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Mike
Lean
We all
know what we SHOULD be eating -- so why are most Scots still
ignoring the public health messages about diet and
nutrition?
The
nutritional arguments for 5-a-day (or more) are rock-solid.
People who do eat 5 or more portions of fruit and veg have
better health on all fronts (less heart disease, fewer
strokes, less diabetes, fewer cancers) and live longer and
happier lives. Vitamin C, folate, carotenoids, flavonoids,
fibre and potassium all provide health benefits with
virtually no down-side. And the argument also holds true
for Scottish Agriculture: we could increase ten-fold our
production of high-quality fruits and vegetables - now
limited mainly to berries, root veg and broccoli - as our
land and climate are ideal for many others (apples, plums,
onions, beans, and salad greenhouse vegetables using waste
heat from all those distilleries - there is almost no
end!). There is no nutritional benefit from going
'Organic', so we can keep the message simple – and we can
also demand that the supermarkets stock local produce, warts
and all.
Early
exposure through fruit in schools is a great step forward,
but we’re not using Scottish produce. So is the answer to
“grow local” and “eat local” with our own Scottish
supermarkets and caterers? And what do we have to do to
influence the people who control the Nation's food supply?
Mike
Lean is chair and
head of the department of Human Nutrition at the University
of Glasgow. |
