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Many people accept without question that as a nation we should be healthier if we were to eatless sugar. But what is the scientific evidence for this view? Could it be the result of the many nutritional statements made in the mass media which have insufficient scientific basis? Recently, in the fourth of a series of presentations to the medical press under the general theme of ‘Putting sugar into perspective’, John Durnin, Professor of Physiology at the University of Glasgow, reviewed scientific papers on the link between

The outcomes of the Follett Committee report are described and the question of access to research collections is discussed. The considerations of a national research strategy and the work of Professor Anderson’s committee are considered, and the importance of the Coopers and Lybrand study of levels and costs of use of higher education libraries by external researchers emphasised. The development of a strategy for research access is described including demonstrator projects and non‐formula funding for cataloguing, preservation and improved access to major humanities collections. The impact of electronic informations and wider developments is also discussed.

FOURTEEN years ago 16% of all employees in our manufacturing industries were what are commonly described as ‘white collar’ workers. They belonged to the group that includes clerical, technical and administrative staffs. If that seems a very high proportion what can be thought of the fact that by 1960 the figure had risen to 21%? The actual rate of growth is even more startling. During that 12 years the total number of employees in manufacturing industry increased by 12% but in the same period the ‘white collar’ workers in that section of the economy rose by 48%, according to figures issued by the Ministry of Labour.

FOURTEEN years ago 16% of all employees in our manufacturing industries were what are commonly described as ‘white collar’ workers. They belonged to the group that includes clerical, technical and administrative staffs. If that seems a very high proportion what can be thought of the fact that by 1960 the figure had risen to 21%? The actual rate of growth is even more startling. During that 12 years the total number of employees in manufacturing industry increased by 12% but in the same period the ‘white collar’ workers in that section of the economy rose by 48%, according to figures issued by the Ministry of Labour.

Long before calories and joules were used to indicate energy values in relation to food, popular belief had it that some foods could increase man's output of labour, his physical strength and endurance, even his fertility. The nature of the foods varied over the years. From earliest times, flesh foods have inspired men to “gird their loins” and “put on armour”, but too long at the feasting tables produced sloth of body and spirit. Hunger sharpens the wit, which makes one wonder if that oft‐quoted statement of poverty and hunger before the Great War—“children too hungry learn”—was quite true; it is now so long ago for most of us to remember. Thetruism “An army marches on its stomach” related to food in general and relating feats of strength to individual foods is something more difficult to prove. The brawny Scot owes little to his porridge; the toiling Irish labourer moves mountains of earth, not from the beef steaks he claims to consume, but for the size of the pay‐packet at the end of the week!

Many committees have produced tables of recommended dietary intakes. All are careful to stress that their recommendations are amounts sufficient, or more than sufficient, for the nutritional needs of practically all healthy persons in the population but are not a precise statement of nutrient requirements. The recommendations may ‘serve as guides for government officials and others whose duty it is to plan agricultural production and to control imports and exports of food in order to ensure that the food supply will be sufficient to meet the needs of the people’ and ‘may be used as a guide for caterers and dietitians when planning diets for groups of healthy individuals’

There are many herbal supplements on the market claiming to aid weight loss but few are evidence‐based. This study aims to test one such formulation.

An over‐the‐counter herbal supplement containing yerba maté, guarana and damiana (YGD) was tested in 73 overweight health professionals for six weeks. Subjects were not asked to make any lifestyle changes.

Self‐reported weight, waist circumference and hip circumference reduced significantly, while 22 per cent of subjects experienced a clinically significant weight loss. The anthropometric changes were in line with other commercial diet and exercise programmes. Reported between‐meal hunger, and consumption of snacks reduced across the six weeks. Reported satiety after meals increased and subjects claimed to be more in control of snacking, emotional eating and portion sizes. A follow‐up at week ten, when 82 per cent of subjects had stopped taking YGD, revealed no additional reductions in weight or hip circumference. Fullness ratings had stabilised, while hunger ratings had increased. There were no consistent adverse effects that could reasonably be related to YGD.

Taken alongside a 2001 randomised, placebo‐controlled trial, this study provides evidence that a YGD supplement can aid weight loss and reduce waist and hip circumference, probably by increasing satiety.

The growing market in weight management products brings with it a responsibility for manufacturers to provide evidence that their products work. This paper adds to the evidence base.

In a recent article in Nature, it was asserted that we do not know how much food man requires. Although this statement was clearly intended to be provocative, it is probably more true for the elderly than for any other group of people.

To determine how nutritional knowledge and residential status influences the diets of a group of young professional football players and compare them to controls of the same age.

Seven day dietary records and nutritional knowledge questionnaires were analyzed and anthropometric measurements were taken mid‐way through the competitive season.

The football players, with a mean body mass index of 23.6 ± 1.2 kg m² and body fat of 15.3 ± 3 per cent were significantly lighter than the controls. They also consumed significantly fewer calories than the controls (10.26 + 1.8 v. 13.89 + 0.7 MJ per day), and less than the recommended amounts for soccer players. Both groups could benefit from increasing their carbohydrate intakes, although fat and protein intakes were appropriate. Nutritional knowledge had little impact on dietary intakes. However, players who resided in the soccer club hostels had significantly greater energy intakes, consumed more carbohydrate and less fat (p < 0.05) than players who lived in their parental home.

It was identified that youth players require assistance in the implementation of their knowledge of nutrition to their own diets. In particular they need to increase their nutritional intakes inline with recommendations, in order to optimize their playing ability and provide the energy they need for growth. This is particularly true for those who live away from the scrutiny of the football club.