Issue 138 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. BRIDGET BENELAM Nutritionist Communication Manager: British Nutrition Foundation

I arrived early at the café. A woman I did not recognise waved madly, “Hi Ursula.” It took me a while to realise it was Moody Margaret (the actor, who did the voice over, in the cartoon of, the Horrid Henry books). We had last met as mums with tiny toddlers so many years ago, back when I worked at the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF). It’s a small world!

But today I was meeting Bridget Benelam, the BNF’s Nutrition Communication Manager.

Bridget graduated in 2000 from the University of Manchester with a BSc in Biochemistry. “I really enjoyed the course, but it was difficult. Especially the more theoretical and abstract aspects.” She had a year to think about her further career (while travelling and jobbing in Australia). The seeds of nutrition science planted within the biochemistry course blossomed in the Aussie sun and on her return to the UK, she knew this was the area she wanted to research. The one-year MSc course in Human Nutrition at Kings College London gave her the qualification.

Her first job was as a scientist with the Food Standards Agency. This was almost the job that she didn’t get, but for the kindness of a stranger. “I had wanted to hand-deliver my application, as it was the last submission day.

However, I left my application on the tube, so resigned to having missed the deadline.” To her surprise, she got a call from someone who had found it and kindly delivered it for her.

www.NHDmag.com October 2018 - Issue 138

Much of her work was as part of the secretariat for the Committee for Toxicity (CoT), who consider public health advice on artificial or natural hazards in foods, and balance the tightrope of assessment of benefits and risks. One example of a CoT project is the assessment of advice to pregnant women on the consumption of oily fish, which offered the benefits of long chain omega-3, but the risks of heavy metal contaminants. “Toxicity assessments are much neater than nutrition science evaluations, because there are clear and specific channels for decisions,” said Bridget. "But applying nutrition science to dietary guidance allows broader and more multi-layered interpretations, which have greater public relevance."

In 2006, a new job at the British Nutrition Foundation was posted: someone (called Bridget) was needed to support dissemination of an EU-funded project to develop nutrient composition data. While M&W’s The Composition of Foods lies by the bedside and on the work desk of every UK dietitian, there are many other nutrition reference databanks, and the EU was keen to develop greater consistency of analysis and presentation.

“For example, there were many fierce debates on methods of analysis for the fibre content of foods,” said Bridget. Fibre is an orchestra of components rather than a single player, and it is difficult to capture the diversity of effects found in different foods with a single number.

Increasingly, Bridget also became involved with other projects. She wrote

This material is for healthcare professionals only.

DO MORE THAN JUST MANAGE COW’S MILK ALLERGY: HELP GIVE HER THE ABILITY TO ENJOY MILK SOONER1† ONLY‡ NUTRAMIGEN WITH LGG® CAN

TRANSFORMING THE LIVES OF BABIES WITH COW’S MILK ALLERGY

† ‡

Versus an eHCF without LGG® or formulas based on soy or amino acids.

The only cow’s milk-based formula.

Reference: 1. Canani RB et al. J Pediatr 2013;163:771–777.

Nutramigen with LGG® is a food for special medical purposes for the dietary management of cow’s milk allergy and must be used under medical supervision. Nutramigen with LGG® is not recommended for premature and immunocompromised infants unless directed and supervised by a healthcare professional.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Breastfeeding is best for babies. The decision to discontinue breastfeeding may be difficult to reverse and the introduction of partial bottle-feeding may reduce breast milk supply. The financial benefits of breastfeeding should be considered before bottle-feeding is initiated.

Failure to follow preparation instructions carefully may be harmful to your baby’s health. Parents should always be advised by an independent healthcare professional regarding infant feeding. Products of Mead Johnson must be used under medical supervision. *Trademark of Mead Johnson & Company, LLC. © 2018 Mead Johnson & Company, LLC. All rights reserved. LGG® and the LGG® logo are registered trademarks of Valio Ltd, Finland.

Date of preparation: September 2018 UK/NUT/18/0060i

F2F

. . . liaison with the media is her main responsibility. “I have always really enjoyed the diversity of topics we are asked to comment on . . .” a briefing paper and organised a conference on appetite control and satiety. “Nobody only eats when they are hungry and never eats when they are full. This topic is fascinating because it brings together aspects of physiology and psychology,” she said. I wondered what data she was most persuaded by (in relation to weight control advice?). Choose foods with low energy density, which are generally those with a higher water and lower fat content. Lean protein-rich foods also seem to be helpful in enhancing satiety.

A current BNF project that she is leading is the development of robust guidance on food portion sizes. The UK Eatwell Guide does not provide any specific advice; something that was provided in the national food models of other countries. As well as reviewing data on portion size, the BNF ran consumer research to assess the presentation of information, and Bridget hopes that lots of useful educational resources can be developed.

A large part of her job at the BNF has always been the communication of nutrition science.

And now liaison with the media is her main responsibility. “I have always really enjoyed the diversity of topics we are asked to comment on,” said Bridget. There have been many changes over the 12 years that Bridget has been at the BNF. Former comment allowed more time to assess data, and relationship building with staff at print or radio/TV media sources. Current BNF comment is often to tight deadlines and

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many contacts are with streams of freelance writers who may have less expertise with science aspects of nutrition and are under pressure to sell hard-hitting stories. Also, with so many more channels of media, there is more competition for consumer attention.

Nutrition faces the same challenges as all other fields where information is the currency: Fake News. Of course, everyone has always been able to develop their own right or wrong thoughts on any subject, including nutrition.

But what used to be shared with a few friends and family around kitchen tables or in the pub is now mainlined onto public platforms via social media.

Nutrition communication is paradoxically more of a challenge now: information routes to the consumer are clogged with attention grabbing titillations, and it is difficult to cut through contrary claims with ‘boring’ balanced diet messages. Bridget seemed depressed but denied this. “We cannot go back to traditional routes, so it is a matter of finding more interesting and innovative and less authoritarian tones with which to share nutrition science with the public,” she said.

Twitter and other social media platforms are full of Moody Margarets and Horrid Henrys proclaiming nutrition expertise. Bridget offers calm and consistent clarity on nutrition science complications. She has my real ‘like’, but hopefully she will also gather the most cyberspace ‘likes’.

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This material is for healthcare professionals only.

DO MORE THAN JUST MANAGE COW’S MILK ALLERGY: HELP GIVE HER THE ABILITY TO PROTECT HERSELF FROM FUTURE ALLERGIC MANIFESTATIONS1† ONLY NUTRAMIGEN WITH LGG® CAN

TRANSFORMING THE LIVES OF BABIES WITH COW’S MILK ALLERGY

†

Versus Nutramigen without LGG®.

Reference: 1. Canani RB et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2017;139:1906–1913.

Nutramigen with LGG® is a food for special medical purposes for the dietary management of cow’s milk allergy and must be used under medical supervision. Nutramigen with LGG® is not recommended for premature and immunocompromised infants unless directed and supervised by a healthcare professional.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Breastfeeding is best for babies. The decision to discontinue breastfeeding may be difficult to reverse and the introduction of partial bottle-feeding may reduce breast milk supply. The financial benefits of breastfeeding should be considered before bottle-feeding is initiated.

Failure to follow preparation instructions carefully may be harmful to your baby’s health. Parents should always be advised by an independent healthcare professional regarding infant feeding. Products of Mead Johnson must be used under medical supervision. *Trademark of Mead Johnson & Company, LLC. © 2018 Mead Johnson & Company, LLC. All rights reserved. LGG® and the LGG® logo are registered trademarks of Valio Ltd, Finland.

Date of preparation: September 2018 UK/NUT/18/0060i