There’s no denying the fact that diet is a hot topic these days. Interest in this area has been, to a large degree, fuelled by the burgeoning rates of ills such as obesity and diabetes seen in both adults and children in recent times. No wonder then that there has been increasing emphasis on the need to shape ourselves up by shaping up what we put into our mouths.

Yet, while there is very little disagreement that we need to make collective changes to our diet, there is not necessarily so much agreement about what these changes should be. In his landmark analysis of human lifestyle and nutrition Dr John Briffa uses the past to help us discover a sustainable nutritional future.