Citation
Blades, M. (2004), "Nutrition & Health", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 34 No. 6, pp. 289-290. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.2004.34.6.289.4
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2004, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Nutrition & Health by Dr Mabel Blades provides both the health care professional and the public sector caterer with an essential reference book on all aspects of diet from the perspective of each life stage.
The book is aimed at those with more than a basic level of understanding but given the clear way in which each chapter is laid out it can be used as both a basis for training as well as to enhance the readers own knowledge and to support their own nutritional and health planning.
Chapters of note within the book remind the reader of the essential role of fluids in the diet as well as the fate of nutrients as they pass through the body. Essential to the public sector caterer is having a knowledge of the dietary requirements from many and varied cultural groups and Dr Blades presents the essential information on diet for ethnic groups in a way as to inspire confidence to both service provider and client.
While most of the book is dedicated to information on all elements pertaining to the diet, the chapter on Factors Affecting the British Diet is particularly relevant in the current debate over obesity. Here, Dr Blades examines the nutrition and health aspects surrounding convenience and fast/take‐away foods as well as schemes designed to promote health to a “reluctant” nation.
Nutrition & Health draws from the Balance of Good Health as illustrated with the Balanced Plate. I feel the book helps to bring fact and understanding to the background from which this illustrative depiction of the balanced diet is drawn and makes a useful addition to the shelves for caterers and college lecturers.