National Obesity Forum (NOF)

[MikePollard]

A few days ago the NOF caused a furore by putting out a statement that '...fat is good, carbs are bad...' Good news as far as LCHF folk go you'd think. But no, there is a schism, for four so of the board members have resigned protesting that that advice was flawed, dangerous and not in line with current guidelines. Bad news for LCHF!

nationalobesityforum.org.uk/

And then comes along this:

dailymail.co.uk/news/articl...

NOF is in a very bad place and it would be interesting to see what conflict of interest the resigning members are party to.

As for Dr Matthew Capehorn, I have seldom seen a more egregious example of naked opportunism, self interest and a blatant disregard of the Hippocratic oath - Primum_non_nocere - First do no harm.

[MikePollard]

Yes, and that is plainly illustrated here as as well as being an example of cognitive dissonance at its worst!

[MikePollard]

Matthew Capehorn is one of the gang of four who has resigned from the NOF. No surprise there!

[MikePollard]

It's rather sad, because those familiar with the LCHF movement will be well aware of the authors of the piece that has raised such a stir, and they are gold plated, rock solid researchers such as Aseem Malhotra, Sam Feltham, and Jason Fung: No conflict of interest declared and of impeccable credentials. It's also a pity the opening paragraph wasn't scrutinised or commented upon by the people, outside the wretched Matthew Capehorn do not address the issues outside of their outrage that the status quo was challenged. Below from the website:

It was co-authored by Aseem Malhotra, NHS consultant cardiologist and NOF adviser, David Haslam, GP Watton-at-Stone, Sam Feltham, director of the Public Health Collaboration, David Unwin, GP Southport, and Shamil Chandaria, Patron, NOF, Jason Fung, , Nephrologist and Chief of the Department of Medicine, The Scarborough Hospital, Toronto, Canada, James DiNicolantonio, Cardiovascular Research Scientist Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, Trudi Deakin, Dietitian and best selling author, Caryn Zinn Dietitian, Auckland, New Zealand, and Peter Brukner, OAM, MBBS, FACSP, FACSM, FASMF, FFSEM; specialist sports and exercise physician . No funding was sought or received for this report. The document was supported and peer reviewed by an International expert panel.

It's just a shame the vehicle of delivery for such an important message is so flawed and I suggest the NOF is doomed as an entity when such a schism has come to light.

[MikePollard]

I do, I go for a blood test and I challenge the 22 stone practice nurse and the pregnant male doctors who infest our NHS. From my point of view, and there are exceptions of course, I am far more educated from the point of nutrition (after 7 years research and fascination with diet and health) than a doctor who spent a day or two in his training before he got his licence to practice.

We, I emphasise we, have to bother, as appeals to authority is why we are the mess we are in, eg everybody knows what causes heart attack, everybody knows cholesterol is bad.

People go to their doctor, utterly ignorant and afraid, and their questions are met with authority, ignorance and fear contaminated with absurd incentives that put people on medication on the result of a blood test. I long ago abandoned the awe of doctors who cannot possibly know all the answers, especially as most of them (in my practice at least) are hardly examples of physical perfection.

[MikePollard]

If people don't come out of a surgery with a prescription, whether an antibiotic for a viral infection, or advice about weight reduction from a morbidly obese doctor, then they feel cheated. Indeed the lunatics are in charge of the asylum!

Wish I wasn't sitting here in front of my computer on a perfect day for flying whilst awaiting my (Indian built) aircraft to be delivered!