If you want to age in a healthy way, it would be a good idea to adopt a similar diet and lifestyle. Over the years, the image of what is ‘healthy’ has changed quite a bit. A number of examples of (eating) habits that were previously seen as healthy, but which we now really think differently.
To smoke
On the train, on the plane, in bed: no place is too crazy for a cigarette. Until about the mid-1970s, smoking was seen as very healthy and even sporty, resulting in 53 percent of Dutch adults calls himself a smoker in 1975. As time goes on, more and more attention is being paid to the negative effects on health. For example, smoking can cause lung cancer. Smoking is therefore no longer seen as healthy or sporty, but as an extremely unhealthy activity. The government has therefore been trying to discourage smoking for years. For example, smoking has been banned in the catering industry for a long time, tobacco is becoming more and more expensive and it is forbidden to smoke to promote tobacco products.
In the photo above you can see PvdA members Ed van Thijn and Joop den Uyl smoking during the Congress of the Labor Party in 1977.
Alcohol
‘Alcohol destroys more than you like’ is the slogan of the government campaign launched in 1996. This campaign is there for a reason, because the negative effects of drinking alcohol on public health are becoming increasingly clear. Although people have been drawing attention to how unhealthy alcohol actually is for years, the Dutch have been consuming more and more alcohol since the revision of the Licensing and Catering Act in the 1960s. After all, it can simply be sold in many more places. According to the Expertise Center Alcohol Drinking consumption even doubles between 1964 and 2000 from 5 to 10 liters of pure alcohol per year. In order to put a stop to this development, all kinds of government campaigns were launched from the 1980s to combat drinking. All kinds of measures are also being taken to ensure that young people do not start drinking too early. For example, the age limit for buying alcohol was raised in 2014 from 16 to 18 years, and since 2009 it is no longer allowed to advertise alcohol on radio and TV and shops are no longer allowed to give high discounts on alcoholic products since 2021.
Milk
Drinking milk has been widely touted for years. The calcium it contains is good for all kinds of things, including for the bones. Meanwhile, the stories are no longer purely positive. For example, it is sometimes said that the hormones in milk are not very good for us at all and that calcium from milk does not have the positive effect that is so often mentioned.
The Nutrition Center has devoted an article on its own website to the question of whether milk is healthy or not. The conclusion? “With your daily portion of dairy you reduce the risk of colon cancer. Milk and milk products such as 30+ cheese, yogurt and buttermilk also provide many good nutrients. They contain protein and are a source of vitamins B2, B12 and calcium. The fat in milk does contain a lot of saturated fats. This increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. If you eat skimmed and semi-skimmed milk products, you won’t get too many saturated fats.”
For people with a cow’s milk allergy or lactose intolerance, dairy products such as milk are obviously not the best option. This can cause unpleasant health problems for them.
Also read: Suffering from lactose intolerance? The Fridge Coach explains why this is
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Eggs
The egg is also not a good product, only in the reversed form. Eggs have been seen for years as a source of LDL cholesterol, a type of fat that doesn’t have a very healthy reputation. LDL cholesterol increases the risk of cardiovascular disease because it attaches itself to the artery walls.
It now appears from Research (text in English) that it is by no means certain that LDL cholesterol is responsible for this. The study shows that it is not cholesterol that can cause vascular constriction, but saturated fat. And saturated fat, egg is not rich in that. For that reason, egg has acquired a slightly different reputation in many countries. In the Netherlands, egg is also in the Wheel of Five, but the Nutrition Center advises to: eat no more than 2 to 3 eggs per week.
(Source: BBC, Voedingscentrum, Trimbos Institute, Jellinek, IsGeschiedenis, Andere Tijden, Voedinghistorie.nl. Photo: National Archives)
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