Food for Thought The link between diet and mental illness – 19/11/2012

1. Food for ThoughtThe link between diet andmental illness – 19/11/2012 Scott McRobert Access to Biological sciences Image credit http://www.foodcoachnyc.com

2. Structure of this presentation • The facts – Common knowledge about eating unhealthy foods • The mind – Imbalances and disorders • In the UK – Statistics and facts in our country • Universidades de Navarra y Las Palmas – The SUN project • Conclusion – A quick summary • Sources • Question time

3. The Facts • We know that an unhealthy diet can have an extremely negative impact on the body. • There is a constant drive by governments and other official bodies all over the world trying to encourage us to improve our diets and in turn our collective health. • In developed countries the food and drink we consume is largely our choice. • Problems caused by an unhealthy diet can include obesity, heart disease, hypertension and type 2 diabetes (not exhaustive) • There is one important area of the body however which may be affected and is often neglected.

4. The Mind • Chemical imbalance is one hypothesis about the cause of mental illness • What we eat is what fuels our bodies so unsurprisingly this may have an effect on our brain chemistry • Many eating disorders are linked to how we perceive ourselves and the world around us, vicious cycles develop based on our outward appearance Image credit - http://hplusmagazine.com

5. In the UK • 1 in 4 people in the UK are likely to be affected by some form of mental illness over the course of a year and between 8-12% of the population experience depression in any given year. • Here on average adults receive 33% of their daily energy from fat and only one third of the population are eating the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables. • Around half of people with common mental health problems are no longer affected after 18 months. Poorer people however, such as the long-term sick and unemployed, are more likely to be affected for longer periods than the general population. • In 2005 the faculty for public health issued a briefing statement which categorically states “In the UK, the poorer people are, the worse their diet”.

6. Universidades de Navarra y Las Palmas • Currently have one of the biggest on-going studies of its kind called the SUN project, researching the link between food and depression • Some of their research has uncovered some startling results, examples include: • Folate (also known as vitamin B9 or folic acid) intake was inversely associated with depression prevalence among men • B12 vitamin intake was inversely associated with depression in women • In a study of 9000 individuals they have shown those in the group with the highest level of consumption of commercial pastries and other fast foods had a 37% increased risk of developing depression compared to the lowest consumption group

7. Conclusion • There are many beneficial reasons for us to eat healthier • It is up to each of us what we choose to eat but we should be aware of all the health risks involved with certain foods, including those risks which are less visible • Mental illness is a serious issue and can be linked to the development or worsening of a physical condition • The link between mental illness and unhealthy eating is still unclear and requires further study before we can draw a complete conclusion on the subject

8. References: • www.nhs.uk • www.livestrong.com • www.mentalhealth.org.uk • www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov • www.fph.org.uk • www.cancerresearchuk.org • www.helpguide.org • www.wikipedia.org

9. Thank you for listening Any Questions?