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Thursday 2 January 2014

The British Dietetic Association a complete unprofessional shambles ?

From the British Dietetic Association website re a recent meeting of members.

"Carbohydrate Advice in Type 2 Diabetes – The ‘Hot Potato’ of  ! ! Dietetics?"

"The latest UK nutrition guidelines for diabetes suggest an individualised approach to carbohydrate in Type 2 diabetes, and focus on calorie reduction and weight management in those who need to lose weight. But where does that leave more detailed or specific advice about carbohydrate for individual patients? What should Dietitians be advising their patients? Preliminary research into the current practice of UK Dietitians in this topical field will be reported, together with the current evidence-base. Participants in this session will have the opportunity to review their own practice in this area and contribute to the ongoing debate."

As you may have noticed dietitians have featured heavily in my posts so far this year. Diabetes care in the UK is abysmal for the majority of diabetics. The NHS audited annual statistics are grim, and they are grim year after year, no progress is being made, in fact the situation is getting worse. One of the keystones of good diabetes control is diet. And the experts on diet in the UK are the dietitians who are members of the British Dietetic Association. Recently they held a meeting and produced a survey conducted on some of their members opinions, some of the results you see below. As you can see their methods seem to be very unsound, in fact I don't see any method at all. Clearly UK dietitians have no general guidelines or policy agreement to work to whatsoever. To the question How frequently do you advise carbohydrate restriction with type two diabetes on oral medication, sometimes was the answer for the most. The question what would be a realistic carbohydrate restriction in type two diabetes 30 to 50% of energy was the overwhelming reply. 

The $64000 question is, how could any successful organisation operate with absolutely no overhaul common policy ? no corporate structure or method of operation whatsoever. Remember we are not talking about flogging nuts and bolts here, we are talking about the health of millions of people. Is it any wonder the UK diabetes statistics are so grim, when the very organisation that should be leading the way to better health for so many, could not run a whelk stall. Until the BDA at the very least, issue some basic guidelines to their members and have some sort of common policy, regarding carbohydrate control or restriction, the carnage will go on. It is my opinion, the BDA is at the very least partly responsible for the early death of countless diabetics. Will it be ever thus ?


Click on graphs to enlarge




Source of information and more here

Eddie

Who can be contacted on this blog and at this email address lowcarbdiabetic@aol.com

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

WOW K-N-O-C-K O-U-T

Have you been training on good STEAK Eddie?

Gina

Lowcarb team member said...

Yes I am on a raw meat diet. I had become soft over the last year or so. As I said the other day, no more Mr.Nice Guy.

Eddie

Galina L. said...

I think that everybody is given wrong diet advice, not only diabetics. You could say that for diabetics the wrong advice is deadly and lead to more complications, and it is true. However, when I think about low-fat products recommended for children, or hypoglycemia symptoms being treated with anxiety drugs, my blood is boiling. There are other issues like mental health in general, susceptibility to infections, dental issues, menopausal issues. The official diet advice ruins lives.

Lowcarb team member said...

Agree 100% Galina a great comment as always. Thank you for all the time and work you put in spreading the word.

Eddie

Galina L. said...

Thank you, Eddie. Who may think 100 years ago that unspoiled food could kill and sicken people? Times changed, and humanity needs to adapt.

Lowcarb team member said...

Yes, I agree 100% with Galina also. Dietitians and others have been let off the hook by the extremely successful attempts by governments and media to confuse T2 diabetes and obesity - or at least to make them synonymous.Thus slim T2s receive either no dietary advice or totally incorrect dietary advice.Graham and I can testify to that. We are not told the one simple dietary fact which could save us from complications and unnecessary medication.I was in fact ordered to eat more carbs in order to tolerate the medication which led to further medication which in turn led to my eye complications.

An individual approach would be fine providing those responsible did not continue in the bad old ways.
Surely if a slim T2 who exercises does not show any sign of responding to medication and the diet is fine by NHS/DUK standards then it is time to mention the magic word: "carbs"

Ideally this should happen at diagnosis but I don't believe in miracles.

As we have been saying for years - diabetes is all about diet. It is not necessarily about obesity.
They have all failed us - but there seems to be a lot of hope on the horizon.

Kath

Anonymous said...

The hot potato of diabetics I am groaning you can probably hear me. There may well be others suffering a different illness that are also not getting the correct advice. I do think nutritionists may have better knowledge.

Lowcarb team member said...

It appears the BDA is a self promotion outfit and patients are very low in their list of priorities. This reflects in their pitiful success rate regarding UK diabetics.

It's a job for most, no more than a living, problem is so many diabetics are dying. As we know the average clued up diabetic is far more knowledgeable re the best diabetes diet, and that's a fact.

Eddie

Lowcarb team member said...

Kath said...

Thus slim T2s receive either no dietary advice or totally incorrect dietary advice.Graham and I can testify to that.

That's so true Kath, no consideration is given to the carbs/calories equation, I'll always need a high calorie diet which given the standard dietary advice means I would be expected to consume far more carbs than the average Type 2.

Cheers
Graham