Food News, with Amanda Killelea

YOU are what you eat, so they say, and it is true that diet can play a major part in the development of diseases.

Now dieticians are joining forces with shopkeepers in an area threatened by health problems to make sure that foods to protect hearts and bodies are readily available.

The Brookhouse area of Blackburn was recently named in Which Health magazine as one of the nation's worst districts for the availability of healthy foods, with local shops only stocking limited supplies.

Brookhouse has a total population of 8,121, with more than 6,000 of Indian or Pakistani origin.

The British Heart Foundation estimates that the death rate from heart disease is around 40 per cent higher in Asians than in the general population.

And it is believed that the overall rate for heart attacks among Asians is five times higher than in the white population.

Approximately a quarter of those who suffer a heart attack will die before reaching hospital, with many more dying within four hours of admission.

Now dieticians from Blackburn Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Health Care NHS Trust are joining forces with traders to try to make sure people can get hold of the healthy foods they need to live longer.

Tracey Hammond, a student dietician involved in the scheme, said: "You are what you eat and you eat what you can buy, leaving your health very much in the hands of your shopkeeper. "The next few months will see the launch of an innovative campaign that will bring together local shopkeepers, to work closely with health professionals, in providing healthier options to the Brookhouse community."

The Healthy Shelf Scheme will target a number of health issues and each shop involved will hold a certificate and display the scheme logo.

Healthier foods will be stocked on a trial basis alongside information about diet and health.

A quarterly newsletter will be sent out to the community and if the scheme is a success in Brookhouse it could be extended to other areas.

The main aims are to raise awareness of healthier foods, increase their availability and establish links with shopkeepers. Tracey said: "The first Healthy Shelf campaign we intend to run involves milk. Excessive milk drinking in toddlers is associated with poor weaning and results in iron deficiency anaemia in 20-25 per cent of toddlers, the incidence being especially high in the Asian population.

"The prolonged use of milk given in bottles contributes greatly to dental caries. On average in Blackburn, Asian five-year-olds have 4.13 decayed, missing or filled teeth, compared with 2.4 for non-Asian youngsters.

"So promoting feeding cups instead of bottles will be tied in with the milk campaign to try to address this problem."

At the other end of the scale, adults in Brookhouse have a low intake of milk which contributes to the higher incidence of osteoporosis. The scheme will also be promoting the benefits of drinking semi-skimmed and skimmed milk to protect against heart disease. Tracey said: "Currently only three shops out of the 19 in the area stock lower fat milks as well as whole milk. Health promotion therefore needs to be accompanied by a change in availability to have any effect."

Other health issues to be targeted include saturated fat intakes, concentrating on cooking fats, and sugar in drinks.

The scheme will also be taken into local schools and youngsters will be urged to look out for the foods in shops which carry the Healthy Shelf logo.

For more information about the scheme or to get involved call Tracey Hammond at Bangor Street Community Centre on 01254 674408.

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