But Dr Elizabeth Dowler, of Warwick University's department of social policy and social work, is doubtful that unhealthy eating has much to do with the public's distrust of nutritionists: "There is a strong view that the trouble with nutritionists is they are always changing their minds, and I don't think it is particularly true. "There is such a plethora of contradictory medical warnings, that people don't know what is worthwhile and what is cranky," says Dr Peter Marsh, social psychologist and director of the science and research unit in Oxford. We've always been very conservative about accepting research." "In the past, we've had some adverse influences from people saying cholesterol didn't matter," says Poulter, "and there have been arguments about the harmfulness of salt in this country, when everyone else in the world acknowledges that there's too much salt and it's not necessary. This question of attitude might be linked to the vague British resentment of interference from the busy-body state and a suspicion of scientists who appear to change their minds every other week. Your attitude is dominated by where you're born and brought up and what is made available to you." "The problem is that in some European countries you just eat a more healthy diet because it's how you are brought up: to eat more fruit and vegetables and to drink wine, which is of course very good for your coronary arteries. "It has been apparent for quite a long time that we're high up in the coronary heart disease stakes - even in comparison with America and Australia." The study highlighted not only the relationship between diet and health, but between health and habit. "I'm worried about people thinking we are a healthy-eating nation," says Professor Klim McPherson, who contributed to the study. In the 70s, those on low incomes were 25% more likely to die from heart disease than those on high. Last April, a report entitled Looking to the Future was published, identifying the discrepancy in the amount of heart disease suffered by low and high-income brackets. The reasons are a combination of economic factors and national truculence. In France, that figure is 57 (which puts it at the head of the league), in Italy, 96, making it joint fourth with Luxembourg. In the UK, an average of 188 out of 100,000 people between the ages of 35-74 die each year from heart disease. The British breakfast has killed more people than the British army."įigures released by the British Heart Foundation put the death rate by coronary heart disease in this country at more than double that of France. "It is extraordinary that this notion persists. Yet when he appeared on a radio show to discuss the report yesterday morning, the first thing the presenter said was: "Come on, it's the Italians who eat all these creamy and fatty foods, not us." "I said absolutely not," says Poulter. More than 30% of the population do nothing whatsoever, apart from breathing. We've got high blood pressure, and we have too much salt in our diet. Look in the mirror again, says Neil Poulter, professor of preventive cardiovascular medicine at Imperial College, London, and this is what you should see: "We've got high levels of smoking we've got a high fat intake, cholesterol levels are up and we're overweight.
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