Where I Stand — Mike O’Callaghan: Changing diet signals

Thursday, June 22, 2000 | 9:31 a.m.

Mike O'Callaghan is the Las Vegas Sun executive editor.

Every other week Americans are given new information about how to eat better and live longer. Some people have come to believe that a bland diet doesn't help a person live longer, it only seems longer.

What has become especially confusing are the changing signals our government and hundreds of nutritionists pass on to us. We are told that coffee is bad for us and then that it's OK to drink coffee and a moderate amount may even have some value in promoting a healthy lifestyle. A few years ago we were told that eating a fiber-rich diet helps prevent colon cancer. Recently we have been told that two new studies raise questions about the value of a high-fiber diet as a cancer preventative.

I continued to drink coffee when it was on the bad list, and these recent negative high-fiber reports aren't going to encourage me to quit my high-fiber breads and cereals. The taste of hot coffee and oatmeal for breakfast gives me the start for a productive day. There's good reason to believe that a hot chocolate drink and Wheaties would be just as good for me.

Going from here to the conflicts obvious between the high-protein, low-carb diets and the lowfat, low-meat diets also can add to confusion. Then the change in the beliefs about values of vitamin E and vitamin C. Even the possibility that too much C may damage the heart has been tossed out for us to consider before popping too many in our mouths. Add to this the changing weights advised for a healthy body and it's enough for a guy to tell the bartender to draw another large beer.

Americans shouldn't believe they are the only people on Earth who are being given changing health messages by their government and by private institutional studies. The June 2 issue of London's Daily Express newspaper headlined a story with "Children growing up on a diet of death." Accompanying the story was a picture of an overweight child eating a snack while watching television. The National Diet and Nutrition Survey compared the diets of modern children with those of the 1950s following World War II.

The eye-catching headline was followed with:

"Children in Britain face serious illness and early death because their diets and lifestyles are so unhealthy.

"The health timebomb was revealed yesterday in the most comprehensive government report on the diet of children aged 4 to 18 in this country for 17 years.

"While children should eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, the survey shows on average children eat less than half this amount and one in five eat no fruit at all.

"While a third of 15 to 18-year-old girls smoke, only 20 percent eat citrus fruits.

"Overall, children are eating less fruit and vegetables than youngsters did 20 years ago even though research shows low consumption of these foods is linked to cancer deaths -- particularly bowel cancer -- and heart disease in later life."

The story in the London newspaper reminded me of several recent reports here at home. The diet of an average British 4-year-old starts with cereal and a soft drink. No, not fruit juice, but a fizzy drink like soda pop. I had to read no further to understand the concerns of the researchers.

The same newspaper gave its suggestions in an editorial:

"Pressure must be put on supermarkets to open outlets in less attractive low-income areas, to ensure that fruit and vegetables are available at an affordable price. But without proper home economics lessons in schools, any such attempt is doomed to failure. As in so many other areas, it's what happens at school that really counts."

When comparing the health concerns being expressed in Great Britain with those getting our attention here in the good ol' U.S. of A., I found one theme running through all of them in both countries. Let the Daily Express speak for both nations:

"Lack of exercise was another major concern. About a third of 7 to 14-year-old boys and more than half the 15 to 18-year-old boys failed to take part in a moderately intensive activity for an hour a day.

"For girls, more than half the 7 to 14-year-olds and more than two thirds of the 15 to 18-year-olds did not take part in any moderately intensive activity for an hour a day."

So get these kids out running and exercising right now. Just in case a new study comes out that reports there are some benefits gained from being lazy and obesity has some hidden values, don't call me, I'll call the researcher and ask for a copy of the study.