NEWS APPG HUNGER REPORT WELCOMED BY BAPEN The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Hunger’s report ‘Hidden hunger and malnutrition in the elderly’, has been welcomed by BAPEN and sheds further light on the less than ideal state of nutrition and hydration in this group. The growing prevalence of malnutrition in the elderly over the last decade is a key message from the report, with the number of hospital admissions over the last decade for patients aged 60 years or above with a primary diagnosis of malnutrition, having increased threefold. It has been recommended in the report that training and support should be implemented at all levels of care, with staff being trained to use BAPEN’s Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (‘MUST’), which promotes early identification of older people with a risk of becoming malnourished. It has also recommended that when identified, patients at risk should receive appropriate nutritional support with an aim to improve their condition. The BAPEN Malnutrition Self-Screening Tool which is available free online, is designed to help people identify their own risk of malnutrition. Further details can be found at www.bapen.org.uk.
SUGARY DRINKS FACE NHS BAN IF ACTION IS NOT TAKEN The NHS is taking action to remove sugary drinks from its shops, vending machines and canteens throughout 2018. The move has been made as almost two thirds of NHS trusts have now signed up to a voluntary scheme which aims to reduce sale of sugar drinks to 10% or less of all drinks purchased within the outlets throughout their establishments. The voluntary sugary drinks reduction scheme covers sugary soft drinks, milkshakes and hot drinks with added sugar syrups. Other suppliers who are trading within NHS trusts, such as WH Smith, Marks & Spencer, Greggs and the Royal Voluntary Service, have put further restrictions in place. In total 14 national suppliers have signed up to the voluntary scheme. Warnings have been given to trusts who are yet to sign up, highlighting the need to make changes and take action to reduce sales of sugary drinks by the end of March 2018, after which a ban will be introduced in 2018 instead.
KCL STUDY FINDS SLEEPING LONGER LEADS TO A HEALTHIER DIET Seven hours sleep a night is the recommended minimum for adults. Taking less than this has been linked with various conditions such as cardio-metabolic disease and obesity, but improving sleep hours can reduce these risks. It is estimated that around a third of UK adults are not getting enough sleep. A randomised controlled trial has been completed by King’s College London, which considered the feasibility of increasing sleep hours in adults who regularly sleep for less than seven hours per night. As part of the study, researchers also looked at participant’s nutrient intake and whether increasing sleep hours had an impact. Participants in the extended sleep hours group where aiming to sleep for up to 1.5 hours longer per night and given support to implement this. Participants in the control group received no support and continued to sleep as per usual for them. The study’s findings suggest that sleeping for longer results in a reduced intake of free sugars by 10 grams per day when compared with baseline levels. It was also noted that total carbohydrate intake was reduced in the group who slept longer. The study has been published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and it seems that sleeping for up to 1.5 hours longer each night is a lifestyle choice that could lead to a healthier diet and help to reduce intake of sugary foods. Reference: Sleep extension is a feasible lifestyle intervention in free-living adults who are habitually short sleepers: a potential strategy for
decreasing intake of free sugars? A randomised controlled pilot study’. Published on Wednesday 10 January 2018 in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqx030
www.NHDmag.com February 2018 - Issue 131
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