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Ms Rosemary Abetz-Rouse
3/8A Heretaunga Avenue
Onehunga
AUCKLAND 1061
Dear Ms Abetz-Rouse
Thank you for your letter of 26th March 2007 about the place of full-fat milk in a child's diet. You also enclose your review of literature on the matter.
The Ministry of Health continues to work on the Food and Beverage Classification System and is expecting this system to be launched early in Term 3 of this year. Two classification systems have been developed by the Ministry , one for schools and one for early childhood education services. The classification system is part of a wider government initiative that aims to improve nutrition within these educational environments.
As you are aware, the Food and Beverage Classification System classifies foods and beverages into categories based on nutritional criteria. The criteria are based on Food and Nutrition Guidelines for healthy infants and toddlers (0-2 years), children (2-12 years) and adolescents. This guideline series is specific to various ages and stages of life, is evidence based and reflects the current scientific nutrition-related literature.
The Ministry of Health recognises that fat is an important source of energy and is an essential component of the diet as it provides essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins required by the body. It is recommended that children gradually adopt a diet that meets adult fat intake recommendations (total fat intake 30 to 33 percent) by about five years of age.
You may know that the 2002 National Children's Nutrition Survey of 5 – 14 year old children showed that, on average, New Zealand children consumed 33 percent of their total energy intake from fat, and saturated fat was the major contributor to fat intake. As children grow older, they eat a variety of foods and obtain fat from many sources in the diet. In adults, total and saturated fat intakes are above the recommended levels, and a reduction in total and saturated fat intake is encouraged at a population level. The recommendation regarding lower-fat milks for children is one way of promoting moderate fat intakes and encouraging a variety of nutritious foods. It is important to note that both reduced and whole-fat milks remain available, and consumers are able to make choices about which product they purchase.
Due to research that provided strong feedback, the Food and Beverage Classification System will not now incorporate the 'traffic light' concept as originally described to you. Instead, the three classification groups will be named 'everyday', 'sometimes' and 'occasional'. The aim of the classification system is to assist schools to provide more 'everyday' foods and beverages. These foods and beverages are rich in nutrients, including micronutrients, and are generally low in saturated fat and/or salt/or sugar.
The Food and Beverage Classification System will support the work of the Ministry of Education and will help schools and early childhood education services implement that Ministry's recently launched Food and Nutrition for Healthy, Confident Kids: Guidelines to Support Healthy Eating Environments in New Zealand Early Childhood Education Services and Schools.
Thank you for providing a reference to Professor Elwood's study in milk consumption. I am advised that the study you cite gathered data from 665 men from an original cohort of 2512 men, not 200,000 men as you suggest. It is also important to note that an epidemiological study does not demonstrate a cause and effect relationship but rather an association or link, which may or may not prove to be real when a controlled trial is undertaken. Public health policy is based on a body of strong scientific evidence. Recommendations that affect the whole population are not normally developed based on a single studies or studies that are only epidemiological or ecological in nature.
The Ministry of Health's Nutrition and the Burden of Disease: New Zealand 1997-2001 reports an estimated 11,000 deaths in 1997 (40 percent) may have been attributable to the joint effect of sub-optimal diet and physical activity levels. This figure includes over 85 percent of ischaemic heart disease and 70 percent of stroke mortality. Sub-optimal diet and physical activity factors that were assessed included systolic blood pressure, total blood cholesterol, vegetable and fruit intake, and body mass index. High total cholesterol is positively associated with saturated fat intake and was one of the three major modifiable causes of premature death in New Zealand in 1997. If you are interested, you can view this publication on the Ministry of Health's website (www.moh.govt.nz/foodandnutrition).
Thank you for your interest in this important area. I trust the information clarifies the situation for you.
Yours sincerely
Hon Pete Hodgson
Ministry of Health
19 June 2007
Hon. Pete Hodgson
The New Zealand Ministry of Health
Box 5013
WELLINGTON
Dear Pete Hodgson,
Thank you for your response and consideration of our argument for the continued use of full-fat milk as part of a child's nutritional requirements.
You point out that we misquoted a study by Prof. Peter Elwood. We should have quoted the second of the papers published by him in the May 2004 issue of the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, rather than the first (Elwood PC, Pickering J E, Fehily AM, et al., "Milk drinking, ischaemic heart disease and ischaemic stroke. II. Evidence from cohort studies," Eur J Clin Nutr 2004, 58:718-24).
With regard to his first paper of May 2004, we would like to clarify that the study of 665 men used food diaries to get a more complete idea of the full diet. The 665 men were a subgroup of the 2512 in the cohort, who were also studied but without food diaries. The results for the 665 men and the 2512 were in total agreement despite different measurement methods. In Prof. Elwood’s second paper of May 2004, a full compilation of all cohort studies identified from the literature (which included 200,000 men) also produced the same results.
One of the findings of the first paper was the dose response nature of milk consumption and better metabolic health. Without having a perfectly controlled experiment, this form of result is generally the best one can obtain in nutritional studies. While lifestyle factors can play an important role in such results, it should be noted that taken as a whole it is good news for whole-milk drinkers, whatever the reason is.
Given that the Ministry assures us that such studies are not up to the quality it requires to make policy decisions, we feel it only right to ask what studies the Ministry is relying on that show the added health benefits of fat-reduced milk over whole unprocessed milk. Your reply hints that the correlation between heart disease and cholesterol levels, and further, the correlation between saturated fat intake and cholesterol levels, is proof enough of the advantage of low-fat milk over full-fat milk.
While we do not deny the existence of these correlations, we do note that these also are mere correlations and not proof of a causal relationship.
Regards,
Rosemary Abetz-Rouse
3-8A Heretaunga Ave Onehunga 1061 NZ |
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5 Comments
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Comment By: Brenda Courtney |
11:11AM 5/7/2007 |
| Thanks! I got very sick from the low fat and low salt message on tvnz. I am also trying to discuss the matter with Pete Hodgson, but am getting the same response as you. The fat has 4 vitamins in it. Vitamins A, D, E, and K. So it\'s very important. I have also done research about it. Both fat and salt help stop diabetes. I was diagnosed with diabetes, a gallstone, and have had trouble with my brain, heart, liver, bladder and bowels. The fat stops gallstones, and helps your brain, heart, liver, bladder and bowels function. I ended up with no energy. Vitamin A and E in the fat help stop infection. I ended up with so much infection. Vitamin D in the fat helps your muscles function. And Vitamin K in the fat helps your blood clot. Vitamin D from the sun does not get through sunblock either. Fat helps your organs function, and helps keep you hydrated. Fat stops you getting dryness or rashes on your skin. If you have dryness on your skin or rashes, it means your liver is not working properly. Fat helps your liver function. You can email me. I was 14 when I listened to the low fat and low salt message on tvnz. So over 25 years of my life have been effected. I have been vomiting and had diarohea for over 6 years, and had an upset tummy before that, so I\'ve been very sick for a very long time. I ended up with a fever. The doctors have not been able to get my blood sugar level down, and assumed I was vomiting because they were high, instead of because I had an infection, or so much infection. I just vomited again this morning, and my cat jumped in it, because I\'ve been too sick to clean it up. There is no personal care available to me. I only get 5 hours of home care a week. I cannot do dishes or bath. I am just expected to put up with that. You are welcome to bring up my case with Pete Hodgson if you want. I am happy to help with information about the milk and my case etc. Whole fat milk has the potassium and magnesium that help the heart. And the salt also helps the heart. I read an article about cholestrol, which appeared to suggest that it helps fight infection, so it is also important, and must have an important role to play. Yes, fat gives you energy. I ended up with none. Not even the energy to feed my animals, or look after myself. Margarine is one step away from being plastic. I read about it. Vitamin A in the fat helps your eyesight. I was going blind. Vitamin E in the fat helps your hormonal things. I am here to help you. My address is *****, Kaikohe, Northland, 0405. New Zealand. Phone number is: ** *****. |
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Comment By: Brenda Courtney |
11:36PM 9/7/2007 |
| Both salt and fat also help stop infection. The fat helps you absorb the salt to stop infection. |
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Comment By: Brenda Courtney |
1:15AM 30/7/2007 |
| When I contacted TVNZ about the fact that I got sick from their messages, they were only concerned about their income. The doctors have given me 10 years to go blind, and 15 years to live. |
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Comment By: Brenda Courtney |
1:20AM 30/7/2007 |
| I was also on that Avandia tablet that they use for diabetes, and am offended that they are putting people at risk, especially since they are still allowed to prescribe it. |
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Comment By: Brenda Courtney |
1:23AM 30/7/2007 |
| I am not on it now, but they still expected me to take medication/s even though they did not work. One cost $90 a month - which was the Avandia. |
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Current Poll Results
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The milk I consume most is: |
Naturalea 4% unhomogenised (
13 %)
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Farmhouse (4%) unhomogenised (
5 %)
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Standard (3.3%) homogenised (
8 %)
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Low Fat Milk Homogenised (
33 %)
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Real Farm Milk - non pasteurised (
41 %)
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