Taking the Fear out of Eating

An authoritative, scientifically-based guide for anyone who wants to find out the truth about food and nutrition.

Charlette Gallagher (Author), John Allred (Author)

9780521431248, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 28 September 1992

312 pages, 20 b/w illus. 9 tables
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.1 cm, 0.63 kg

'This book is bound to enrage self-styled health gurus and the 'food police' who will see the authors as apologists for the food industry. However, other readers may well appreciate the message that there is little scientific evidence to suggest that guilt, fear and suspicion ought to shape our attitudes to food.' Susan Aldridge, New Scientist

Nutrition has become a hot topic, in the media as well at the market place. But how much of the information given to the consumer is hype and how much is accurate? In Taking the Fear out of Eating, published in 1993, two established scientists have distilled the information from thousands of scientific studies into a succinct, easily read description of what is known, what is merely suspected and, equally important, what is not known, about nutrition and how food choices might affect health. The book takes a hard look at both sides of the controversy about the connection between food and health, with particular emphasis on diet and the chronic diseases of cancer and heart disease. Food is, of course, essential to our survival but our food supply is often portrayed as dangerous - loaded with additives, pesticides, salt, sugar, fat and cholesterol. Taking the Fear out of Eating puts these topics into perspective in an authoritative and entertaining manner. It is not intended as a 'self-help' book but rather as a means to make the reader a participating partner with health professionals.

Preface
Introduction 'What are we supposed to eat?'
Part I. Deciding What to Have for Dinner: 1. Meeting nutrient needs from food: the simple nutrition truths
2. Alternative eating styles - the vegetarian diet
Part II. The Nutrients: What They Do: 3. Extracting nutrients from food: digestion and absorption
4. The major nutrients - carbohydrate, fat and protein
5. Vitamins
6. Minerals
7. Fiber: a nutritional enigma
Part III. Foods: 8. Conventional versus 'organic' food production methods: assessment of cost-to-benefit ratio
9. Food laws: avoiding the chicanery of yesteryears
10. Food processing and additives: between farm and table
11. Foods with reputations - the good, the bad and the ugly
Part IV. Nutrition and Health: 12. What nutrition can and cannot do for you
13. Weight control
14. Diet and heart disease
15. Diet and cancer
16. Nutrition, chronic diseases and the quality of life
Index.

Subject Areas: Human biology [PSX], Eating disorders & therapy [MMZD]