§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what research has been carried out into the nutritional needs of the elderly; and what steps he will take to make the elderly aware of dietary problems.
§ Sir George YoungAn expert panel of the committee on medical aspects of food policy has carried out a number of surveys into the nutritional status of the elderly. The results of the surveys carried out in 1967–68 and 1972–73 have been published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office (reports on health and social subjects Nos. 3 and 16). Those of later surveys are being analysed. The surveys found that elderly people eat a diet which is similar to that of younger adults. Then-needs do not differ from those of other people except that, with declining physical activity, energy requirements are less.
Advice about diet is contained in a section devoted to elderly people in the booklet "Eating for Health", published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office in 1978, as one of the publications in the prevention and health series.
§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what evidence he has and what estimate has been made of the financial cost in (a) lost production, (b) illness and (c) death, of preventable 447W diet-related diseases; and what steps he is taking to improve public knowledge and understanding of food and nutrition.
§ Sir George YoungOnly for vitamin deficiency diseases is there any exact relationship between disease and diet. Such diseases when they occur are medical problems for small minorities of the population. For more common diseases such as heart attacks, such evidence as is available indicates that there is no simple dietary precaution or change which would be effective in the prevention of a particular disease. For example, there is no certainty that a reduction in fat intake would prevent heart attacks. Therefore it is not possible with any confidence to make estimates of the financial costs of diseases which may be diet-related.
Nutritional information is provided directly by the Government by way of the reports of the Committee on Medical
1. ADMISSIONS TO HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT OF ALCOHOLISM AND ALCOHOLIC PSYCHOSIS PER 100,000 POPULATION IN ENGLAND AND WALES 1970 1978 Percentage increase Male … … … … … … 23.4 41.4 77 Female … … … … … … 6.8 16.1 137 2. DEATHS FROM ALCOHOLISM PER 100,000 POPULATION IN ENGLAND AND WALES 1970 1978 Percentage increase Male … … … … … … 2.6 3.58 38 Female … … … … … … 0.1 0.23 130 3. DEATHS FROM CIRRHOSIS OF THE LIVER PER 100,000 POPULATION IN ENGLAND AND WALES 1970 1978 Percentage increase Male … … … … … … 3.14 4.28 36 Female … … … … … … 0.14 0.48 243 4. FINDINGS OF GUILT FOR OFFENCES OF DRUNKENESS PER 100,000 POPULATION AGED 14 YEARS AND OVER IN ENGLAND AND WALES 1968 1978 Percentage increase Male … … … … … … 409 522 27 Female … … … … … … 25 41 64 The Health Education Council is experimenting to find the most effective approaches for particular groups, and the Health Department's discussion paper on pregnancy and childbirth "Reducing the Risk" advises moderation "in pregnancy as at any other time"; the steps which my right hon. Friend and I have taken in speeches to the 26th International Institute on the Prevention and Treatment of Alcoholism and annual general meeting of the National Council on Alcoholism on 9 June this year and 10 July 1979 respectively, to alert people to the dangers of the misuse of alcohol
448WAspects of Food Policy and the publication of the booklet "Eating for Health". one of the publications in the prevention and health series. The Health Education Council includes advice on nutrition in some of its national health education campaigns.