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Saturday 5 April 2014

The British Dietetic Association not for this dietitian !

Yesterday I mentioned I had received an email from a young woman nearing the end of her dietitian training. Clearly this person is very disillusioned with the current state of affairs. Any switched on diabetic knows without doubt, the dietary advice for diabetics, indeed much of the population, is deeply flawed. The dietitian has given me permission to publish her email. I have removed information that could identify her, I have received further information from the sender, which highlights the abysmal state of affairs in the UK and will be publishing more tomorrow. Eddie


Dear Sirs

I have read your website with great interest. I am in my final year as an undergraduate student studying nutrition and dietetics at the University of ……………….. and currently undertaking my final 12 week placement at ………. Hospital, ………....

I have always been interested in food science, not only because I love food, of all types, but because due to my love of food I also struggled with weight management. Once ensconced within my university studies we were taught the principles of the “eat well plate”, this was the rule that we should all abide to and if we did – have no fear as weight won’t appear – so comfortable in my reinforced knowledge I happily munched through complex carbohydrates as was recommended. Prior to University I attended a gym regularly to keep my weight under control. Since starting university, I had less time for the gym but since I had learnt the laws of thermodynamic calories in = calories out – I had no fear to eat whatever I wanted as long as I stayed within the recommended portion sizes and energy expenditure.

So an additional two stone later, feeling very disillusioned and frustrated I started to query why I had put on weight as I was following the rules to the letter but my body wasn’t obeying. Worst of all, I was about to enter my second placement to give advice to people on nutrition being a portly 101 kg with a BMI of 31.9kgm2. It wasn’t until my fourth year university exams that whilst revising the causes of heart disease demonstrated through inflammation rather than villainous saturated fat and cholesterol that my investigations lead me to the theory that the body isn’t a closed system and as such doesn’t utilise fuel i.e. glucose and lipids in the same way. Let alone the effect that insulin has on the body. My curiosity grew and the science behind metabolic pathways and utilising fat stores and blood glucose developed.

From a dietetic perspective this is probably one of the most challenging things I have faced as I have to follow the recommended NICE guidelines which is quoted as being “evidence based” - even if the majority of the science that is quoted is either floored or misinterpreted. Another frustrating thing, is when I try to discuss with other qualified Dietitian colleagues why we insist on advising people to base their diet around complex carbohydrates at every meal I am seen as a heretic. With my complete dietetic knowledge and suitability put into doubt.

I am delighted websites such as your exist and my plan is to get qualified and then not register with the British Dietetic Association or the Health and Care Professional Council so that I can work without the restraints of these essential Dietetic registration bodies. In the future I would like to offer a service where essential Lipid, glucose, HBa1C and inflammatory marker blood test could be carried out prior to undertaking a comprehensive low carb lifestyle with advice and guidance was given, complete with monitoring and markers of progression. It would also benefit humanity if; with consent, I could collate the individual data and compile indisputable evidence to the Department of Health to dispense the current approach of palliative care not only sufferers of diabetes but heart disease, gastro symptoms and obesity.

I would be interested in hearing your opinions


Best wishes

10 comments:

Unknown said...

What a breath of fresh air! Someone who thinks for themselves instead of regurgitating what they've been taught. Excellent!

To the emailer: You couldn't hope for a better start than this blog and the recommended blogs/websites to the right.

I'd also highly recommend the blog of another (very) unconventional young woman who is fighting her own fight with dietary dogma:
http://itsthewooo.blogspot.com

She has some wonderful rants that some of us really enjoy - along with some very enlightened interpretations of dietary and biological science.

Good luck to you with your future endeavours :-)

Low Carb Pudding said...

What rubbish you made this up - anybody can tell this. Do you really think the Dept of Health will base guidelines on a nobody without a reaseach base - if this person is real then very immature.

Lowcarb team member said...

"What rubbish you made this up - anybody can tell this"

I have not made this story up and have received full details from the sender. More tomorrow. BTW the days of the BDA's diet of death are coming to an end.

They are not fit for purpose as the grim obesity and diabetes stats prove.

How do you make your diabetes much worse ? See a dietitian ! A sick joke eh but true most of the time as countless people have said on blogs and forums.

Eddie

Anonymous said...

More of Eddie's bullshit.

If you tell yourself enough times that every HCP will eventually follow you then it eventually becomes reality.
Dream on .

Anonymous said...

Interesting to see that in less than an hour the post is under attack. It is the same for those who choose to low carb. Most find no encouragement from their healthcare team although it is so clear that the reduction in carbohydrate has reduced blood sugar numbers. I do hope this person is not dis-couraged and continues to question, if enough do then perhaps there is hope for far better understanding of the management of diabetes and other diseases.

Nicky

Low Carb Pudding said...

It is the last paragraph gives it away - anyone who knows how research works and that includes students would know that!

What a hoot!

Lowcarb team member said...

We all know how research works. Big pharma and junk food make up a lot of lies. Many of the medics etc take bribes and expensive gifts etc. Total rubbish suddenly becomes accepted as fact and most HCP's trot it out with the meds.

Big pharma gets caught and pays out $billions in fines, then carries on making even more money.

Dietitians seem to be the easiest to fool, but not all. Some are honest and put their patients first rather than stick to the outdated and corrupt 'rules'

Eddie

Anonymous said...

As Indy said " a breath of fresh air " In real life a decision will have to be made and in the uncertain employment opportunities the decision may not be easy. With more experience and a work record to show it must be easier but in the present time the lips may have to be kept closed which is a shame.I wish this person well for future career.

Martin

Time For Change said...

Oh my how the anti's whinge they just can't bear the thought of a future dietitian who does not embrace the high carb dogma.

Alice said...

Anonymous' comment that this post was attacked within the hour does illuminate a popular tactic of big-food / GM front groups - send in their sponsored militia and stifle debate by seeding threads with personal attacks. The more illogical and offensive the better. Its a service actually offered by many PR companies.

The most effective response is humour & ridicule imho. (Says Alice)