It’s the time of year that everyone makes diet resolutions. It’s also time to reflect on some of the more startling diet revelations of 2008.
Some of the new ideas about nutrition have overturned long-held theories and beliefs, and have drastically changed how we view dietary intake and the use of certain mineral supplements.
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The proof of the pudding
2008 kicked off with The Biggest Loser SA and if there ever was a TV show to encourage anyone with weight issues to do something positive about their dilemma, then this was it. The three finalists each managed to lose in excess of 45kg, while Sharon, the ultimate winner, shed a total of 73,3kg.
The example set by of all the contestants, but particularly by these three, was an inspiration and can serve as a model to those of us who want or need to lose weight in 2009. It wasn't easy and it took guts and dedication, but Sharon and the other contestants showed South Africa that it's possible to lose unbelievable amounts of weight in a sensible way with a low-energy diet and lots of exercise.
Food – a burning issue
With stock markets and banks crashing, currencies devaluing at an alarming rate and desperate people all over the world rioting to demand food relief, the basic necessity of food was starkly brought to everyone’s attention in 2008.
Many South Africans and the population of Zimbabwe in particular, are staring famine in the face. Thousands, if not millions of people in our region are suffering from starvation.
We can but hope that 2009 will bring relief financially and that our government will come to the rescue of those who cannot feed themselves. After 2008, no one will ever take food for granted again.
Diet pills banned
Countless readers have complained bitterly that some of their favourite diet pills have been banned. In the first half of 2008, the Department of Health banned all over-the-counter sales of medications, including cold and 'flu treatments, and slimming pills that contain ephedrine or any of its derivatives.
Given the addictive nature of products containing ephedrine, it's understandable that people who have been using slimming pills for years, not only to suppress appetite but also for the ‘high’ they create, are now suffering from withdrawal symptoms.
If you're suffering from ephedrine withdrawal, consult your doctor or an addiction centre to help you get over your dependence.
Food scandals
Probably the most serious and damaging food scandal of 2008 was the discovery that milk producers in China were adding melamine, a synthetic compound used for the production of plastics, glue and fabrics, to foods such as milk to artificially and sometimes fatally boost their nitrogen content.
Thousands of innocent children became ill and some died because of this unscrupulous practice. Thanks to our membership of the global village, certain infant formulas had to be withdrawn from the South African market and a variety of Chinese products sold in South Africa were found to contain melamine.
This has been a terrible lesson that countries cannot just accept raw ingredients or foods from trading partners without rigorous testing. What still worries me is that it was evident that South Africa is not fully prepared when it comes to keeping a vigilant eye on the foods that enter our country.
The GI
The glycaemic index (GI) became more important in 2008 as more and more evidence showed that this is a good way of classifying foods to help consumers follow a balanced diet that will not make their insulin or blood-glucose values rise dramatically, thus causing overweight, diabetes and the metabolic syndrome.
More and more South African manufacturers are providing information about the GI values on the labels of the foods they sell, so that we can make informed choices.
The glycaemic load (GL), another concept that expresses the effect an entire meal will have on blood sugar and insulin values, also received considerable attention in 2008.
This is a more complicated concept that will take a bit longer to be used widely, but the most important thing to remember about both the GI and the GL, is that even if a food has a low GI and/or GL, overeating such a food will still lead to obesity. Just because a food has a low GI or a meal had a low GL doesn't mean that you can eat unlimited amounts without running the risk of gaining weight.
The calcium controversy
2008 was also the year in which New Zealand researchers identified the potential risks of taking calcium supplements.
The highly controversial finding that post-menopausal women who were taking calcium supplements had a higher risk of developing heart disease and strokes, alerted the nutrition community to the fact that it may be safer to obtain calcium from natural sources in a balanced diet.
It also highlighted the fact that calcium supplements need to contain vitamin D and vitamin K2 to ensure that the calcium is not deposited in the arteries, but in the skeleton.
Just as researchers questioned the use of vitamin supplements in 2007, the high intake of calcium from non-dietary sources has now been pinpointed as a potential problem.
Hopefully, additional research will sort out how we can balance our need for calcium to prevent osteoporosis and this newly identified risk. My advice is to stick to low-fat dietary sources of calcium such as fat-free milk, cottage cheese and yoghurt.
Obesity: the never-ending problem
The obesity epidemic was always in the news last year. Not a week went by without the media sharing startling statistics on how many adults and children are overweight or obese and lurid stories of the increasing number of airline passengers who require two seats, instead of one, to accommodate their girth.
But no new and effective solutions to this dilemma were published.
As graphically illustrated by the success of the South African Biggest Losers, the tried and trusted remedy of reducing your energy intake and upping your energy output is still the best advice if you want to lose weight. Keep this in mind when you make your New Year's resolutions.
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