These days we are given all sorts of advice on healthy eating. There is much controversy about what actually constitutes a healthy diet. Readers of these blogs will know that there are many criticisms of the current official recommendations. There is a convincing case that complying with these will do more harm than good. Furthermore […]
In his third Reith Lecture Dr Atul Gawande, focuses on the approach by doctors to patients with diseases which may be terminal (1). One of the big changes that has occurred in the last 50 years or so has been the increase in the number of people who now die in hospital or other institutions,
It seems to be the accepted wisdom that the prime problem with our health services is a lack of resources and therefore all will be well if we can find enough money to meet all the demands. However we have only to look at the USA to appreciate that this view is nonsense. The Americans
In an article in the Yorkshire Post (1) the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has released guidance which advocates that Vitamin D supplements should be given out free to people who are at risk of a deficiency (2). NICE claims that about 10 million people in England have low Vitamin D status.
William Banting was a London undertaker during the 19th century who in his later years suffered from obesity. Having tried various strategies he was advised to consume a diet which was low in sugar and other saccharine foods, which proved so successful that he decided to write a pamphlet describing his experience. This blog is
There is now overwhelming evidence that the decision to advise consumers to reduce the amount of fat and saturated fat (SFA) in the diet has turned out to be one of the most disastrous mistakes in the history of public health policy. As people implemented the recommendations it was inevitable that there was a corresponding
There is a growing body of scientific evidence and personal experience which demonstrates that the high content of sugar and refined carbohydrate foods is one of the main factors responsible for the rapidly increasing levels of obesity and diabetes. This in turn increases the risks of conditions such as heart disease, cancers and Alzheimer’s Disease.
107. Support for Diets High in Fat and Low in Carbohydrates Gathers Momentum Read More »
I well remember all the hype surrounding the publication of the NACNE (National Advisory Committee on Nutrition Education) report in the early 1980s (1). The main thrust of this was that the national diet had deteriorated to such an extent that it was responsible for the relatively high level of chronic diseases, especially heart disease
After deliberating for 6 years we finally have the draft report on carbohydrates (1). In view of the current concern about the effects of sugar on health, there is likely to be considerable interest in the findings. The report consists of a comprehensive evaluation of the available scientific evidence which provides information on the role
89. Draft Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) Report on Carbohydrates Read More »
There is no doubt that the results of the study on fruit and vegetables which I discussed in my last blog have made quite an impact. In this blog I have picked out some of the headlines and a selection of the initial paragraphs of each report. INDEPENDENT (1) Forget five a day: You