According to the Yorkshire Post (6 July 2013) Emma Lee has just received a letter which informs her that her daughter Katie, aged 11 years, is “overweight” as determined by criteria devised by the National Child Measurement Programme(NCMP). Mrs Lee is very concerned at the impact this letter may have because it makes young girls […]
On 23 September 2004 a number of distinguished medical and health professionals wrote a detailed letter to the officials in the US National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) requesting an independent review of the cholesterol guidelines(1). Although this was some years ago the key points raised are just as pertinent to-day as they were when the
There is now overwhelming evidence that the total cholesterol in the blood (TC) is not a reliable risk factor for heart disease. In Blog 38 I pointed out that the death rate due to heart disease in Belfast is 4 times that of Toulouse even though the TC levels are almost the same. In Blog
Obesity is now classed as a disease according to a recent decision taken by the American Medical Association (AMA)which is the official body representing the medical profession in the USA. This decision was reached despite the fact that the AMA’s own Council on Science and Public Health had concluded that: “Without a single, clear, authoritative,
42. American Doctors Decide that Obesity is a Disease Read More »
The Lyon Heart Study is one of the most successful investigations which demonstrate that a change in diet results in a significant improvement in the survival rates of men and women aged <70 years old who have experienced a heart attack. Volunteers who had survived a heart attack were allocated to either a control group
Northern Ireland has one of the highest death rates due to heart disease in the world while France has one of the lowest. A comparison between the diets of middle-aged men in Belfast and in Toulouse which was published as long ago as 1995 provides some fascinating insights which are highly relevant to anyone
Over the years there has been a huge increase in the amount of Sugar Sweetened Soft Beverages(SSSBs) and there is mounting evidence that this a critical factor contributing to the increasing incidence of Metabolic Syndrome. In the USA there has been a 5-fold increase in the volume of soft drinks between 1950 and 2000(1).
Traditionally milk has been regarded as important with respect to nutrition because it is a source of calcium and several vitamins. However liquid milk consumption has suffered because of the competition other beverages such as sugar sweetened soft drinks and various forms of bottled water. In addition milk and/or milk products contain saturated fat, which
38. The Health Benefits of Milk and Milk Products Read More »
SAFETY Owen Paterson accepts that public and environmental safety is paramount and that GMOs “…. are subject to extensive testing and development in tightly controlled conditions – progressing from laboratory, to glasshouse, to field trials only when it’s safe to do so.After all of the pre-commercial testing, marketing applications for GM products must undergo a
37. Genetically Modified (GM) Crops: a Note of Caution (Continued) Read More »
According to Owen Paterson, the Minister in charge of DEFRA, GM foods are the best thing since sliced bread(1). He claims that Europe is missing out because less than 0.1% of the global cultivation of GM crops is grown in the EU. He argues that Europe is missing out while the rest of the
36. Genetically Modified (GM) Crops: a Note of Caution Read More »