December 2011 Press Cuttings
The Daily Telegraph 28th December
Annual report highlights controversial health claims by celebrities
Celebrities misleading claims over detox treatments and vitamin supplements have been highlighted in a new report by scientists. Earlier this year, Cowell admitted to taking intravenous cocktails of vitamins C, B12 and magnesium to make him look and feel young. He described the experience as an incredibly warm feeling and even claimed to interrupt meetings while receiving the treatment. Ursula Arens, a dietitian at the British Dietetic Association said Cowell's vitamin injections were unlikely to be providing much benefit and that, unless a person had a particular vitamin deficiency, food intake should provide all the vitamins they need. "The absorption of vitamins is very efficient so apart from people who are very ill or have particular gut problems nearly all of what you eat is taken up by your body," she said. "If you are worried about not getting enough vitamins from food, and cannot change your diet, then vitamin supplements are a simple way to give you reassurance."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8980192/Simon-Cowell-Gwyneth-Paltrow-and-Nicole-Polizzi-make-celebrity-bad-science-list.html
The Daily Telegraph 26th December
Just a spoonful of malt extract could banish winter sniffles
Malt extract, the post-war tonic for children, has been relaunched. Though now mainly used in flavoured drinks and confectionery, after the war it was popular as a cheap dietary supplement for a generation of undernourished children who needed a high carbohydrate feed as well as more vitamins. So is malt extract the supplement answer to our winter prayers or just a nostalgic blast from the past? Dietitian Sian Porter, spokeswoman for the British Dietetic Association, says: “Malt extract contains some protein, calories, vitamins and minerals and easily digested simple sugars. She adds: “A tablespoon would give some nutrients and it wouldn’t be harmful,” she adds.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/children_shealth/8971466/Just-a-spoonful-of-malt-extract-could-banish-winter-sniffles.html
Yahoo UK and Ireland 23rd December
Our £600 million-worth of waste Christmas
We’ll spend £3.3 billion on food this Christmas but we’ll throw away a fifth of that, the equivalent of £600 million-worth, a study says. If you want to put your leftover food to use in your community, the British Dietetic Association (BDA) has launched a Christmas campaign called Mind The Hunger Gap. It’s asking people to not only call in on their elderly neighbours and friends during the festive period, but to take them some food.
South Wales Argus, 21st December
Council back hunger fight
Newport Council is signing up to the BDA’s Mind the Hunger Gap. The campaign calls on the public and dietitians to high-light the issue that around one million older people are suffering from malnutrition For more info visit www.mindthehungergap.com.
The Portsmouth News 20th December
How to survive the season without piling on the pounds
Most people indulge in a spot of over eating at Christmas but the BDA has warned that the average person will eat about 6,000 calories on Christmas Day alone. Just an extra 500 calories a day, that’s only two slices of Christmas cake can lead to weight gain of around five pounds a day. The BDA has some handy tips on how you can curb the cravings this year try make sure the only thing that’s stuffed is the turkey!
Plan ahead – if you’re going to eat out, eat smaller meals before hand and cut out any other treats.
Buffet table surfing – Don’t hover by the buffet table and if you do indulge, try and visit once using a smaller desert size plate
Supermarket sweep – When going to the shops, make a list and stick to it
Perfect portions – about a third of your plate should be vegetables
The Sun, 14th December
Thick and Thin
Skinny Peaches Geldof has been slammed for raving about a dangerous fad diet – eating no solid food for a month at a time. The telly host has come under scrutiny recently for her extreme weight loss. Now Sir Bob Geldof’s daughter has claimed she starves herself for several weeks in order to look thin. Cath Collins of the BDA said: “Peaches joins a long line of celebs who are brain-dead when it comes to nutrition. Peaches is at high risk of electrolyte abnormalities which could lead to acute cardiac arrest. Rapid dieting like this not only makes you lose muscle strength but wastes away your internal organs.”
http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/showbiz/tv/3997069/Peaches-Geldof-sparks-diet-anger.html
Metro 5th December
Berry-ing the myths of ‘superfoods’
Superfoods - It’s a buzzword many of us have been taken by, but is there such a thing as a superfood? Jacqui Lowdon of the BDA says people tend to connect the term superfood with exotic fruits. "At the BDA, we’d love to class all fruit and vegetables as superfoods, as they all have their own individual nutrient properties that help to promote good health and well being. Superfood is a great marketing term but we should be applying it to a wider variety of foods."
http://www.metro.co.uk/lifestyle/883697-berry-ing-the-myth-is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-superfood
Sunday Mirror 4th December
Starbucks sell festive coffee with almost 6oo calories in it
High street coffee giant Starbucks is selling a special Christmas drink containing a huge 579 calories... almost 90 more than a Big Mac. The venti eggnog latte, on sale for £3.55, carries an astonishing 73.8g of sugar, the equivalent of 17 teaspoons and 10.3g more than the recommended entire daily sugar intake for an adult. The 590ml drink’s 24.4g of saturated fat exceeds the advised 20g daily allowance for a woman and contains more than a quarter of their recommended daily calories. Dr Frankie Phillips of the BDA says:” To have such a massive amount of sugar and fat in one drink is alarming. The calories are the equivalent of a meal but it lacks any real nutrition.” http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/12/04/starbucks-sell-festive-coffee-with-almost-600-calories-in-it-115875-23607737/#ixzz1fkWaAuIy
BBC web 1st December
How much coffee is safe?
Large variations in the amount of caffeine present in coffees sold on the high street means our daily caffeine intake may be higher than we think. But is this a problem? How much caffeine is really safe to drink? Gaynor Bussell of the BDA says we should all try to drink coffee in moderation while paying attention to our own bodies. “Different People have different tolerances. Some people react strongly to caffeine, some don’t. It’s a question of knowing your own limit and knowing your own body. "If you enjoy a cappuccino in the morning then that's fine, but if you start to get palpitations, you're running to the toilet or noticing an increase in nervousness and sleeplessness, you should probably cut back your caffeine intake." The general advice is that four or five cups of coffee a day is safe, around 400mg of caffeine. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15982904