‘The Obesity Epidemic’, is a term that is often bandied around in the media. The population of the UK, like the populations of the entire developed world are getting fatter. The cause is simple; we are eating more and exercising less. Also as was seen in the documentary Super Size Me, many of us are eating a diet of processed food, which is high in saturated fat, salt and sugar and has little or no nutritional value.
In a not altogether unrelated study, two scientists, Professor Simon Pearce and Dr. Tim Cheetham, have reported that children are at risk of developing rickets, a bone disease which is caused by a deficiency of vitamin D. The decline in time spent outdoors in the sunlight, our most significant source of vitamin D, and a poor diet have resulted in the disease reaching levels which are higher than they were fifty years ago, when children spent far more time outside, had better diets and regularly took cod liver oil supplements without the benefit of the gelatine casing to disguise the disgusting taste!
The two scientists have suggested that vitamin D needs to be added to milk and certain food products to boost children’s levels as it was in the Second World War to promote bone strength. Severe vitamin D deficiency will lead to a reduction in blood calcium, which can cause muscle cramps and seizures. Very rarely, severe deficiency has lead to heart muscle weakness.
Clearly we need to get on top of this situation but many people are opposed to the engineering of our food to include supplements that would not be required if we had a normal balanced diet with a reasonably active lifestyle. What do you think? Feel free to add your comments below.