In this age of nutritional enlightenment, does Breakfast Roll Man really still exist, asks Michael Kelly
AH THE Breakfast Roll Man. He is variously credited with winning the last election for Fianna Fáil and for being a stalwart of our economy.
He rises diligently before dawn and travels 50 miles to work from his home in the commuter belt, beating his way through traffic to get to his office cubicle or construction site a few hours later.
Of course, if you are to believe the stereotype, he also stops en route every morning to stock up on greasy forecourt stodge - specifically a 1,200 kcal culinary delight which contains (in one sitting) 100 per cent of his recommended daily fat intake and more than half of his daily calorie requirements.
But in this age of nutritional enlightenment, does Breakfast Roll Man really still exist? Is he an accurate representation of Irish men's nutritional habits? Or a dubious, outdated socio-economic cliché?
In the absence of actual breakfast roll sales figures (now wouldn't that be fun?), we are left to plumb the depths of food surveys for evidence of his existence.
The Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance (IUNA) 2001 Food Consumption Survey, for example, offered some tantalising clues, but no hard evidence. It found that meat and meat products were in fact the largest contributor to fat intake in our diets and, intriguingly, that as a nation we consume more bacon than any other meat.
But the Breakfast Roll Man trail grows a little colder after that.
According to the same survey, women were equally keen on meat and meat products, so perhaps Breakfast Roll Person would be more appropriate?
It is also worth pointing out that attitudes to nutrition have changed significantly in the seven years since that report was published.
A more recent study (the 2007 Slán Report by the Department of Health and Children) hinted at a decrease in the amount of fried and fatty foods being consumed. While most of us are guilty of gorging on foods that are too high in fat and sugar (87 per cent of men are consuming more than the recommended number of daily servings), just 14 per cent of men consume fried food more than four times a week.
So, along with the Celtic Tiger economy, has Breakfast Roll Man left the building? "I don't think that people are going for the fry-up as much as they used to," says the manager of the Nutrition and Health Foundation (NHF), Dr Muireann Cullen.
"There's a whole shift in attitude among men in relation to looking after themselves. We have some recent research on this which indicates that the majority of people have a reasonable understanding of what constitutes a healthy diet, though nutrition still seems to be more of a concern to women."
Nutrition consultant Paula Mee believes that men are far more nutrition-savvy than they are given credit for.
"It might be fun to stereotype the sexes, but I don't think the Breakfast Roll Man is an accurate representation of men today."
Mee paints an entirely different picture of Irish men when it comes to the fuel we put in our bodies - we are, she says, extremely interested in nutrition, highly motivated (when spurred to action) and poorly served by the lack of research and focus on the specifics of men's nutrition. She also says that men are seeking out dietary advice for lifestyle as well as health reasons.
"We are surprised by the amount of men who attend the practice - some days it can be as high as 40 per cent men. We get an increasing number of young men looking at their nutritional intake - it could be from a sports performance perspective or just that they lead a hectic lifestyle and find it hard to get the balance right. And of course you get older men who are attending because they have been advised to reduce their weight, blood pressure or cholesterol."
Men are great goal-setters when it comes to behavioural changes, according to Mee. "They have great grit and determination and when they set their mind to it, they get better results than many women.
"I think myself this is because women have a deeper, emotional connection with food and we tend to find it harder to change our behaviour, even when we have all the knowledge and all the answers," she says.
"Women often come back and they have all manner of excuses as to why it didn't work out. Men are just better at doing it."
According to Dr Cullen of the NHF, the logical mind which compels men to present to their GP when there is a problem helps us to stay the course when it comes to dietary changes. "With women, it is less about logic and more about emotion - and of course emotions change."
It would be wrong to depict Irish men on the verge of some sort of nutritional utopia however - health evidence suggests otherwise. The Slán report had dismal news with regard to the three major cardiovascular risk factors for men, namely BMI (body/mass), blood pressure and raised cholesterol. Some 45 per cent of Irish men are overweight and a further 24 per cent are obese (a combined percentage of almost 70 per cent); 60 per cent have high blood pressure, while almost 78 per cent have raised levels of total cholesterol.
These figures are extremely worrying, according to the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute's Margot Brennan. "In terms of the key risk factors, the figures are very high. It means that any advancement we have seen in terms of cardiovascular health will be reversed."
Getting men to understand nutrition is the key to addressing these problems, according to Irish College of General Practitioners spokesman Dr Mel Bates. "The human race evolved not to waste food and so we deposit the food we don't immediately need as fat, to be used in leaner times. But the point is, now there are no lean times.
"It's not rocket science - our mothers and our grandmothers knew all about the basics of nutrition and not much has changed in terms of the advice," he says. "It's about consuming fish, fruit and vegetables, eating more slowly and smaller portions. Unfortunately, this is a message that is just not getting through or if it is, it is only getting through to the people who need it least. For someone who is overweight, these messages are just another stick to beat them with."
Bates believes that only a certain group of men are good at taking nutrition advice on board. "The majority pretend it's not a big deal and try to ignore it. Major nutritional changes are a very difficult road to follow. But the men who do buy into it, tend to do very well. They are highly motivated."
So when it comes to Irish men's attitude to nutrition perhaps we could borrow another Celtic Tiger banality - a lot done, more to do?
Nutrition advice
• Reduce your alcohol intake: 36 per cent of men drink more than the recommended maximum of 21 units per week and we drink 2.5 times as much alcohol as women.
• Eat breakfast: breakfast can be a valuable source of nutrients and people who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight.
• Beware of double-dining: if you have a work-based dinner during the day, do not have another dinner in the evening. Watch your portion sizes and eat slowly.
• Prostate health: the pigment lycopene is considered important for improving prostate health, according to Paula Mee. There is evidence to suggest that lycopene (found in tomatoes and red fruits) prevents some cancer, including prostate.
• Vitamin A: a vital vitamin for overall health, found in foods such as melons, carrots, spinach and green leafy veg - 20 per cent of men do not have adequate amounts of of vitamin A.
• Fertility: vitamins C and E as well as zinc are thought to be important for reproductive health but avoid loading up on vitamin supplements; incorporate it into your diet instead.
• Dietary fibre: one- quarter of men do not consume enough fibre, leaving them at risk of impaired bowel function and gastro-intestinal disease. Eat more high-fibre foods such as cereals, wholegrain bread, jacket potatoes, fruit and veg.
• Salt: high salt intake is an important factor in the rise in blood pressure. Don't add salt when cooking or at the table and be aware of the salt content of pre-prepared foods.
• Gastro health: to avoid indigestion, do not leave your stomach empty for longer than four hours and avoid spicy foods, excessive coffee, tea and alcohol.
Check out the BMI calculator at www.nhfireland.ie