1^st Dialogue on Nutrition and Politics

Information in Deutsch am Ende des Textes.

At the invitation of SIGHT AND LIFE and the Society for Applied Vitamin Research, more than 20 political and media representatives and opinion leaders met on September 25, 2008, for the 1^st Dialogue on Nutrition and Politics at the German Parliamentary Society in Berlin. The introductory presentations on nutrient intake in Europe, Germany, and developing countries made it clear that the unbalanced supply of vital nutrients and its associated effects on mental and physical development are not just a problem of developing countries, but a global one.

Dr. Klaus Kraemer, Secretary General of the humanitarian initiative SIGHT AND LIFE, demonstrated to the audience how the well-known qualitative and quantitative food shortage in developing countries not only has negative health effects, it also has serious implications for economic and social conditions in those countries. He referred to the example of a project in Guatemala that had resulted in higher incomes and a 46%-higher hourly wage among adult men who had received nutritional supplements as children participating in a nutrition intervention program. Examples such as these highlight the necessity of taking nutrient supply into consideration right from the start.

With these results, Prof. Schweigert highlighted the often forgotten issue of nutrient intake, which he compared to an iceberg. The already-visible manifestations of deficiency represent the tip of this iceberg – such manifestations can be seen in the blindness caused by vitamin A deficiency in the developing world. However, the majority of nutrient deficiencies, which often present themselves through deteriorated physical and mental development, remain similar to the bulk of the iceberg, often going unnoticed or, unfortunately, not associated with nutrient deficiency.

Prof. Marcella Gonzalez-Gross, of the Madrid Polytechnic University, was able to support this with results from the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence (HELENA) study, which enrolled over 1,000 young people. In this study, impaired iron homeostasis was found in 30% of the participants. Among the obese adolescents, the supply of vitamins B12, C, D and β-carotene was insufficient; among the underweight adolescents, it was the supply of folic acid, vitamin B-12, and iron that was unsatisfactory. If one were to use the reference values for vitamin D for adults to assess the status, according to Prof. Gonzalez-Gross, about 50% of young people would be categorized as having an insufficient vitamin D. The presentation of this up-to-date but as yet unpublished data made the audience aware that the problem of malnutrition, which encompasses both over- and under-nutrition, links industrial and developing nations.

From left to right: Florian Schweigert, Maria Marcela Gonzales-Gross, and Klaus Kraemer  

In the ensuing panel discussion moderated by Astrid Frohloff, of Rundfunk Berlin Brandenburg, the question of who should adopt principal responsibility for adequate nutrient supply, from the perspective of people, society and the federal states, was addressed. Despite the proximity of the event to the Bundestag, all discussion participants agreed that politicians must, first and foremost, create a framework, for example, through the implementation of mandatory nutrition education in schools. In order to flesh out this framework, however, more stakeholders, such as scientific experts and the media, need to be involved.

Prof. Gonzalez-Gross made clear the importance of speaking the language of children and adolescents in this context. It would be easy to point to ready-made products in kitchens as a culprit for unbalanced diets. These products are sometimes richer in vitamins than freshly prepared ones, especially if the vegetables have been stored for a long period. Moreover, because of societal structures, it is sometimes not possible for freshly-cooked food to be prepared in all households every day.

Would it not be easier, asked the moderator, to enrich foods with vital substances, even in industrialized nations, similar to the projects in developing countries on which Dr. Kraemer had reported? According to Dr. Kraemer, this solution should primarily be available to people in developing countries or those living in refugee camps, who are unable to receive their nutrient supply through the diet alone. With this objective, SIGHT AND LIFE has supported and collaborated on numerous projects with organizations around the world, including – as of last year – the United Nations World Food Programme. Food supplements can be an accompanying measure, he explained, but should not be the only one when dealing with the problem of inadequate intake of vital nutrients in Europe.

Raising awareness of nutrition is particularly important. People in countries such as Spain and Greece, previously known for their healthy Mediterranean diets, are now attracted to modern eating habits and sometimes prefer these to their healthier traditional diets. This situation affects as many people as the situation in developing and emerging economies.

The discussion and the results of the studies clearly showed that a common scientifically-based strategy is needed, and that not only politicians but a variety of actors, experts and opinion leaders should be involved. From the point of view of the experts, the media must also recognize their role in health education and consider which broadcast formats would be most appropriate to communicate the components of a balanced diet to audiences.

The discussion, which even after the event had by no means come to an end, underlined the necessity of continuing the dialogue. Only in this way – and, here, opinion was unanimous – can a long-term scientifically sound strategy be developed and implemented that would provide for children from the earliest stages of their lives. The objective should be to avoid deteriorated physical and mental development as well as chronic diseases, and related economic and social disadvantages resulting from a lack of quality nutrition.

open Flyer 1. Dialog Ernährung und Politik (only in German)