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From the Editor
With this last issue
for the year, new papers and topics of interest continue to flow to the
journal, and the December issue is no exception. In fact this is a good
follow on from the previous issue, with continued emphasis on dealing
with challenges in communicating nutrition science. While the content
of papers varies, one theme the main articles have in common is a challenge
to readers to think a little differently about the issues described. The
leading article by Helen Truby from the University of Surrey, UK is of
particular interest. Truby’s article relates to some of the issues
I raise myself in the Editorial on information available to dietitians,
but she refers to how we communicate with the public. The referent article
by Timperio and colleagues describes both focus group and survey research
on consumers’ perceptions of ‘fattening foods’. While scientists
might argue about the definitions of ‘fattening’ among themselves,
the research reported here plausibly assumes ‘fattening’ to
be a commonly used term and explores its meaning among consumers. It is
interesting to see that salt is caught up with sugar and fat in this context,
and that 30% of respondents thought they could eat what they like if they
choose low fat foods. The challenge presented by the authors is that there
appears to be a lack of congruence between public understanding and dietary
recommendations.
The challenge posited by Booth and colleagues has more to do with methodology.
This is a particularly interesting paper set in Sabah, Malaysia, where
scientific methods have to come to terms with a study context on the move
during a training exercise. The evaluation of combat ration packs is a
good example of how to conduct research in context, producing results
that have meaning for future formulations using nutritional principles.
At the end of the exercise, soldiers were found to have good immune and
hydration status, with unchanged physical and mental performance, albeit
with about a 5% reduction in weight and reduced status of some storage
nutrients.
In another setting, Miller et al. argue for a potential component to nutritional
assessment not likely considered in the past. They found that measures
of grip strength were related to falls in an elderly population. While
no direct link to nutrition was ascertained, this measurement is easy
to undertake and may provide a useful adjunct to the information collected
by clinicians in conducting their assessments.
On a more general level, Evans and Vivanti in their articles look to the
challenges facing dietitians in taking leadership roles, and in conducting
research in practice respectively. Reflecting her keynote address at the
2003 DAA conference, Evans looks at women in leadership and discusses
the position of dietitians in terms of professional expectations, advocacy
roles and cultural concepts that govern behavior. She leaves us to think
about addressing the ambivalence between self and institutional interest
in being able to take on leadership roles. In the Insight article, Vivanti
and Ash take a practical stand and outline some of the key issues for
dietitians in developing research and practice.
The December issue of the journal also includes the index of publications,
which gives a broad overview of the topics covered, the range of authors
contributing and also provides a sense of where research and practice
in nutrition and dietetics is heading and of emerging issues. You may
well enjoy browsing through this section with this in mind.
I am particularly pleased to see we have three letters to the Editor this
issue, and I trust this pattern will continue. It is an excellent way
to keep the ideas and issues alive and debated in the dynamic environment
the journal provides. Combining this with all the usual components of
continuing education quiz, conference reports (on diabetes, activity and
food science in this issue ), book reviews and journal contents, I am
sure the December issue will provide valuable reading for all across the
end of year season. I am pleased to welcome Tim Green from the University
of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand to the Editorial Board. My thanks again
go to all who have contributed this year, to the Editorial Board and reviewers,
and the team at the DAA National Office who manage the publication of
the journal so professionally. We can all look forward to an even better
year in 2004.
Professor Linda Tapsell APD
Editor
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