From the Editor Volume 58, Number 3, September 2001

Welcome to the September issue of the Australian Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics. This month we publish both review and original research articles. The new President of the Dietitians Association of Australia, Dr Peter Williams, has contributed the editorial. He challenges us to become involved in ensuring the sustainability of our food supply both as individuals and as part of our professional organisation. Booth and Smith also provide a challenge for us—to think and act on the issue of food security and poverty. Our professional lives as dietitians and nutritionists have sadly taught us that not all Australians have access to plentiful amounts of nutritious food. The authors discuss the causes of food insecurity and review the available data on the prevalence of the problem in Australia. They offer some strategies and solutions to address this growing predicament. Ensuring access to adequate food at all times for all people is an important part of our professional responsibility. Ferguson and colleagues report on the development of a patient survey to assess the satisfaction of inpatients with clinical nutrition services. The survey included questions on interpersonal skills and staff presentation as well as use of nutritional supplements and perceived benefits for health of the nutrition service. The final survey contains 15 statements relating to these dimensions and one relating to overall satisfaction. There is a dearth of this type of research in Australia but such evaluations should prove increasingly valuable in dietetic practice. Stapleton and coworkers report on the outcome of an intensive program called ‘Go and Grow with CF’ (cystic fibrosis). Both the children with cystic fibrosis and their carers were involved in the education program and evaluation. Short-term benefits of the program were apparent but it seems that these were not maintained in the longer term, i.e. one year later. A positive message is that dietitians can make a difference but we need to be vigilant if this is to be sustained. Dr Richard Couper has written a leading article on the role of nutrition and pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy in cystic fibrosis. His discussion includes an examination of the reasons for the failure of enzyme therapy. Stumm and colleagues have conducted a clinical trial of pear juice to manage constipation in elderly orthopaedic patients. Pear juice may relieve constipation in the long term but not within a few days. It will probably not surprise those working with elderly patients that fibre and fluid intakes were below desirable levels. Hughes’s article reports on trends in breastfeeding practice and introduction of solids in Tasmania. It seems that rates of initiation are below desirable and that early introduction of solid foods is a problem. Turning to older children, this time in high school, Nowak and colleagues report that an appreciable number of girls want to be thinner and boys want to ‘bulk up’. The numbers increase with school grade. Some girls are employing undesirable methods to achieve weight loss and some students’ opinions about the importance of body weight were also cause for concern. Beliefs such as ‘being thin was more important for a woman than a man’ and that ‘overweight people have only themselves to blame’ would indicate that education is required. Last but not least the Journal contains an original research article about nutrition education programs and fruit and vegetable consumption in Nepal. There is an important lesson for us all to learn. There must be a basic respect of the knowledge, needs, desires and beliefs of the populations we target for nutritional education and intervention. While we try to help, we may often fail to afford the appropriate respect for the very people we are trying to assist. Communication should be a two-way process. This month the CPD activity is a little different. Rather than a quiz we have a guide to evaluating nutrition articles—maybe you would like to put it into practice now. The authors, Samman and Truswell have many years experience in teaching nutrition students how to accomplish this task. This issue also contains some letters following on from the last issue, and a book review. The Journal had cause for celebration recently when we received manuscript number 500. However, we still would like to see the Journal readership sending us lots more articles. Remember the Journal is only as good as the manuscripts we receive. Margaret Allman-Farinelli Editor