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Monday 7 December 2015

British Dietetic Association versus common-sense.

Every now and again you come across a situation so ludicrous, so stupid it makes your blood boil. I will give you a classic example. Hardly a day goes by when we are not informed in the media of the epidemics of obesity and the often, very often, link with type two diabetes, I was that man. I say was, because for over seven years I have controlled my weight and type two diabetes, by way of the correct diet for a person with chronic insulin resistance. Enough about me, nothing special about me, what I have done is being done by countless people all over the world. Let’s cut to the chase. The case of, in my opinion, a brilliant Medical Doctor and the lamentable attitude of the British Dietetic Association.

Dr Rangan Chatterjee is young, highly trained on the latest science, and highly motivated to help people to regain their health and fitness. He is the star of a new BBC television series Doctor In The House. Please keep in mind, he is not just some guy with a blog (although he does have an excellent site here) he is not some bloke flogging snake oil. I think many watching the programs must be in awe of the man, I certainly am. I should say at this point, I am highly biased, because for over seven years, I have promoted the correct diet and exercise, as weapons against obesity and type two diabetes.

Rangan clearly believes the same. Why use medication, very often ineffective, expensive and often coming with side effects, when getting off our butts, and dumping highly processed junk food, usually proves far more effective. Rangan has performed wonders for the people he has helped. One patient an overweight type two diabetic, reduced his HbA1c, (a blood test to measure average blood glucose levels over a three month period) markedly. The drop in highly dangerous BG levels, enabled the man to dump two of his diabetes medications. Fitness levels improved big time, the man also lost a huge amount of weight. Well, what more could you ask for. If that man stays on the plan, it is fair to say, years have probably been added to the man's life. If he stays on plan, he has a very good chance of avoiding the gruesome diabetic complications, so many diabetics end their lives early with.

So, what’s the deal here, what's the scoop, what’s the British Dietetic Association got to do with this you may be wondering. They are up in arms, they are making a lot of noise, the BDA is “alarmed by controversial and potentially dangerous advice in BBC’s ‘Doctor in the House” as can be read here. To be fair I can see the BDA’s point. When you have set yourselves up as the doyens of diabetes dietary knowledge, the oligarch’s of obesity advice, the last thing you want is some guy turning up rocking your slowly sinking boat. Especially a man who applies his obvious skills, his abundant common sense, his total professionalism, his clear passion for helping others. It does not take him long to realise, the main reason for the obesity with his patients, as we have seen, is a diet based on starchy carbs, sugar and highly processed junk food. Made by the sort of junk food outfits so many dietitians have taken money from, either directly or indirectly, the junk food payola system is vast.

With all due respect to Rangan, what he is doing is not rocket science, although he uses the latest science, to very clearly demonstrate the problems of his patients. And if the British Dietetic Association want my respect, they need to get their act together quickly. While high profile BDA dietitians are hanging around on twitter, rubbishing highly trained and respected medical professionals, they will continue to sink into the mire, the quagmire of outdated dogma, the abyss of failure. They should be applauding the medical professionals who are turning the lives of diabetics around, not issuing warnings and taking to social media. They should be learning from Doctors like Rangan Chatterjee not vilifying him and his kind.


One last point, the strap line for the BDA’s propaganda for some time has been “Trust A Dietitian” I can fully understand why, no rocket science required there. When the likes of Rangan Chatterjee walk around saying trust a Doctor, we will have reached the end of the line in the race to the bottom. Medical Doctors are amongst the most highly trusted and respected members of our society, when you watch Doctor Rangan Chatterjee at work, it is manifestly clear to see why.


Eddie

18 comments:

Galina L. said...

So it now a practicing doctor against registered dietitians. An interesting situation.A "Potentially dangerous advice" against real life success stories.

Buttercup said...

Enjoyed your post very much. I'm keeping my A1C under control with lots of exercise and low, low carbs. My internist is amazed, but I'm not.

Keith Rathbone said...

My aunty followed the Warrington Diabetic Clinic and dietician advice of normal low fat whole grains etc. The result has been increased medication then insulin (now around 12 items in her prescription). Following the low fat diet and all the medication is not stopping the onset of diabetic complications (retinopathy and heart disease already so far).

When my GP advised me that I was probably diabetic as my BG levels were so high, I found that I was heading down the same path. I was advised by the same Warrington Diabetic clinic to eat a 1/3 plate of carbs. The dietician also explained that the brain alone needs to 130 grams of carbs per day. My GP suggested not eating cheese of the yoke of eggs. Following the dietician advice resulted in BG levels above 15mol/l after meals.

From experimenting with different meals and testing the results I soon found I could reduce my levels to normal by reducing the carbs. After 10 weeks on a low carb diet my BG level were down to normal. They have stayed like this for over 2 1/2 years.
The only medication I have ever been prescribed is for acid reflux, I have taken pantoprazole for around 20 years until I found I no longer need it on the low carb diet. So now medication free at the age of 60.

My kidney function at 57 was average for my age, 2 years later I have the kidney function of an average 29 year old. My cholesterol has also improved triglycerides down from 2.8 to 0.4. Liver function also improved.

As the previous blog explains it is not that clever to reduce some food that the body is intolerant of. If your intolerant of nuts, gluten or lactose your HCP will simple advise you to reduce (or cut out) your intake of the food making you ill.
In the case of diabetes the common sense approach appears to go out of the window and your advised to base your meals on starchy carbohydrates

I joined the Warrington Health forum in an attempt to improve the information to patients but finding great resistance from HCPs. The waiting time for diabetes education was several years as they only delivered up to 4 courses a year for T2. They have recently cut the diabetes education down to only 3 session in place of 6 they claim it was too expensive. Education for 6 sessions costs less than £100 but T2 diabetes costs around £100,000 per patient over 20 to 25 years of treatment. It is not only the diet advice which they need help with but the maths as well.

Good luck to others on Low Carb diets.
Keith A R

Anonymous said...

Yet more nonsense from Shootin' 'I dance for page views' Blanks.

You really are an embarrassment to the real low carb world.

Get Dumber to push you back to your wine box.

Lowcarb team member said...

Thank you for the positive comments, every day the good news gets better.

Kind regards Eddie

Lowcarb team member said...

"Anonymous Anonymous said...
Yet more nonsense from Shootin' 'I dance for page views' Blanks.

You really are an embarrassment to the real low carb world.

Get Dumber to push you back to your wine box."

I authorised your comment, as it is one of your most accomplished works over the past year. What is that? ten comments in the last 24 hours. Tell me, are you a member of the BDA?

Eddie

Anonymous said...


Eddie,

In response to the comment above - you seem to be getting a lot of page views as far as I can count - maybe because you tell it like it is, and people don't like that. I will be championing this site across the board. I've got qualified teachers, fitness instructors and other fellow RD's logging into this blog as i'm promoting it to the masses. Am also encouraging them to spread the word about the blog :-)

Anonymous said...

Eddie - love your last comment! You must really be pissing them off! Ha Ha

Lowcarb team member said...

Yeah, pissing all the right people off is what I do.

Regards Eddie

Anonymous said...

Pissing people off maybe but challenging the outdated dogma that believes diabetics should base their diet on blood glucose raising carbohydrates, and demolishing the myths that says saturated fat causes chronic disease DEFINITELY

Please keep up the good work.

LB

Lowcarb team member said...

Cowardly Troll said...

Yet more nonsense from Shootin' 'I dance for page views' Blanks.

But it's you that's dancing to our tune sunshine

"You really are an embarrassment to the real low carb world."

You mean those anonymous nonentities that you are the spokesperson for ?

Get Dumber to push you back to your wine box.

Are you still knocking back those bottles of meths ? it sure appears so and it's starting to addle your one remaining brain cell as the following extract from one of you comments I deleted earlier shows:

You're earn another comment if they're actually famous now, but they have to sign their name

Thanks once again for adding to our page views which now stand at 1,670,500

Love and hugs to all
Graham

Anonymous said...

Brilliant post as always!

DeniseinVA said...

Thank you for another very interesting post.

chris c said...

If the dieticians wanted to have ANY credibility at all they would be criticising the family's doctors who let them get into that condition in the first place, not the doctor who succeeded in seriously improving their health.

Galina L. said...

Somehow it is unique for medical minds that following existing rules could be regarded as a higher priority than getting positive results. Where else such mindset exist? May be an army?

chris c said...

Great point Galina! Also the Taliban.

Interesting to see we now have some clueful dieticians on board, and other genuine medical professionals who are more interested in outcomes than rules.

Sadly there need to be a LOT more to make a dent in our problems.

chris c said...

OMG! The CAPTCHA wanted me to identify all pictures including WHEELCHAIRS. Do you think someone is trying to tell us something???

Lowcarb team member said...

We are Wheely sorry about that Chris but as you will know we have no control over the Catchpa