NHS 'Diet guidelines': About a week ago... - Low-Carb High-Fat...

Low-Carb High-Fat (LCHF)

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NHS 'Diet guidelines'

ChubbieChops profile image
11 Replies

About a week ago I made a complaint to the NHS about their apparent acceptance of the research/review that showed that there was no proven link between eating saturated fats and heart disease, also that eating polyunsaturated fats had no protective effect - apologies for any inaccuracies in what I have just tried to paraphrase. But the general gist is correct. Yet, despite accepting this apparent non-correlation/causation, they still go on to say that current guidelines remain unchanged; men should eat no more than 30g of sat. fats a day, women no more than 20g. I mean WHY??

It's like saying that all the weather forecasts tell me it's going to chuck it down today but I'm still not going to take a waterproof or umbrella with me.

Anyway, I have just had a response as follows:

The diet guidelines were produced by Public Health England’s Nutrition Science Team.

Public Health England are a Department of Health and Social Care agency whose role is to improve the nation's health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities.

Contact details are as follows:

Public information access office

Public Health England

Wellington House

133-155 Waterloo Road

London

SE1 8UG

United Kingdom

Email

enquiries@phe.gov.uk

I plan to send them a detailed complaint. I'm just including their contact details in case anyone here is inclined to do the same

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ChubbieChops profile image
ChubbieChops
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11 Replies
TheAwfulToad profile image
TheAwfulToadAmbassador

I bet you'll get a letter back saying that the guidelines are laid down by the NHS and that PHE are only an advisory body :)

Anyway, well done for pushing back. I'll fire off a letter too. To the barricades, comrades!

ChubbieChops profile image
ChubbieChops in reply to TheAwfulToad

I've been away for a couple of days, but I'm ready to take up the cudgel now! Will keep you posted

2Tired2Run profile image
2Tired2Run

Hiya, just browsing through and this caught my attention, Please can you clarify for me as I'm very confused with your complaint. Background - I've been - very successfully- following LCHF for almost 2 years and this is now my way of eating. Ive done a lot of laymans research reading in that time too). I now understand and believe that "there was no proven link between eating saturated fats and heart disease, also that eating polyunsaturated fats had no protective effect" ...... ie correct statement, as saturated fat is good and polyunsaturated fat is not protective.... to put it in blunt very basic terms. Isn't this what we crave PHE and the NHS to acknowledge and support? 🤔 I feel i must have misunderstood or missed something? Tia

TheAwfulToad profile image
TheAwfulToadAmbassador in reply to 2Tired2Run

The bit you've missed is that although the NHS accept that the evidence is solid, they have no intention of changing their policy or their advice regarding saturated fats.

In my mind, that amounts to a criminal act: deliberately telling patients things that are inconsistent with empirical evidence, in the full knowledge that this may harm them. A doctor would face (at minimum) a GMC investigation for that sort of thing. I suspect they're doing this because, if they admit they were wrong all along, they'll open the litigation floodgates. But they're going to do that whichever way they play it.

2Tired2Run profile image
2Tired2Run in reply to TheAwfulToad

Ahhhhh, got it now thanks ... i hadn't picked that up at all from the post. Totally understand and thank you for clarifying.

TheAwfulToad profile image
TheAwfulToadAmbassador in reply to 2Tired2Run

The original NHS link that ChubbieChops posted is this one:

nhs.uk/news/heart-and-lungs...

Originally discussed here:

healthunlocked.com/lchf-die...

It's well worth reading. I guarantee your chin will hit the floor when you read the final sentences. The "eat a balanced diet" link leads you right back to a description of the EatWell Plate.

2Tired2Run profile image
2Tired2Run in reply to TheAwfulToad

Thanks for this, I'll check them out .... but with a heavy heart, that we're still stuck with this imo so very dangerous nonsense still!

ChubbieChops profile image
ChubbieChops in reply to TheAwfulToad

Thanks for the reminder. Yes I realised that after I posted it and I've only just worked out how to edit posts. Will sort that out.

ChubbieChops profile image
ChubbieChops in reply to 2Tired2Run

Yes sorry, I'm a dipstick. Will edit the post though Toady has clarified I think

2Tired2Run profile image
2Tired2Run in reply to ChubbieChops

No worries, great thread though 👍

ChubbieChops profile image
ChubbieChops in reply to 2Tired2Run

Thank you. I've edited the post now.

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