Issue 131 face to face

F2F

FACE TO FACE Ursula meets: Ursula Arens Writer; Nutrition & Dietetics Ursula has a degree in dietetics, and currently works as a freelance nutrition writer. She has been a columnist on nutrition for more than 30 years.

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Ursula meets amazing people who influence nutrition policies and practices in the UK. PAMELA MASON Pharmacist Nutritionist Environmental author/champion

More than a year ago, Pamela was the first person I asked when planning my series of interview columns. This January I got lucky-lucky-lucky: a chance to spend a few hours talking to someone who I have always looked up to from afar.

Thank goodness (in hindsight) that Pamela’s A-Level choices, Physics with forced partner subject Maths, and Chemistry, shut the door to vague hopes of becoming a medical doctor (because of the lack of Biology.) Not being a doctor gave her the clear path to become Britain’s only double-barrelled nutrition and pharmacy expert. She chose to study pharmacy at the University of Manchester and her ability to rote-learn allowed her to glide smoothly through exams and projects. Her early career was within the comfortable confines of retail community pharmacy.

But her young husband had had enough of lawyering, so they took a big jump professionally and financially and bought their own pharmacy in a small town in Wales. Pamela enjoyed the privilege of deep insights into the health of the local community, but became increasingly anxious about her role of offering ‘carpentry advice about stable doors’ when horses had bolted. “There was a child requiring a fifth course of antibiotics one winter. I was then shocked to discover that the child lived almost entirely on potato crisps,” said Pamela.

She became more observant of lifestyle effects on health and mild interest was set alight when an American woman told her about her passion for nutrition author

www.NHDmag.com February 2018 - Issue 131

Adelle Davies. Reading Let’s Eat Right To Keep Fit was the book that first opened Pamela’s eyes to the many influences of food choice on health. This revelation from Pamela astonished me. It was the same book that started my own interest in nutrition science: we agreed that Adelle Davies would be viewed as cranky by most dietitians, but we both owed Adelle recognition and respect as the fire-starter of our professional enthusiasms.

Pamela’s husband decided to move to London to develop his career in the Church and so the pharmacy in Wales was sold. Queen Elizabeth College, now King’s College, offered a one-year Master’s degree in Nutrition Science and Pamela signed up. Professors Naismith/ Sanders/Judd inspired her to continue with PhD studies and five years later, the demonstration that there is some adaption in rates of mineral absorption with high-fibre diets, gave Pamela her doctorate in nutrition.

In the early 1990s, Pamela juggled two jobs. One was with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society doing edits and updates to the British National Formulary (BNF). The other was with the National Pharmaceutical Association producing distance learning programmes for pharmacy assistants. “I was really lucky to have found such intellectually interesting jobs,” said Pamela.

Standing by the coffee machine, Pamela mentioned to a colleague, who happened to be the editor of Pharmaceutical Journal, that she had been able to visit a pharmacy during

a holiday in newly unshackled and politically liberated Romania. Of course, he wanted her to write an article on her observations; which would be of huge interest to British pharmacist readers.

And, of course, Pamela was then identified as the expert writer on all matters to do with nutrition.

Because Pamela was uniquely double qualified, demands for her time and attentions grew and she was recognised in particular for her expertise on nutritional supplements.

Her first book provided guidance on nutrition advice in the pharmacy. Her second book, Dietary Supplements, published by Blackwell, was the ultimate reference compendium on nutrition and special ingredient supplements.

It was very popular with pharmacists; perhaps, unfortunately, dietitians were less aware of this publication. Later print updates were produced by the Pharmaceutical Press and this title still keeps Pamela busy, as current quarterly updates are available to online subscribers of Martindale and the BNF. In 1994, Pamela became a freelance consultant. She was a guest lecturer, a contributor to many diverse pharmaceutical and nutrition publications, and an industry advisor. At the time, there was fierce debate in the European Union (EU) on how nutritional supplements should be regulated: the UK had the most liberal approach, contrasting with much tighter supplement dose limits and distribution controls in other EU countries. Industry and government and health professional groups all wanted Pamela’s advice on these complex matters that blended science and policy.

In 2003, it was time to return to Wales. Pamela’s husband was now a vicar and she wanted to support his role in the community. Of course, she made teas and cakes to raise funds and support those needing help and comfort. But it was known that the vicar’s wife was a nutrition expert and Pamela had many opportunities to consider the wider and longer paths to food choices, including many revealing and profound discussions with

local farmers. “It really struck me that foods were much more than just being nutrient containers, and that to help people improve their diets, you really had to delve into the many influences that channel choices. I became very enthused with the whole new area of food policy,” said Pamela.

Reading a few articles was not enough: Pamela always wants to understand topics properly, so she signed up as an age 50+ student, to do an MSc in Food Policy at City University in London, with Professors Tim Lang and Martin Caraher. Her project was on healthy food choices of low-income single mothers in Abergavenny, concluding >possible: yes; probable: no.

There were massive pressures and adjustments to UK and international food supplies as a result of newer awareness of environmental aspects of food production and distribution, and Pamela decided to write a book on this. Initially publishers were lukewarm: did anyone really care? But when Tim Lang agreed to be a co-author, doors opened and contracts were signed. This huge project took four years and Sustainable Diets was published in the spring of 2017 (see book review in NHD issue 126 - July 2017).

It must have been hard to produce such a complicated and information-dense tome, I marvelled. “Err … yes, Ursula,” confirmed Pamela. “Science writing can often be structured and formatted, but writing policy texts can be hard because more malleable information requires constant redrafting,” she explained.

Sustainable Diets is the ultimate review of this ‘smoking hot’ topic of plant-based diet, which puts new light onto the tensions first captured

by Cain (pasture) and Abel (livestock). Pamela hints to me that the book may be on the desks of the CEOs of many large food companies and environmental organisations. Again, Pamela has managed to become the in-demand expert on complex matters blending science and policy.

We part, but I have a neck ache: it is from looking up to her so much. She is not tall, but she will always be the cleverest person in the room.

If you would like to suggest a F2F date

(someone who is a ‘mover and shaker’ in UK nutrition)

for Ursula, please contact: info@networkhealthgroup.co.uk www.NHDmag.com February 2018 - Issue 131

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