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How we are eating ourselves ill |
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We are fat. We know that. Chefs and doctors, footballers and even popstars tell us over and over again, in campaigns against the obesity epidemic. But now new data shows that an alarming number of us actually suffer from malnutrition.
Doctors estimate that more than three million people in the UK are malnourished. Most do not realise it, although diagnosis rates in hospitals have soared by 44% over the past five years. The most extreme cases echo symptoms found among famine victims in the developing world. Wasted limbs and pot bellies are being seen in hospitals here, where 40% cent of patients are thought to be malnourished. Marasmus, the protein deficiency most often seen in Africa, has been found among anorexic women here.
Adults may not realise they have serious problems. The national diet and nutrition surveys carried out by the Department of Health show two-thirds of women are short of vitamin B2, riboflavin, which can cause a range of illnesses (so are nearly a quarter of pre-school infants). Young men and women alike have high levels of the amino acid homocysteine, which indicates their vitamin levels are disturbed. Doctors believe our drinking culture must take part of the blame.
“ People are eating less home-cooked food and more junk, “ said Dr Colin Waine, “ Fast food can not only make you fat, it can also leave you malnourished. "I would definitely question the vitamin and mineral trace of some fast food outlets."
Hospital food also came under severe attack last year when the Government admitted that many elderly people were not getting enough vitamins, nutrients and fatty acids. “ The trouble is that most doctors were trained during a time when malnutrition appeared to have died out “, Dr Waine continued, " the best diet we had was during the First World War when we had a good rationing system - people had the right nutrients in the right amounts." |
