Older people eat better—survey

Press, 4 May 1988, Page 26

Older people eat better —survey

PA Dunedin Middle-aged people may be eating better food, according to a recent survey. Middle-aged men and women in South Canterbury and North Otago took part in the survey. Results reported in the "Medical Journal” show welcome signs that dietary habits are improving.

It was made by the Wellcome Medical Research Institute and the Otago University Medical School.

A seven-day dietary history was obtained in October, 1985 from 99 men and 82 women who were not taking any anti-dia-betic or anti-hypertensive medicine.

Many of the people surveyed, especially the women, claimed to have decreased their total food, fat, salt, meat eggs and milk intakes and to have increased their vegetable and fish consumption, says the survey. “From the main dietary survey results, it appears there has has been a shift towards a reduction in

energy from fat and a reduction in cholesterol consumption since 1977.” The report says the intakes of minerals and vitamins among those sur-. veyed were adequate but notes a potential problem. It says 23 per cent of the men and 78 per cent of the women had dietary copper intakes below M. 8.1. (minimum safe intakes).

“Calcium, zinc and riboflavin intakes for some women lay below M.BJ. and could be a concern. Vitamin D intakes were low but this is not a problem if individuals are not confined to indoors.” A curious feature of the survey was the low energy intake for the women, only 60 per cent of the intake for men.

“The corresponding value in the national diet, survey (in 1977) was 69.5 per cent and for a study in Denmark 76 per cent. More women than men claimed to have reduced their energy intake in the last year,” the report says. "The findings are compatible with this but the extent of reduction seems

remarkable. It has at present undoubtedly become fashionable, especially among women, to eat less and this may have led to .a tendency to underestimate the amount of food eaten.”

The report draws a blank as far as alcohol consumption is concerned. “Alcohol consumption is known to be under-re-ported, particularly in those individuals who drink the most,” it says. “In addition, though we have no definite data on this point, there may well have been a tendency for those with the heaviest intakes not to have attended the survey.” The report recommends continued monitoring of the dietary habits of New Zealanders to see if they are moving in the right direction.