February 3, 2004 Healthy eating@foodwatch February news from the nutrition team at www.foodwatch.com.au   * *   THE COST OF BEING SLIM Young Australian women aged 18-32 years spend $414 million a year on losing weight and trying to keep it off, according to researchers from Deakin University Victoria. Regardless of whether they’re overweight or not, here’s where their money goes (in descending order): Commercial weight loss  organizations Gym memberships and visits Buying exercise equipment Consultation with a professional (dietitian or doctor) Hiring a personal trainer Visit to health centre Slimming medications Special diet foods Meal replacements (frozen dinners, shakes, bars) Reference: Kylie Ball, Sari Andajani-Sutjahjo and David Crawford The costs of weight control: what young women pay. Med J Aust 2003; 179 (11/12): 586     * *   WHY WE’RE GETTING FATTER We live in an ‘obesogenic world’ where everything is contrived to make you put on weight, say two leading Australian professors.  Here’s their list: Labor saving gadgets Drop in daily exercise Watching too much TV Driving everywhere in the car Worries about safety so less walking and cycling Less manual work, more technology and mechanization Decline in cooking skills for healthy meals Wide availability of cheap junk food and soft drinks Bigger portion sizes Marketing of high-kilojoule nutrient-poor drinks and high-fat takeaways Lack of time to cook healthy meals Poor quality vegetables in rural areas Reference: Catford J and Caterson I. Snowballing obesity: Australians will get run over if they just sit there. Med J Aust 2003;179:577-579     * *   HELP FOR ALLERGY A new website from the respected Allergy Unit at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney has just been launched with excellent material which we can highly recommend.  It offers a wide range of helpful dietary material. You’ll find easy information sheets for wheat-free, milk-free and other food sensitivities, a video and poster to order for schools, a simplified elimination diet plan (also in booklet form) and patient’s FAQ. Go to www.cs.nsw.gov/rpa/allergy for more.     * *   ENERGISE YOUR LIFE AT MOTHERINC Hear Catherine speak on how to eat for energy and recharge the batteries.  MotherInc. invites you to join in an entertaining, early evening event to hear from Catherine and Celebrity Chef Matthew Moran at his Aria restaurant at Sydney Harbour.   If you have too many chores on your plate, come and unload and have fun learning a few tricks on the easiest ways to feed your body the right high-octane fuel! To book, go to Motherinc website or call 02 9948 3655.   When:  Thurs Mar 11 Where: ARIA Restaurant,  1 Macquarie Street, Sydney Harbour Time: 6.30pm-8.30pm.     * *  Pecans get a low GI Nuts don’t generally get analysed for their GI as they contain too little carbohydrate. Peanuts (botanically a legume) and cashews are the only two to be listed in The New Glucose Revolution with a GI of 14 and 22 respectively.  Now Sydney Uni has tested Stahmann Farms’ pecans (10g carbohydrate portion) to report that they have an extremely low GI of only 10.    This adds to the growing list of pecans’ benefits, such as their high monounsaturated fat and dietary fibre content, all of which make them a healthy snack for people with diabetes.   To prove the point, research findings from the on-going Nurses Health Study in the USA demonstrated for the first time in 2002 that there is an association between increased nut consumption and reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, paving the way for future research.  For more, visit www.stahmannfarms.com.au or www.glycemicindex.com.   (Ref:  Jiang R, Manson JE, Stampfer MJ, Liu S, Willett WC, Hu FB. Nut and peanut butter consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes in women. JAMA 2002; 288:2554-60)     * *   CITRUS FRUIT MAKE VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION Citrus fruit make an important contribution to our diet and can reduce the risk of cancer and stroke, says a new report The Health Benefits of Citrus Fruits. Prepared by CSIRO Health Sciences and Nutrition Consumer Science program, the report is the most extensive review of citrus research to date and table 48 studies to show a protective effect of citrus. The full report, colour summary booklet and nutrient tables are available from the Citrus Growers website at www.austcitrus.org.au.     * *   NATIONAL FRUIT & VEGETABLE CAMPAIGN KICKS OFF The Australian Fruit and Vegetable Coalition (AFVC) launched their business plan last December with a new report entitled “Better Health: It’s Simple”, a 20-page colour book that itemizes the benefits of eating more fruit and vegetables and calls for support and funding. To run an effective national campaign, the AFVC needs to raise $15m over the next 3 years.  You can obtain a copy of the report or put in an expression of interest on 02 8295 2300 or afvc@horticulture.com.au.     * *  CATHERINE’S TIP FOR BUSY BODIES Always on the run?  Eating too much fast food? This is what I’ve found works for me.  I cook extra vegetables and pasta (or rice) at night and then pack them into a plastic container to take to work the next day, topped with a small can of tuna or slices of barbecue chicken or an avocado. Throw in a single sachet of salad dressing to drizzle over – there’s an instant lunch when you need it.     * * PAST EDITIONS OF THIS E-NEWSLETTER If you enjoy reading this newsletter, you can find older issues archived on our website. Go to www.foodwatch.com.au     * *   WHAT’S ON - AUSTRALIA   February 13-17  13th Symposium on Australian Gastronomy. Orange NSW   April 26-30  18th World Conference on Health Promotion and Health Education: Valuing diversity, reshaping power: exploring pathways for health and wellbeing Melbourne Victoria   May 20-22 Dietitians Association of Australia 22nd Annual Conference - Growing Dietetics, Melbourne, Victoria   July 4-9 24th Biennial National/International Conference - Keeping the Dream Alive. Wollongong, NSW   July 25-28 37th AIFST Convention - Innovation, Concept, Creation, Commercialisation. Brisbane, QLD.   August 11-13   World Congress of Clinical Nutrition IUNS Optimal Health through sustainable Nutrition. Brisbane, QLD   August 26-28 National SARRAH Conference - Services for Australian Rural and Remote Allied Health. Alice Springs, Northern Territory   October 10-16 National Nutrition Week – Eating Well, Active Longer   October 4-8 Australian Gastroenterology Week. Brisbane, QLD     * *   WHAT’S ON - INTERNATIONAL April 21-23 MeDiet - Traditional Mediterranean Diets - Past, Present and Future. Athens, Greece   May 28-31 XIV International Congress of Dietetics Chicago Illinois USA.   June 9-12  5th International Conference on Nutrition and Fitness, Athens Greece   June 19-22 12th International Congress on Nutrition and Metabolism in Renal Disease Venice, Italy   October 2-5 ADA Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo. Anaheim, California, USA     Catherine Saxelby and Karen Kingham Nutritionists and accredited practicing dietitians   www.foodwatch.com.au For the facts – not the fads – on healthy eating   * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   You have received this e-newsletter because you previously registered by email at our website www.foodwatch.com.au.   Feel free to forward this to a friend or colleague. If you've been forwarded this monthly ad-free e-newsletter, you can have it delivered direct to you by subscribing at www.foodwatch.com.au.