Data from the National Food Survey (up to 2000) and the more recent Expenditure and Food
Survey (2001/02 onwards)
8 allow us to look at general trends in the British diet over time.
The percentage of total energy derived from total fat in the British diet is decreasing, but only
gradually, from around 40% in 1975 to just less than 37% in 2004/05. The type of fat eaten has
changed more significantly. The proportion of total energy derived from saturated fat fell from
around 19% in 1975 to just less than 15% in 2004/05. Consumption of both non-milk extrinsic
sugars
9 and fibre has not changed markedly in the last ten years (Table 1.3 and Figure 1.3a).
The Expenditure and Food Survey included food purchased outside of the home for the first time
in 2001/02, so only short term trends are available for such foods. The data showed that there
had been a slight decrease in the consumption of total fat and salt in foods purchased outside
the home over the past four years (Table 1.4).
The trends in fat consumption are associated with changes in food purchasing patterns. Since the
1970s there have been falls in the consumption of many different types of foods with a relatively
high total fat and saturated fat content, including whole milk and butter. There have also been
increases in the consumption of foods which are relatively low in total fat and/or saturated fat
such as reduced fat milks and spreads (Table 1.5 and Figures 1.5a, 1.5b, 1.5d and 1.5e).
Data from the Expenditure and Food Survey showed that between 1975 and 2004/05 the combined
consumption of fruit and vegetables rose only slightly (Fig 1.3c)
10. Data from the National Food
Survey and the Expenditure and Food Survey suggested that the total consumption of fresh fruit
had increased around fourfold since the early 1940s, but total consumption of fresh vegetables
had declined (Table 1.5 and Figure 1.5c).
http://www.bhf.org.uk/search/results.aspx?m=simple&q=coronary+heart+disease&p=51&subcon=BHF_main_site
This adds more detail to the above, the statistics on saturated fat are of particular interest.
Statistics on Obesity, Physical Activity and Diet: England, January 2008
Table 6.1 Page 127 Household food and drink purchases, 1974, 1995, 2002/03, 2004/2005 and 2005/06
http://www.ic.nhs.uk/webfiles/publications/opan08/OPAD%20Jan%202008%20final%20v7%20with%20links%20and%20buttons%20-%20NS%20logo%20removed%2020112008.pdf
Graham
Nullius in verba
1 comment:
Could it be the the replacement of saturated fats with lowfat alternatives be the cause of the obesity epidemic? The trends suggest obesity is still on the rise despite the reduction of saturated fat.
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