUES PRIOR TO 2003 ON CD-ROM:
The consolidated journal volumes 1 to 11 can be purchased on CD-Rom for AU$170 (US$100) by using the subscription form below.

To view SUBSCRIPTION FORM for APJCN
click here

_______________________________________________________________
ORDER NOW!
(Bulk Orders only by Food Service/Workplace/Businesses)
AU$64 (+GST) for 144 biscuits - less than 50cents a biscuit

AT LAST!
A nutritious satisfying biscuit (called "CLUBS") containing 14 natural nutritious ingredients. CLUBS were developed by HEC's nutrition scientists
in the interest of better health - the aim was to produce a biscuit which provided more nutrition for every calorie.
Compared with some 'diet' biscuits, CLUBS have (per 100g):
5-10% less calories
80% more protein
70% less saturated fat
25% less sugar
250% more fibre
50% less salt
This delicious premium biscuit is ideal for morning/afternoon tea at work or for serving to patrons of cafes/restaurants, hotels or to residents of hostels/retirement villages More....
____________________________________________________________

FREE On-line wellness program (WOLP) - for those of you who registered to participate in WOLP, we will be commencing the study at the end of APRIL 2003. ____________________________________________________________

HEC FACT SHEETS

Update on Fibre

Did you know that a high fibre diet may not prevent or cure constipation unless you drink enough water every day. Some high fibre breakfast cereals may have around 10g of fibre per serve and if this cereal is not accompanied by enough fluid - it may, in fact, cause constipation. Many Australians consume about 20g of fibre per day - yet the recommended intake is at least 30g per day of fibre. How easily can this be achieved
with food? more .......
__________________________________________________________________________

WHAT'S NEW IN NUTRITION RESEARCH

Artifical sweetener 'Aspartame' (Equal) and health

The European Union's Scientific Committee of Food reviewed all the scientific research to date on aspartame and concluded that aspartame use (even at high intakes) was not linked to any health problems such as headaches, epilepsy, brain tumors and other illnesses. The report can be found at:

http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk/mulimedia/pdfs/aspartameopinion.pdf

 

Portion size and obesity

Two US studies published this year have shown that the portion size of meals and snack foods eaten at home and at restaurants (including fast food outlets) in the US have increased over the last 20 years. It is suspected that this 'portion distortion' may be contributing to the rising prevalence of overweight and obesity in the US and probably also in Australia.

Many people are unfamiliar with recommended portion sizes - for some a portion is whatever fills their plate - but one serving of cooked rice or pasta, for example, is only 1 cup (which fills only about one third of your plate) and one serving of meat is about 100g (which is the size of a pack of cards). Have a look at HECs Healthy Eating Pyramid for recommended portion sizes.

The study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in January 2003 by Nielsen & Popkin http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/289/4/450
reported that portion sizes for most foods served in the home and at restaurants in the US have increased; 93 more calories are consumed in a serving of salty snacks, 49 calories more in soft drinks, 50 more in fruit drinks, 97 more in hamburgers and 133 more from Mexican food. Most of the increases were in fast food establishments except for hamburgers, cheese burgers and desserts where the increases were greater at home than outside. The only takeaway food which didn't change was pizza.

Another study published in the January 2003 Journal of the American Dietetic Association reporetd that portion sizes increased significantly between 1990 and 1995 for soft drinks, coffee, tea, and ready-to-eat cereal.

The authors concluded that it is not enough for health professionals to recommend the right foods to eat - we also have to control the quantity as well.

At the healthy eating club our recommendation is:
"A moderate intake of a variety of foods is the key to
good health and environmental sustainability"

________________________________________________________________________

RESOURCES ON THE WEB

Australian Consumers Association - Healthy Eating Guidelines
http://www.choice.com.au/articles/a103594p1.htm

New Obesity Library topic on the ABC website
http://www.abc.net.au/health/regions/library/obesity.htm

________________________________________________________________________

If you like this newsletter, then tell a friend