Sir, - In response to Kathryn Holmquist's feature "Guilt in the Gut" (Weekend, May 22nd), may I stress that the National Healthy Eating Campaign is not an anti-fat campaign. The central objective of the National Health Eating Campaign in 1999 is to encourage people to reduce their fat consumption and exercise regularly. The advice is that we should think "low fat, not diet".
Everyone, whether they are overweight or not, can benefit by making small changes to everyday eating habits:
looking carefully at portion sizes;
switching to low-fat foods and low-fat ways of cooking;
eating less high-fat food;
eating more fruit and vegetables;
eating more foods high in fibre;
exercising regularly.
This advice is also endorsed by the Irish Heart Foundation and the Irish Cancer Society.
A combination of low-fat healthy eating and daily exercise is the very best and healthiest way to lose weight and prevent weight gain. A recent survey conducted by Landsdowne Market Research of 1,400 adults nationwide found that a substantial number - 50 per cent - believe that this is the best approach. Forty-four per cent of people prefer walking as their form of exercise, which does not require a huge financial spend. It should be noted that the advice is to be a healthy weight, not a thin weight. It has been demonstrated that a modest weight loss of about 10kg results in significant health gain for most adults. The interest and demand for information during National Healthy Eating Week and afterwards does not indicate that the public view is one of "guilt-inducing hype".
To suggest that the campaign induced low self-esteem and anorexia among overweight adolescents is extreme. Dissatisfaction with body image is high among teenage girls. The reasons for this are complex. The fashion industry and the media also play their part in reinforcing the ultimate acceptable look among young adult females. - Yours, etc.,
Dr Nazih Eldin, Regional Health Promotion Officer, Health Promotion Department, North Eastern Health Board, Navan, Co Meath.