Meeting population dietary goals in Scotland and Malta: shared challenges and opportunities for learning.

Scotland and Malta share a high prevalence of overweight and obesity: around two-thirds of adults are overweight (including obese), and one-third are obese. Reducing this burden of overweight and obesity is a priority for both Scottish and Maltese Governments, which involves setting dietary goals and monitoring the progress of the population to meeting those goals, and developing policies to improve health. This commentary summarises the progress of Scotland and Malta to meeting dietary goals, challenges to meeting the goals, and actions being taken. Whilst dietary guidelines are in place in both countries, Malta has yet to estimate average population dietary intakes and is awaiting results from its first national survey. In Scotland however, there are various well established dietary surveys which can be used to inform the development of policy, yet little progress towards the Scottish Dietary Goals has been seen between 2001 and 2015, and the prevalence of overweight and obesity has not changed since 2008. In order for dietary goals to be met, dietary guidelines need to be promoted, understood, and translated into changes in dietary behaviour. However, barriers to behaviour change need to be addressed, with research required to design long-term interventions that are successful and cost-effective in all population groups. Scotland can learn from Malta’s dietary guidelines which treat fruit and vegetables as two separate groups, provide serving size and consumption guidelines, and incorporate the positive message to use herbs and spices for flavour. Also, Malta can learn from the methodologies of established Scottish and UK surveys to create their own programme of dietary surveys. The sharing of experiences of researchers, policy makers and health promoters in these countries is therefore beneficial for tackling the current obesity epidemic and promoting a healthier future

Oats and CVD risk markers: a systematic literature review.

High consumption of whole-grain food such as oats is associated with a reduced risk of CVD and type 2 diabetes. The present study aimed to systematically review the literature describing long-term intervention studies that investigated the effects of oats or oat bran on CVD risk factors. The literature search was conducted using Embase, Medline and the Cochrane library, which identified 654 potential articles. Seventy-six articles describing sixty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Most studies lacked statistical power to detect a significant effect of oats on any of the risk factors considered: 59 % of studies had less than thirty subjects in the oat intervention group. Out of sixty-four studies that assessed systemic lipid markers, thirty-seven (58 %) and thirty-four (49 %) showed a significant reduction in total cholesterol (2–19 % reduction) and LDL-cholesterol (4–23 % reduction) respectively, mostly in hypercholesterolaemic subjects. Few studies (three and five, respectively) described significant effects on HDL-cholesterol and TAG concentrations. Only three out of twenty-five studies found a reduction in blood pressure after oat consumption. None of the few studies that measured markers of insulin sensitivity and inflammation found any effect after long-term oat consumption. Long-term dietary intake of oats or oat bran has a beneficial effect on blood cholesterol. However, there is no evidence that it favourably modulates insulin sensitivity. It is still unclear whether increased oat consumption significantly affects other risk markers for CVD risk, and comprehensive, adequately powered and controlled intervention trials are required to address this question

Oats and bowel disease: a systematic literature review.

Whole-grain foods such as oats may protect against colorectal cancer and have benefits on inflammatory bowel disease and coeliac disease. The present study aimed to systematically review the literature describing intervention studies that investigated the effects of oats or oat bran on risk factors for bowel disease. A literature search was conducted using Embase, Medline and the Cochrane library, which identified 654 potential articles. Thirty-eight articles describing twenty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Two studies carried out in participants with a history of colorectal adenomas found no effects of increased oat-bran intake on indirect risk makers for colorectal cancer. One of two interventions with oat bran in patients with ulcerative colitis showed small improvements in the patients' conditions. Most of the eleven studies carried out in adults with coeliac disease showed no negative effects of uncontaminated oat consumption. The fourteen studies carried out in volunteers with no history of bowel disease suggest that oats or oat bran can significantly increase stool weight and decrease constipation, but there is a lack of evidence to support a specific effect of oats on bowel function compared with other cereals. A long-term dietary intake of oats or oat bran could benefit inflammatory bowel disorders, but this remains to be proven. A protective effect on colorectal adenoma and cancer incidence has not yet been convincingly shown. The majority of patients with coeliac disease could consume up to 100 g/d of uncontaminated oats, which would increase the acceptability of, and adherence to, a gluten-free diet

Cardiovascular benefits of lycopene : fantasy or reality?

Acknowledgements F. T. and S. M. are grateful for support from the Scottish Government (Rural and Environmental Science and Analytical Services). Financial Support F. T. and L. F. M. received funding from the UK Food Standard Agency for tomato and lycopene-related researchPeer reviewedPublisher PD

Sugar intake and dental decay : results from a national survey of children in Scotland

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Dietary patterns of school-age children in Scotland : association with socio-economic indicators, physical activity and obesity

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Estimation of food and nutrient intakes from food purchase data in Scotland, 2001-2015: report to Food Standards Scotland.

The aim of this study was to update annual trends in food consumption and nutrient intakes using the same robust secondary analysis methodology previously developed to convert purchase to consumption. This work is part of a rolling programme to update annual trends in food consumption and nutrient intakes. The purpose of this work was to obtain robust estimates of food consumption and nutrient intakes for 2013 to 2015 and update the report published in May 2015 for 2001 to 2012. Data since 2001 were combined for analysis in 3 year blocks. Key findings on the change between 2001-2003 and 2013- 2015. There was no significant change in intakes of fruit and vegetables, oil rich fish, totals fat and dietary fibre. Intakes of red and processed meat decreased. There was a reduction in free sugars. There was a small reduction in saturated fat. There was a small increase in energy density The results show the very slow rate of progress towards a diet that will improve and support the health of the Scottish population. Intakes of fruit and vegetables, oil rich fish, totals fat and dietary fibre remain too low and free sugars, total fats and saturated fats remain too high in relation to the Scottish Dietary Goals.The lack of progress toward most of the goals was apparent even amongst households in the least deprived areas

Polymorphisms in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene, intakes of folate and related B vitamins and colorectal cancer : a case-control study in a population with relatively low folate intake

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Socio-economic differences in diet, physical activity and leisure-time screen use among Scottish children in 2006 and 2010: are we closing the gap?

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Objectives: To investigate socio-economic differences in children’s diet, activity and inactivity and changes in these differences over 4 years during which new policies on food in schools were introduced. Design: Two cross-sectional surveys in which diet was assessed by food frequency questionnaire and physical activity and inactivity were assessed by interviewer-administered questionnaire. Socio-economic status was assessed by the area-based Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation. Setting: Scotland, 2006 and 2010. Subjects: 1,700 3-17 year olds in 2006 and 1,906 in 2010. Results: In both surveys there were significant linear associations between socio-economic deprivation and intakes of energy, non-milk extrinsic sugars (NMES) as % food energy, sugar-sweetened beverages, confectionery, crisps and savoury snacks and leisure-time screen use (all higher among children in more deprived areas) while intakes of fruit, fruit juice and vegetables showed the opposite trend. In 2010 children in more deprived areas engaged in more physical activity out of school than those in more affluent areas but between 2006 and 2010 there was an overall reduction in physical activity out of school. There was also a small but statistically significant overall reduction in intakes of confectionery, crisps and savoury snacks, energy and NMES and saturated fat as % food energy, but no statistically significant change in socio-economic gradients in diet or activity between the two surveys. Conclusions: Interventions to improve diet and physical activity in children in Scotland need to be designed so as to be effective in all socio-economic groups.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Food and drink purchasing habits out of school at lunchtime

Acknowledgements The survey was funded by the Food Standards Agency in Scotland (Contract FS424019 to the University of Aberdeen (2010)). The funders specified the design of the survey and reviewed the survey but played no role in the collection or analysis of the data or in the drafting and critical review of the manuscript. JIM, LCAC and GM acknowledge personal support from the RESAS, Scottish Government.Peer reviewedPublisher PD