forms of arthritis (i.e. osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthri-tis), aetiology, risk factors and current management strate-gies. This section also stretches to detail relationship ofarthritis with cardiovascular risk factors including oxidativestress, inflammation biomarkers, plasma lipid and homocys-tine levels, insulin resistance and vascular dysfunction.Section 2 (chapters 5) discusses how arthritis influencesnutrient intakes and nutritional status of the osteoarthritisand rheumatoid arthritis sufferers. Nutritional status is oftenpoor in arthritis sufferers; therefore, this chapter provides abasis for nutrition interventions and strategies outlined inthe following chapters. Section 3 (chapters 6–11) focuses onthe popular diet plans, micronutrients (antioxidant vitamins,trace elements and others), essential fatty acids, glu-cosamine, chondroitin and special food products marketedfor symptomatic relief of arthritis. Chapters 6 and 7 con-clude that the evidence to support popular diets adopted bythe arthritis patients is lacking with some indications ofbenefits from a vegan diet or a Mediterranean-style diet.Some diet plans could be quite restrictive and, therefore,may be inappropriate option in the long term. Chapter 8provides useful information about the use of vitamins andmineral supplements. It is noteworthy that dietary supple-ments may only be beneficial if there is dietary inadequacy asindicated by low circulating levels. This is particularlyimportant as excessive intake of certain antioxidants such asvitamin C and b-carotene may act as pro-oxidants. Chapters9 and 10 covers the most researched and popular supple-ments (i.e. polyunsaturated fatty acids) and the groundsubstances (glucosamine and chondroitin), respectively. Thedose of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA)required to achieve beneficial effects is high, and the authorsalert the readers to look out for means of optimising theefficacy of marine oil supplementation such as reducing thecompetitive n-6 PUFA in the diet. The reasons for the con-troversial natures of clinical trials involving glucosamine areclearly discussed in chapter 10. The available evidence foruse of other supplemental foods, such as ginger, green tea,shark cartilage, etc., is well covered in chapter 11. Up-to-date epidemiological and experimental studies have beencited with statistical terms and study designs explainedfor those who may not be well versed with scientificliterature.

This book will serve as an important resource for healthprofessionals, not only for those dealing with arthritis suf-ferers, but also for those who are interested in general anti-inflammatory effects of foods and nutritional supplements. Ihighly recommend this book for those who desire a conve-nient reference monograph on their bookshelves relating tonutrition and dietetics; hospital and other educational insti-tute libraries should consider adding this book to theircollection. The disappointing part is the high price for asmall-size book.

Manohar Garg, PhD, MND

Professor of NutraceuticalsSchool of Biomedical Sciences

University of Newcastle

Food Politics: How the Food IndustryInfluences Nutrition and Health

Nestle M. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA,USA, 2003, 469 pages, $47.95, ISBN 0-520-24067-7Australian dietitians would be familiar with the work ofMarion Nestle from her keynote presentation at the 2004annual DAA conference in Melbourne. Those who were for-tunate to hear her presentation, or indeed have read herother papers, likely would appreciate why she is widelyregarded as one of the world’s leading food policy commen-tators. Food politics is controversial, and she is well knownfor not shying away from tackling the complex topics.

In her book ‘Food Politics’, Marion Nestle sets out todescribe and explain how the powerful vested interests offood industry influence nutrition and health––often to thedetriment of public health interests. It is hardly new tosuggest that food policy is political. What Nestle does do inthis book is to explore and then expose much of the oftenhidden nature of food politics––the lobbying, the subtletiesof much marketing and sponsorship arrangements, and therelationships among certain government committees,bureaucrats, food manufacturers and professional organisa-tions. Few books have done it so well. The book is intendedfor a wide audience, ranging from students in dietetics andfood, nutrition and health sciences to academics and prac-titioners in these areas. The book is engaging and provides areading style that would be accessible broadly to the generalpublic.

The book is descriptive rather than providing a heavyacademic analysis of food policy science. Nestle draws onher extensive professional experience working on US gov-ernment committees, including the Surgeon General’sreport, to provide revealing insights into issues and proce-dures of the real world of policy making. She acknowledgesthat she was in a fortunate position to write this book. Notonly had she past experiences to draw upon, also she had thesecurity of university tenure to provide her with more lati-tude to ‘tell it like it is’.

The book is structured in five parts, whose titles providea clear indication of their content matter, namely: ‘Under-mining dietary advice’; ‘Working the system’; ‘Exploitingkids, corrupting schools’; ‘Deregulating dietary supple-ments’; and ‘Inventing techno-foods’. At either end of thesefive parts, the book is introduced with a general premise thatthe core objective of food industry is to convince people to‘eat more’, and concludes with constructive recommenda-tions about how in the future we might work to improve thefood policy environment for public health interests.

The book sheds light on food politics in a robust andcompelling analytical style. Given the political nature of thesubject matter, Nestle was always going to expose herself asa target for aggressive challenges, or at least be expected todefend rigorously her assessments and conclusions. Withthis in mind, the book is extensively referenced and containsnumerous endnotes to substantiate her commentary. In atime when we all talk about ‘evidence-based practice’ as aform of holy mantra to explain how food policy is made,

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Nestle explains why we might be naïve to assume this is howfood policies usually are made in practice.

The book is now several years old and has become aclassic text. It provides an enduring reference point for foodpolicy students, academics and practitioners (it is difficult tokeep count of the number of times it has been cited byauthors publishing in the food policy science field). Onelimitation of the book is that it is focused almost exclusivelyon the US food and nutrition system. Nevertheless, is doesprovide a template for thinking about the Australian foodand nutrition system, and it has a resonance with somecurrent approaches to food policy agendas in Australia.

Food policy and politics are fundamental to the work ofnutritionists and dietitians. They affect the structure andoperation of the food and nutrition system. Yet, we under-stand so little about them. If you have cause to wonder howand why certain food policy decisions are made, this is thebook for you. It cannot be expected to provide all theanswers, but it goes a long way to encouraging the reader toreflect on their own food policy experiences and observa-tions. The book should be recommended reading for alldietetic students and dietitians alike.

Mark Lawrence, PhD, APD

Associate Professor (Public Health Nutrition)School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences

Deakin University

Diet and Dental Caries

Lilienthal B. Bernard Lilienthal, Canberra, Australia,2005, 106 page, $49.50, ISBN 0-9757220-3-4Bernard Lilienthal received his Dentistry Degree in 1945 andsubsequently completed a Science degree, a Doctor of Phi-losophy and a Doctorate in Dental Science. As an originalmember of the Institute of Dental Research at the UnitedDental Hospital in Sydney, he was responsible for much of itsresearch, and also held many prestigious posts throughoutthe world during his long and illustrious career.

Dr Lilienthal’s immense contribution lies in applying sci-entific method to the study of dental caries, and he wasmentor to many during decisions to introduce fluoride andtake a positive role in preventing dental caries throughoutthe world. Since his official retirement in 1993, we can beglad that he has seen fit to record much of his accumulatedwisdom.

In this fourth book in his series on the history of dentalresearch, Dr Lilienthal takes us on a detailed historic journeybetween 1890 and 2000, although a fascinating section alsotakes a close look at changes in dental caries from the stoneage to modern times.

The book begins with a brief foray into the dawn ofscientific studies on dental caries, listing theories that appearbizarre today, although no more so than many nutritionclaims that cross our desks. We are then taken through the

scientific discovery and a wide ranging discussion on theepidemiology of caries from Alaska to Africa to Australia andmany places in-between.

The role of nutrition in dental caries took some twists.Early theories put the almost universal caries incidenceamong children alongside rickets as owing to a lack ofvitamin D and consequent poor dental structure. Scientificstudies in sun-filled Australia, New Zealand and South Africaproved the theory wrong and began to show the effects ofsugar. Dr Lilienthal and a colleague commenced an amazing15-year study in 1947 at Hopewood House in the southernhighlands of New South Wales, where the children ate coarsewholemeal bread and porridge, wheat germ, fresh and driedfruits, cooked and raw vegetables with small quantities ofmeat, butter, milk, cheese, eggs and nuts and used honey ormolasses for sweetening. They were not given sugar or whiteflour, and their water had no detectable fluoride. Unlikeother children, the majority of the Hopewood children werefree of caries. (Dr Fred Clements, cofounder of the post-graduate course in nutrition and dietetics at Sydney Univer-sity, was the nutritionist in charge of the Hopewood study.)Dr Lilenthal published data on the effects of sugar onLactobacillus counts in the mouth, and followed the childrenas they grew up, adopted a more typical diet, and increasedtheir caries. The classic Swedish Vipeholm Study thatcharted the effects of the timing and form of sugar on cariesin a group of children in 1946–1951 is also described. Assuch studies are probably no longer possible, their descrip-tion and findings are important.

The book’s format includes 48 tables, which give a clearpicture of factors relevant to dental decay. There are also 29figures with more specific data, sometimes a little tortuous indetail, and a scattering of the author’s colour photographsfrom various picturesque parts of the world. The full list ofreferences is invaluable as many of the older papers are notavailable with a regular Medline search, and the short butconcise index makes it easy to find particular topics.

Fluoridation of water supplies is discussed more fully inanother book in this series, but the appendix gives somevaluable data on the fluoride content of foods in Vietnamand a call to take such factors into account when makingdecisions about the quantity of fluoride required in watersupplies.

Most of us would find it difficult to access the material inthis thorough and intriguing record. The story is never dull,and while it urges us all to consider the problems likely toafflict South-East Asian populations as their diet is Wester-nised, the latest Australian figures, showing a rapid escala-tion in dental caries, suggest we should consider our ownbackyard. My advice is to read this book and learn from it. Itis an invaluable legacy, and the diet that is good for our teethis also good for the rest of the body.

Rosemary Stanton, OAM PhD (Hon), APD

Visiting Fellow, School of Medical SciencesUniversity of New South Wales

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