From the editor.

This first issue of the journal for 2005 brings a strong set of articles on how practice in nutrition and dietetics might be better informed and better implemented. All the articles raise important issues and test realities. Our international guest Editorial, by Dr Este Vorster from North West University in Potchefstroom, South Africa, leads with the challenge of the next IUNS meeting: to seek new solutions for global nutrition problems. Dr Vorster describes how IUNS 2005 will frame this challenge and poses heartfelt questions, many of which resonate in the following articles.

The leading article by Coyne provides an excellent critique of the principles emerging from the Webb et al. research on meat consumption in 18-month-old children. Coyne emphasises the need for substantial detail on methods of dietary data collection and analysis in nutritional studies, noting this to be an issue that 'plagues nutrition journals'. She reviews the value of the weighed food record in dietary surveys and the use of biomarkers in validation studies, and acknowledges the value of the Webb study in providing new information on portion sizes appropriate for use in studies of this age group. On reading the paper itself, another emerging issue from this study is the potential dissonance between theoretical nutrition requirements provided by core foods and consumer preferences for convenience. Chicken nuggets, beef mince and sausages were the most frequently consumed meats, and the authors conclude that greater use of cuts of red meats could improve the observed low intakes of iron and zinc. The research was co-funded by a number of sources including industry, research organisations and international foundations, producing multiple outcomes and reflecting the value of cooperative research ventures.

Two viewpoint articles follow, the first raising a point of comparison between industry funding of marketing versus government funding of nutrition education. Lea presents a view on environmental sustainability, referring to published analyses of energy costs in current food systems, and introduces concepts related to 'organic' production systems and issues relating to food supply chains. An argument is made for community farms, although she notes there are few in existence in Australia for reasons unknown. Perhaps this also has to do with consumer need for convenience. Morton and colleagues take issue at the nature and extent of food television advertising to children, arguing from an empirical standpoint that the Australian Television Standards Code needs urgent review to be effective. This follows a previous article published in the journal on the nutrition content of food advertisements.

In contrast, Radcliffe and colleagues apply a health promoting schools approach in a controlled intervention study of children's breakfast habits. A range of strategies were applied in 13 schools in southern Queensland, addressing the curriculum, school ethos and school-home-community interaction. The intervention proved to be effective in improving children's breakfast consumption patterns. In research set in the clinical practice context, Lazarus and Hamlyn apply an innovative analysis to demonstrate a low rate of malnutrition referral (15.3%) and the consequent substantial shortfall in reimbursement to a hospital under the available funding scheme. Possible reasons for this included difficulties in interpreting existing malnutrition definitions specified in the ICD-9-CM system. Both these studies provide good examples of how research might direct new solutions to old problems.

The conference report by Peter Williams also looks at food and nutrition care in hospitals, with information on new ideas being trialled in the UK and sources of evidence for practice. The continuing education section provided by Sandra Murray and Rocco Di Vincenzo, from Wollongong and Swinburne universities respectively, focuses on complementary medicine. Questions relate to the extent of complementary medicine use, education of practitioners and evidence-based practice. In Letters to the Editor, a clinical team from Monash University and Kingston Centre, Melbourne, asks whether malnutrition causes dysphagia and provide an interesting flowchart of clinical progress in their observations. The March issue of the journal also carries the Guidelines for Authors, with new emphasis this year on ethics approvals and author contributions, and more specific guidance on statistical reporting and qualitative methodology.

The first issue of the year heralds a good start for the journal in addressing the challenge of finding new solutions to nutrition and dietetics problems. I trust the readership finds this stimulating, both in studying the journal contents and in developing ideas for interesting contributions.

Professor Linda Tapsell APD 

Editor