Nutrition (Hansard, 20 July 1999)

§ Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
My Lords, the Government's programme for monitoring nutritional status has shown that although most people are adequately nourished, there is a persistent rise in obesity. Eating a healthy and balanced diet and keeping physically active help people to maintain a healthy body weight. These messages are at the heart of the Government's health strategy.

§ Baroness Gardner of Parkes
My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. Is he aware that the Malnutrition Advisory Group of academics, hospital doctors, dieticians and members of primary care groups was set up last month because of concern that people are not aware of the nutritional status of the community? Some 15 per cent of children and up to 40 per cent of adults who are admitted to hospital are found to be suffering from malnutrition. In many cases it continues while they are in hospital and they then lose even more weight. Does the Minister think that the advisory group will influence people and make them aware of this problem?

§ Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
Yes, my Lords. I take the opportunity to welcome the formation of the group. I am sure that the Department of Health, in particular, will welcome continuing dialogue with that group, 809 which is drawing attention to some very important issues. No doubt many challenges face hospitals in dealing with the problem of ensuring that people receive appropriate food in hospital. The Government are very concerned to make sure that that happens.

§ Baroness Masham of Ilton
My Lords, how much domestic science is taught in schools? Would not it be a good idea to encourage children to cook vegetables and to eat healthily so that they do not become overweight and develop diabetes in the future?

§ Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
My Lords, I am sure all parents would welcome that. I am glad to say that there is a programme of teaching children to cook and giving them advice about balanced and proper diets. We expect that by the end of this summer some 15,000 children will have been through that programme.

§ Lord Clement-Jones
My Lords, on the issue of malnutrition in hospitals, the Minister is no doubt aware of the Nuffield Trust report which showed that there were levels of malnutrition both on entry to hospital and on exit. Will the department ask the National Institute for Clinical Excellence to issue guidelines on nutrition for hospitals?

§ Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
My Lords, my understanding is that the National Institute for Clinical Excellence does not consider malnutrition to be within its remit. However, we are taking the report seriously and considering our response to it. It is quite clear that the boards of NHS trusts need to ensure that proper programmes are introduced, and that monitoring takes place, with regard to the way in which food is provided in hospitals. The Commission for Health Improvement will take hospital nutrition into account in its rolling programme of local reviews.

§ Lord Acton
My Lords, are there any national statistics on the number of cases of anorexia? If so, are these rising or falling?

§ Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
My Lords, the noble Lord raises a very important question. My understanding is that one to two young women per thousand develop anorexia. As noble Lords will know, this can cause long-term ill health and in some cases, regrettably, death. Although most mild eating disorders can be managed within primary care, people with severe disorders should be, and are, referred to specialist assessment areas, including for medical and psychiatric assessment. The broader question of young people being pre-occupied to an unhealthy extent with their weight needs to be tackled.

§ The Lord Bishop of Hereford
My Lords, the Minister has rightly drawn our attention to the importance of eating disorders and obesity. Is he aware that a significant cause of malnutrition in many parts of our society is poverty, particularly among the long-term unemployed? Are the Government aware of the work 810 that is being done by the Zaccheus Trust to establish minimum levels of food in relation to income support levels? Is he conscious that there is a problem, and are the Government determined to address it? Work is being done by many organisations, but perhaps I may draw the Minister's attention in particular to the work that is being done by Reverend Professor Nicholas Sagovsky at Newcastle University.

§ Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
My Lords, the matter needs to be considered in the context of the Government's efforts to provide support to poor people generally. In regard to the issue raised by the right reverend Prelate, I should be interested to learn more details. I commend the Health Education Authority's food and low income database, which provides excellent examples of projects throughout the country which are designed to enable poor people to have access to a balanced diet at affordable prices.