Shame on the Sydney Morning Herald for publishing the headline grabbing, and biased article ‘Blood Sugar Wars – What’s the Best Diet for Diabetes’ yesterday.
Despite the seemingly screwed reporting by SMH reporter Paula Goodyer, recipient of the Dietitians Association of Australia Excellence in Nutrition Journalism Award 2015 and either the winner or the Runner Up in that category every year since 2012 http://daa.asn.au/…/daa-excellence-in-nutrit…/award-winners/ ; it must be noted that Launceston man, Tony Benneworth, has come off ALL his Type 2 diabetes medications following a Low Carbohydrate Healthy Fat lifestyle.
Not only is LCHF approved by the CSIRO, but it is currently being rolled out as a Masterclass to GP’s in Australia via seminars and webinars run by Associate Professor Grant Brinkworth of the CSIRO and Professor Gary Wittert.
Tony agreed to be part of the ‘Saving Australia Diet’ after being told by his GP he was a walking time bomb of poor health. He adopted a Low Carbohydrate Healthy Fat lifestyle mentored by Dr. Gary Fettke, an orthopaedic surgeon in Launceston who is confronted by the complications of diabetes every week in his practice, and Chef Pete Evans as part of the TV special.
Behind the scenes Tony was fully supervised by his local GP and his personalised nutrition plan was created by Accredited Practising Dietitians, Nutritionists and a Credentialled Diabetes Educator at the Nutrition for Life Centre in Launceston (which was shown in each episode).
Tony came off ALL diabetes medications and has continued to maintain normal blood glucose readings including his HbA1c in normal range. He no longer has any blood markers indicative of Type 2 diabetes.He also changed his heart B pattern to a normal A pattern, indicating he now has no cardiac risk either and has come off his statins.
Unfortunately, Cassandra, who followed the standard DAA advice is still classified as someone with diabetes because her blood glucose control is medically assisted. That doesn’t mean she hasn’t acheived amazing results, it just means it is still a journey for her.
Paula Goodyer’s association with the DAA could make one question the bias of her reporting and a conflict of interest that is undeclared to her readership.
Since when did helping people take back control of their health become a ‘Blood Sugar War’?
All 3 participants (NOT contestants) of the Channel Seven Sunday Night program showed marked improvements in their blood glucose readings simply by reducing foods that were high in processed carbohydrates, high in sugar and looking at portion control.
The ‘takeaway’ message from the Saving Australia Diet is about the importance of nutrition education, support, accountability and motivation for individuals from a team of healthcare professionals. To me it showed there was no right or wrong way, and each case was individualised.
Dragging in my husband, Dr. Gary Fettke, and reporting inaccurate information (Low Carbohydrate Healthy Fat not High Fat as written) and highlighting his current ‘silencing’ by AHPRA, the Australian Medical Regulatory Board, seriously raises the question on a public platform “Who IS qualified to give nutrition advice?” and it challenges me to ask who started ‘the war’ and what (or whom) is it really about? …
Surely it can’t be 3 innocent people who agreed to go on television to improve their Type 2 diabetes outcomes?
“Clare Collins, a spokesperson for the Dietitians Association of Australia, is also concerned about some of the ‘experts’ used to guide the diets in the program. Gary Fettke who helped design Tony’s low carb, high fat diet is a surgeon not a diabetes specialist. He’s also under investigation by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and reportedly been cautioned not to advise on the nutritional management of diabetes because it’s outside his scope of practise.” wrote Paula Goodyer
This is about people’s health and the epidemic of Type 2 diabetes in Australia. When will people stop the personal attacks and pettiness and work together to find the common ground. It is about the message not the messenger.
#savingaustraliadiet #wecantwait
Declaration of interest:
Nutrition for Life was co founded by Gary and Belinda Fettke in 2014 to help people take back control of their health with personalised nutrition advice from a team of health professionals. Neither Gary nor Belinda see any clients in a clinical setting at Nutrition for Life.
http://www.juicedaily.com.au/food/blood-sugar-wars-whats-the-best-diet-for-diabetes/
https://www.facebook.com/belindanofructose/posts/1116935655067551