The Food-Health Crisis: How Modern Diets Fuel Chronic Disease

In the immediate period after World War II, there were significant improvements in health as demonstrated by a steady extension in life expectancy. However, it is now clear that this trend has slowed down and possibly regressing for some, such as middle-aged men.

Since the 1980s, there has been a steady increase in the incidence of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) in many countries. In the UK this has approximately doubled in the past 15 years and all the indications are that it will continue to increase in the foreseeable future. This may be regarded as a modern-day scourge and is just the tip of the iceberg. Those who suffer from T2D have a much higher risk of developing most of the other common chronic diseases, including heart disease, various cancers and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD).

During the 1960s, the incidence of AD was estimated as 2% in people over the age of 85. By 2009, this value had increased to 50%. Even if some of this can be attributed to increased awareness, it remains a staggering change. In addition, it was reported that in 2009, AD was found in 10% in those aged over 65 and in 20% of those aged over 75 (1).

Here in the UK, the NHS is at breaking point, as demonstrated by the cancelled operations and very long waiting lists for diagnosis and treatments. Furthermore, it is evident that many of the current strategies of the NHS is not working.

In May 2023, the British Medical Association (BMA) in the UK conducted a survey of 1935 junior doctors (all those below the rank of consultants) which asked the question:

“Do you expect the NHS to improve, worsen, stay the same or no longer exist in its current form within the following time periods?”

Just under 90% expected the NHS to worsen within the next 18 months while 67% answered that it would no longer exist in the next 10 years (2).

In July 2023, there were the equivalent of 2,187 fewer fully qualified full-time GPs compared to the September 2015. As a result, the average number of patients each full-time equivalent GP is allocated continues to rise, and now stands at 2,305. This is an increase of 367 patients per GP over the last 8 years (3). In addition, there were 7,679,851 patients waiting for treatment in England. About 390,000 of these patients waiting over a year for treatment, which is around 308 times as many as in July 2019. (4).

In mainstream medicine, there is enormous emphasis on finding a “magic bullet” solution for many chronic diseases such as AD, cancer and diseases of the heart and arteries, for which enormous prices can be charged. The reality is that much of the damage caused by a chronic disease is permanent and cannot be undone. Although there may be success in alleviating the symptoms, the chances of a complete cure are remote. The hard reality is that unless the underlying causes are identified and addressed, there will never be any significant progress. This means that the emphasis must be on prevention, which would mean that current policies on public health would have to be revolutionised.

We certainly cannot carry on with the current strategies. If the number of people with serious health issues continue to grow, we will have to go on spending more and more resources on healthcare so that other forms of public expenditure on schools, housing and the environment will be curtailed. On top of this, a growing proportion of the population will be dependent on the state to exist. Obviously, this is sustainable. There must be a fundamental shift in public policy and the sooner the better!

The food supply

There is little doubt that the nutritional quality of the diet consumed is one of the most important factors which determines the standard of public health. If you have a vehicle designed to run on petrol and by mistake fill up with diesel, the result is a disaster. Almost certainly, before driving very far, you come to a stop. To get going again, it will be necessary to remove all the diesel, clean out the engine and re-fuel with petrol.

The same principles apply to the human body. It is a sad fact of life that many people consume a diet that has a nutritional quality which is not ideal. Indeed, for some, the diet is so bad that, quite simply, they can never experience good health. There is no doubt that much of the current food supply is in direct conflict with a healthy lifestyle. This is demonstrated by many of the products on offer in any of the supermarkets. Sweets, snacks, biscuits, soft drinks, and ready meals predominate. It is extremely difficult for shoppers to choose foods, which are consistent with good health. The difficulties are exacerbated by the advice from official bodies, which largely determine that given by the mainstream health professionals.

All the foods mentioned are obvious sources of sugar and refined carbohydrates. What is less well known is that many of them also contain linoleic acid (LA), which is an omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA). In addition, the omega-6 fatty acids are the predominant ingredient in many of the oils such as those prepared from sunflower and safflower. The ubiquitous vegetable oils are mainly omega-6s.

Ideally, the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 should be 1:1. In a typical diet in the UK or the USA, the ratio is likely to be between 20 and 40.

To cap it all, we now know that those foods produced by extensive processing (referred to as “Ultraprocessed”) have specific characteristics that contribute to the development of obesity.

It is now evident that the way the food supply has evolved in the past half century is probably the main reason for the increased incidence of T2D, obesity, and associated conditions/diseases.

Fifty years ago, obesity was very rare in children and young people. Older doctors will testify that it was most unusual to see an obese young person when they first started to practice.

The way ahead

The basic issue is that the official policies on nutrition and health across the world are fundamentally flawed. We are advised that the amount of fat consumed should be reduced. As a result, the market has been flooded with products that are “low fat” (and by implication “healthy”). Invariably the fat has been replaced by sugar and carbohydrates, with disastrous consequences such as increased incidence of T2D. Furthermore, the advice to restrict the consumption of saturated fat has led to huge increases in the consumption of the polyunsaturated “seed oils”. In a later article, I will explain how this has contributed to the increased incidence of many common chronic diseases.

This all started in the USA with publication of “Dietary Guidelines for Americans” in the 1970s. Although this was supposed to be an independent assessment based on the best scientific knowledge at the time, there were powerful vested interests at work. As a result, the recommendations that emerged were seriously compromised so that certain industries would derive considerable benefits. Unfortunately, the USA stance was endorsed by WHO and so, many other governments formulated nutrition policies that were similarly flawed.

This is the position today. Even though the American guidelines are reviewed regularly, the main messages persist. This is because the relevant USA government agencies have been captured by the pharmaceutical and food companies.

However, things may be about to change. R F Kennedy Jnr has just been approved as the Secretary responsible for health. He has pledged to purge the agencies as part of his programme to Make America Healthy Again (MAHA). Judging by the urgency with which President Trump has started his period in office, these are unlikely to be empty promises. If Kennedy is to be successful, he will have to engineer an upheaval in the US food supply, commencing with a radical alteration in the official advice on diet and nutrition.

Keep a careful watch on developments in the USA. It could be the signal we need to get things moving in the right direction here in the UK and Europe.

References

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