The current climate of prioritizing in the NHS brings into focus the debate surrounding efficient and effective management of conditions associated with the modern lifestyle. In any such debate, nutrition should be considered a primary issue as there is now international consensus regarding the optimum diet for the prevention of both coronary heart disease and cancer. Over recent years, government has stated that primary care is in an ideal setting to provide nutrition education to the public. However, we present the case that there currently is a mismatch between the attitude of the public, who appear willing to accept dietary advice from primary care professionals, and the reluctance on behalf of these professionals to fulfil this role. Dissatisfaction with the quality of nutrition education received by those working in primary care is often cited as a barrier to providing dietary advice to patients. With that in mind, we go on to discuss educational strategies that may motivate primary care staff to increase their involvement in providing dietary advice for their patients. The challenge to those involved in the delivery of nutrition training to primary care professionals is to convince them that dietary intervention is worthwhile and that they can make a positive contribution to dietary change within the current organization of primary care. Increasing motivation is an essential outcome of such training, along with providing the skills and knowledge to fulfil this role. The contribution which diet could make is significant and, in this time of questioning priorities, the role of nutrition needs to be put firmly on the health care agenda.

This study confirmed that many patients with diabetes do not make use of professional dietetic services, and has highlighted some of the routinely documented characteristics that are associated with use of dietetic services. There appears to be scope to improve uptake of dietetic services by patients with diabetes, and to investigate further individual factors that affect access and attendance.

No abstract

No abstract

The rise in obesity -and specifically abdominal obesity -is driving the global increase in type 2 diabetes. Excess visceral fat, the causative factor behind abdominal obesity, is closely linked with β -cell dysfunction and insulin resistance, two of the key components of type 2 diabetes pathogenesis. Attempts to curb the current abdominal obesity and type 2 diabetes epidemics will require a government-led public health approach, in tandem with a personal approach aimed at helping abdominally obese individuals reduce their cardiovascular and metabolic (cardiometabolic) risk profile.