I refer to the letter (June 5) in which Steven Cilia provides readers with his views on modern nutrition and the Atkins Diet.

I would like to point out that the science of nutrition is, as all sciences, a constantly evolving one and, hence, may be greatly misunderstood by the public. The public's perception may be that scientists and experts are constantly changing their minds with regard to what constitutes a healthy diet. This is made worse by the vast amount of scientifically unfounded information which is given a great deal of prominence in the media. Unfortunately, the authors of this information may distort the scientific detail according to vested interests so that what is eventually presented to the public may not accurately represent the findings or may represent a biased view.

As the discipline of nutrition becomes more widely studied nationally and internationally, more knowledge is gained. However, as with all scientific research, more questions follow every scientific finding and consensus has then to be reached on what health message to convey to the public.

That is the role of national scientific expert committees and international organisations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO). These experts ensure that the advice carried by any public health message is based on strong and valid scientific evidence. Hence, the Health Promotion Department endorses the WHO's recommendations for healthy living.

WHO's advice is that a healthy lifestyle adds years to life and life to years. To ensure a healthy lifestyle, WHO recommends eating lots of fruits and vegetables, reducing fat, especially saturated fat, reducing sugar and salt intake, and exercising regularly, as depicted in WHO's food pyramid shown in The Times on May 21.

In a report entitled Food and Health in Europe: a New Basis for Action (WHO, 2004), WHO attributes the high prevalence of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disorders, bowel diseases, cancers and obesity in southern European countries to a pattern of nutrition transition.

The report states that, traditionally, diets in southern Europe were dominated by plant foods, fish, and olive oil. Countries such as Greece, Portugal and Spain show some evidence of moving from Mediterranean-type diets to ones more like those in northern Europe, rich in meat and dairy products.

Scientists suggest that there is not one type of Mediterranean diet, although countries of the Mediterranean region traditionally all have high intakes of fruits and vegetables and low intakes of saturated animal fat. The region includes varied cultures, traditions, incomes and dietary habits and patterns, all of which are evolving with the impact of economic development and globalisation. The food supplies and therefore the diets of Europeans seem to be changing rapidly.

The nutrition transition is marked by a shift away from diets based on indigenous staple foods, such as grains, starchy roots and locally grown legumes, fruits and vegetables, towards more varied diets that include more processed food, more foods of animal origin, more added sugar, salt and fat, and often more alcohol. This shift is accompanied by reduced physical activity at work and leisure. Combined, these changes are leading to a rapid increase in obesity and its associated health problems.

The solution to these concerns is not to turn to drastic measures based on inconclusive scientific evidence but to empower and encourage the public to follow a healthy lifestyle based on WHO recommendations.

Until further evidence is collected and scientific committees agree on advocating a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet, as the Atkins Diet, the advice provided to the public can only be to follow our traditional diet, the Mediterranean diet, to strengthen its roots in our eating habits and to beware messages that are not endorsed by national health authorities and by WHO.

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