Instead of responding to demands and providing us with what we want, food manufacturers have turned food into a global commodity with marketing now manipulating middle-aged and older people to want what is being provided, New Zealand diabetes expert Robyn Toomath says. The outspoken Auckland campaigner says consumers are being persuaded that they want out-of-season produce flown from across the world, that everything should come in a plastic box with plastic cutlery, and that servings should be large. “Not only is this unhealthy, but it is hugely wasteful of the planet’s resources,” Toomath says. “There is a growing awareness that the free market is failing us.” Toomath, clinical director of general medicine at Auckland Hospital and former president of the New Zealand Society for the Study of Diabetes, says many middle-aged or retired people, such as her parents, are fit and well, and have skills that younger generations are losing. Home cooked food and family meals in particular are crucial for the maintenance of food traditions, and 14 AUGUST 2016 older people play an important role in valuing the social as well as the nutritional aspects of eating. “The statistics show that being overweight isn’t harmful for those over 75,” Toomath says. “Obesity-related problems like diabetes, heart and liver disease mean that many won’t make that age. An older person needs to work hard to maintain muscle mass, and weight loss results in the loss of fat AND muscle, so as long as a person is mobile I don’t think they should worry about being fat. “That’s not the same as saying we should eat junk. Good nutrition is important for tissue repair so high quality protein and fresh vegetables are as important as ever. The issue of course is cost and my guess is that many pensioners struggle to afford the food they need and, like busy working parents of young families, will be seduced by the convenience and cheapness of processed food." Toomath says it’s critical that the older population eats healthily and not excessively, achieved best at Government level using tools such as taxation to shift the balance in favour of healthy food. The Fiber One Bar: Nine out of ten middle-aged Americans do not get the recommended amount of whole grains and fibre, but they want to get it in a way that suits their lifestyles. It can’t taste bad, and it has to “work.” General Mills considered all elements of product development as it developed Fiber One bars specifically for middle-aged consumers that: • Are shelf-stable, in easy-to-eat bar form, and in a single serve pouch, because people want to be able to carry the product with them • Deliver 35 per cent of the daily fibre recommendation to the target population, have a healthful nutrient profile (low salt, low fat), and have simple ingredients (like nuts and wheat), as consumers demand • Have an “unexpected great taste,” a soft chewy texture and a natural appearance that middle-aged consumers want • Includes a ‘novel fibre’ that lowers the cost of the bar from $10 to an affordable price, and formulates it to fit existing factory systems to minimise manufacturing costs. Fiber One bars have provided more than 10 billion grams of fibre to the American diet since release. “In our local environments though, we can look at the food provided at shared meals, at fundraising events and our work places and ensure that this is healthy. We also have the ability to control food sold in schools, sports and social clubs. If nothing else we can stop selling soft drinks. “Most importantly we need to acknowledge that those with a genetic tendency to gain weight need to be supported, not blamed. Most of the adult population is now overweight. This recent change isn’t because we suddenly become lazy or greedy. It’s because we are inundated with cheap, tasty, high-calorie food.” Middle-aged Market Manipulation a Worry TIMELESS ADVICE In 1917, the US Food Administration produced posters headed up ‘Food’: 1. Buy it with thought; 2. Cook it with care; 3. Use less wheat and meat; 4. Buy local foods; 5. Serve just enough; 6. Use what is left. Don’t waste it. “One hundred years on, this is excellent advice,” Robyn Toomath says.
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