Food and Nutrition

Food and Nutrition

Food and Nutrition

Food Allergies and Public Health

Introduction

A major public health issue identified by many scholars is the peanut allergy (Lack et al., 2003, pp.977-985). But to start with the word health is widely and much commonly used word in public communication and its meaning also looks fairly simple. But if this word is analyzed more closely it would be noted that it has diverse and various meanings. The definitions of the word health can be analysed from three points of views. From a lay man's point of view a person can be called healthy when are easily able to carry put their routine activities without any obvious symptoms of disease in them. It can be called a state where a person is free from injury or illness. World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948 described health as a state of total mental, physical and social wellbeing and health is not limited to the absence of infirmity or disease. This definition has been modernized recently to include the capability of a person to lead and economically and socially productive life (Gidey, Taju and Hagos, 2006, pp. 1-3).

The next question that comes in mind then is that what is public health? The United Kingdom's Department of Health says that public health is concerned about the various methods and ways to help people to stay healthy and guarding them against threats to their health. It is the primary aim of the government to help the people in making healthier choices, irrespective of their circumstances and is working very effectively to minimize the impact and risk of disease and illness (Department of Health, n.d, p.1).

Allergy United Kingdom reported the cases of allergic reaction to food among people and stated that they have been increasing and children are the major sufferers of these types of allergies. The symptoms range from mild difficulty in breathing to life threatening anaphylactic shock. Out of the fifteen to thirty percent people in Europe who suffer from some kind of allergy approximately two to five percent of people in them suffer from food allergy, children and adults included in this percentage (2003, p.5).

The Centre for Parliamentary Studies states that the causes and reasons of these allergic reactions are still not fully understood by the health professionals because they have restricted training in treating and diagnosing such conditions. The consequences of these allergies can be very grave and severe therefore the correct content labelling of food products has been termed as very vital and progress is being made in this regard (2013, p.1).

Background

In defining food allergy Kasarda said that food allergy is a potentially grave reaction of specific food activities or from consuming certain foods. Through diagnosis and research eight categories of food have been identified that causes allergic reaction in individuals up to ninety percent of them. These are wheat, soy, shellfish, fish, tree nuts, peanuts, eggs and milk (1978, p. 262). The reaction from these foods in individuals can range from tingling sensation ...