Change in eating habits

Press, 21 June 1984, Page 16

Change in eating habits

The eating habits of New Zealanders have changed dramatically during the last 20 years, according to an article in this month’s “New Zealand Medical Journal.” Dr J. M. Carrington, a lecturer in biochemistry at the University of Otago, said this compared with very little change in food consumption figures for the first half of this century.

During the last 20 years the energy consumed per

person had decreased, but was still more than needed. The consumption of cereals had also decreased, but Dr Carrington said this probably did not affect the amount of fibre eaten because the consumption of a wide variety of fruit and vegetables had increased. There had been a big increase in the consumption of foods containing a high proportion of polyunsaturated fat, but the consumption of meat containing a high proportion of saturated fat, eggs, and fish had not changed much. During the last 10 years the amount of fat consumed per person had. dropped slightly, but the percentage of animal sourced food had remained high. Sucrose consumption had fallen. After years of soaring

alcohol consumption figures there were signs that a plateau had been reached, Dr Carrington said. The annual increase in beer consumption had stopped during the last 10 years and in the last six years there had also been a halt in the annual increase of spirits consumption. Dr Carrington said she did not know whether the changes had resulted from advice from clinicians and nutritionists, or changes in the availability of foods and fashion.

However, if New Zealanders were prepared to change their eating habits it was important that the views of nutritionists and clinicians were widely publicised so that people would know the most prudent course to take.