From the editor.

This first issue of the Journal for 2004 has an appropriate focus on food and a theme to consider on the implications of categorisation and classification. We begin with a challenging Editorial by Ball and Crawford who review how successfully we have 'acted' on Australia's obesity problem in the last 30 years. They outline the categories of recommendations made over those years and argue that adequate funding for these recommendations needs to be underpinned by a strong research base. The challenge of stemming the tide of obesity in the population is increasingly difficult, all the more reason to be sure of the likely effectiveness of steps taken.

The leading article by Lea and Worsley brings new insights into the categories of eating habits, behaviours and cognitions that may be associated with the concept of vegetarianism. Their thoughtful analysis of consumer views highlights the limitations of 'vegetarian' as a category, given the range of associated qualifications, such as inclusive of fish or chicken. Nevertheless, they also show how a categorisation process is useful for establishing relationships between dietary habits and belief systems, thereby informing health communication strategies. Riley's leading article commentary builds on this, noting the importance of understanding why and how people change their eating habits. Patch and colleagues take another view of food categorisation by reviewing the emerging concept of functional foods. They outline a range of issues worthy of consideration with this new development in the food supply and discuss the implications for dietetic practice. Foods enriched with omega-3 fatty acids form one category of functional foods, reflecting the volume of research in omega-3 fatty acids and the recognition that Australians have relatively low intakes. Omega-3 fatty acids have been implicated as having a possible protective effect against the development of asthma, a point made by Oddy and colleagues in their study of fish intakes in a sample of Perth children. They found most children ate fish at least once per week and the frequency of fish intake was a valid predictor of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acids (DHA) in serum phospholipids. However, there were no differences between children with and without asthma in terms of serum very-long-chain omega-3 fatty acids levels.

From a practice perspective, Hughes continues with another paper on his research associated with public health nutrition, this time examining work practices of the public health and community nutrition workforce in Australia. An analysis of the self-reported core functions of 240 practitioners found a mixture, not all of which were consistent with predefined core public health functions. The implications for workforce development are discussed. In turn, Isenring and colleagues look at nutritional assessment tools used by dietitians in clinical settings, and note the value of the scored PG-SGA tool in practice. They report on data collected to demonstrate the effectiveness of intensive nutritional therapy on the nutritional status of hospitalised patients receiving chemotherapy, but were only able to demonstrate a trend, bearing in mind the limitations and constraints of conducting research in this context. In the continuing education section, Lapsys and McMahon review some basic concepts on genetically modified foods, an issue relevant to practitioners in all domains. Useful web sites are provided to help practitioners keep up to date with government regulations in this area.

The focus on food continues in the Letters section, with Wong reporting on a study of coffee consumption in Sydney. This letter is a good example of how small studies such as student projects might be made available to readers in a concise and interesting way. Woodward's conference report of the recent Nutrition Society meeting makes substantial references to food, including one on an innovative session covering nutrition and sustainable food production.

This issue pays special tribute to Dr Jean (Jeannie) McNaughton, one of Australia's pioneering dietitians. Bev Wood provides a detailed obituary on an extraordinary life, and in the Letters section, distinguished colleagues from the FAO add further testimony to Dr McNaughton's outstanding contribution in the field of human nutrition. It is also noteworthy that the lecture in honour at the 2004 DAA annual conference in May will be referenced to Dr McNaughton.

The March issue of the Journal also contains the revised guidelines for authors submitting manuscripts, with more detail on how to report statistical data and on reporting qualitative research. There is also greater emphasis on stating ethics approval and indicating the contributions of authors. All these developments augur well for encouraging new and stimulating contributions to the Journal. We look forward to hearing from you. Overall the March issue starts the year well with interesting reading and thoughtful ideas for all.

Professor Linda Tapsell APD 

Editor