The IEA has just published a report which concludes that: “The rise in obesity has been primarily caused by a decline in physical activity at home and in the workplace, not an increase in sugar, fat or calorie consumption” (1). The report relies mainly on official statistics but is also heavily dependent on the conventional […]
111. The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) Report on Obesity Read More »
There is now very convincing evidence that the recommendations to reduce the intake of fat and especially of saturated fat (SFA) have turned out to be one of the most notable failures in the field of public health policy. As Nina Teicholz (1) and others have shown, the recommendations can be traced back to Ancel
In an article entitled “The shape we’re in” Guardian health editor Sarah Boseley presents “ten shocking facts about Britain’s health crisis” which claim to be the truth about obesity (1). Unfortunately she simply re-hashes the stale old arguments and false information, which is why we are in such a mess. There is no doubt that
According to The Daily Telegraph (28 May 2014) two thirds of the population should be sent to state-funded slimming classes run by firms such as Weight Watchers, in the hope that this will enable them to comply with new NHS guidance (1). The official advice from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
80. Can Weight Watchers Really Crack the Obesity Crisis? Read More »
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia which affects almost half a million people in the UK. The term ‘dementia’ describes a set of symptoms which can include loss of memory, mood changes, and problems with communication and reasoning. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease, which means that gradually, over time, more parts
79. ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE. IS THERE A ROLE FOR DIET? Read More »
In my last blog, I quoted a number of case studies from individuals who had successfully overcome diabetes by making changes to their diet. As a result the blood glucose had been reduced to “normal” levels and in most people, the need for drugs had been eliminated. It was therefore with some surprise that
“In praise of….butter” is the title of a recent editorial in The Guardian (21 April 2014). Butter has been condemned by health professionals ever since the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy (COMA) made the recommendation in 1984 to reduce the saturated fat (SFA) in the habitual British diet from 20% energy to 15%
“The Truth About Low Fat Food” is the title of a programme broadcast by Channel 4 on 7th April 2014. This confirms that many “low fat” foods contain more sugar than the corresponding full fat version. Furthermore some of them are surprisingly high in fat and in calories. What I found especially fascinating is that
60. A Public Health Catastrophe The UK government is currently gung ho about the “Responsibility Deal” in which various food companies have agreed to reduce saturated fat levels in a range of products in order to comply with the following pledge: “Recognising the role of over-consumption of saturated fat in the risk of premature avoidable mortality from
As this is Blog 50, I thought it would be instructive to look back over some of the earlier blogs and attempt to highlight some of the key message that have emerged. It is now over 30 years since official guidelines on diet were first issued by health professionals and usually endorsed by governments. Prior