Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/777084
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 25 JANUARY 2017 News Maltese diet: More pasta, less fries and less fruit JAMES DEBONO COMPARED to the early 1980s, the Maltese are eating more bread and pasta, less fruit and vegetables and less fatty foods. A study comparing present nu- tritional habits of the Maltese with those identified in a 1983 study shows that the Maltese are consuming more carbohydrates and less fat and fibre. Ruth Caruana from the Depart- ment of Medicine and Michael Patterson from the Department of Life Sciences of the University of Roehampton author the study published in the latest edition of the Malta Medical Journal. According to the study fat in- take has decreased markedly. The levels have decreased among males but more drasti- cally among females. The study shows that values for mean daily fat percentage intake have decreased from 41.5% to 34% among males and from 46% to just 30% among females. Dietary cholesterol was also much higher in the 1983 cohort. According to the authors of the study this probably reflects a change in lifestyle habits which sees the Maltese ingesting less saturated animal fats than they used to. Total carbohydrate intake has increased considerably when compared to the intake in the 1980's. "Possibly this has happened be- cause carbohydrates are now re- placing the extra fat that the Mal- tese used to ingest at the time." Since the amount of sugars has decreased when compared to the 1983 data the carbohydrate in- take of the Maltese today consists mostly of complex carbohydrate. "Even though the types of food have not been looked into specifi- cally, from simple observation we believe the most popular forms of carbohydrate now eaten in Malta are bread and pasta", the study concludes. The study also shows a major decrease in dietary fibre intake for both males and females since 1983. This indicates that the Mal- tese are eating less fruit and veg- etables. This suggests that fibre rich foods are being replaced by carbohydrates. The study carried out in 2013 was based on a sample of the gen- eral population, recruited from hospital clinics and general prac- tice clinics across different loca- tions in Malta. The percentage protein intake remains similar to that in 1983. The study, which included a sample from the Diabetes clinic, also shows that diabetics are not changing their diets and lifestyle habits once they are given their diagnosis. It also refers to greater rates of obesity among those diagnosed with diabetes. Among this cohort the obesity rate was 49%, double that in the normal population. New study finds that the Maltese are eating more bread and pasta but less fruit, vegetables and fatty foods Baked pasta is among the most popular forms of carbohydrate now eaten in Malta José Herrera dodges question on hunting during meeting with MEPs YANNICK PACE ENVIRONMENT Minister José Herrera has a dodged a direct question on Malta's hunting poli- cies, arguing that this could be "discussed at a later stage". Herrera was delivering a pres- entation to the European Parlia- ment's environment commit- tee during which he presented Malta's environmental priorities during its Presidency for the Eu- ropean Council. British MEP Julie Girling (Eu- ropean Conservatives) asked Herrera on how Malta oversees its derogation from the Birds Di- rective. "The issues brought up with re- gard to hunting in Malta could be discussed at a later stage," said Herrera, adding that he did not feel that it was appropriate to discuss the issue during the meeting. Malta is the only country to al- low recreational spring hunting, during which hunters can shoot turtle doves and quail although last May, the government agreed to declare a moratorium on the application of the spring hunting derogation for the turtle dove. During his presentation, Her- rera repeated the government mantra that Malta will seek to play the role of "an honest broker" when discussing issues which do not enjoy the agreement of mem- ber states. He spoke of the need to push forward files and policies that can allow the EU to strike a bal- ance between economic growth and environmental protection. The minister said that the Mal- tese presidency would above all else be focusing on climate change, the circular economy and the United Nations's 2030 agenda for sustainable development. On climate change, Herrera said that recent developments in the United States meant that Eu- rope must now, more than ever before, take the lead in ensur- ing that progress continues to be made. "The process is fragile and we must ensure that the EU contin- ues to lead by example," he said. Herrera said that the Presi- dency will also push forward the EU's emissions trading scheme (ETS), which was set up with the intention of reducing gas emissions and fighting climate change. With regard to the EU's push for a circular economy – a pro- posal for regulating every step of economic activities, from consumption and production all the way through to waste man- agement – Herrera said that the Maltese presidency has the same ambitions for the proposal as that expressed by the Commis- sion and that the presidency will continue to prioritize work on this file. He also emphasised the impor- tance of stepping up efforts to tackle antibiotic resistance: "We are preparing to review our com- mitment with a revised action plan on anti-microbial resist- ance." Hunting will be discussed at a later stage Environment Minister José Herrera insisted