“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 […]
Statins are certainly in the news these days. NICE has put forward proposals that all those with a 10% risk of developing heart disease should be treated with statins. Effectively this means that everyone over the age of 50 years, including those who are fit and healthy, would be expected to have the treatment. On
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
One of the most significant findings about cancer was made by the German biochemist Otto Warburg. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1931 for his discovery of the oxygen-transferring enzyme of cell respiration. Here is an extract from a lecture he presented in 1966 (1). “Cancer, above all other diseases, has countless
In a recent paper a research project based at the University of Utah has shown that comparatively low levels of sugar added to the diet can have substantial negative effects on mouse survival, competitive ability, and reproduction. In particular it was found that when mice ate a diet of 25% extra sugar – the mouse
Epidemiological studies into changing patterns of food consumption and disease statistics can provide valuable insights into the relationships between diet and health. In Great Britain data from national statistics show that amount of fat consumed has fallen from 120gm/day in 1969 to 74gm/day in 2000. When expressed as a proportion of energy consumed the fat
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
Camels exist in many parts of the world, especially in Asia and Africa. Traditionally they have been used for work and for the production of meat, milk, hair and hide. They are particularly valuable because of their ability to be productive and remain healthy in arid areas where the grazing is poor. Camels can survive
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 »
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).