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Channel Four news report on obesity

lizdeluz

lizdeluz

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,306
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Were you, like me, unimpressed tonight by Channel Four News' report on Tonga dietary issues?
There were dubious assumptions in the report:
  • Eating fat makes you fat
  • Being forced to eat mutton flaps is the root cause of the obesity and diabetes epidemic in Tonga
  • The obesity and diabetes epidemic is worse in Tonga than in the rest of the world
 
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It is terribly unfortunate that the FUD against dietary fats continues to be propagated...instead of recognizing the effects of refined carbs and endocrine disrupting processed food.
 
It is strange because I've lost 7kg by stopping nuts, cheese and cream. As snacks thou. No snacks and no supper with extra insulin brought down my weight.
Strange?
 
There was a very interesting piece in the Guardian 10 years ago which does go to point out that not only are the people of Tonga the consumers of LARGE amounts of fat, but they are very keen on carbohydrates as well.

"Tongans, like other South Sea islanders, revere large bodies," When's the next plane? "though they are beginning to admit that the western ideal is more desirable, at least in health terms." Oh well, maybe not.

Well worth a read which adds to something that sounds a bit one sided. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2006/aug/03/healthandwellbeing.health

One thing that struck me, "Fishing and farming used to keep Tongans active but fish stocks are low and the seas crowded with foreign trawlers, so few bother to venture out; and farming seems to be a dying art (the only farmer I met did it primarily as a hobby)." Why am I not surprised that foreign fishing vessels have helped to reduce fishing stocks. Seems Australian and New Zealand registered boats who pay a US$20,000 license fee to fish anything as much as they like to feed the Japanese Market, thereby making fish expensive for Tongans unless fished by Tongan boats.
 
Yes I'm a huge advocate for 'activity can make a huge difference to our metabolism'. Without it it just makes weight loss that bit harder.
 
I do think that the interpretation of the High Fat term is a bit unfortunate. I dont think that eating loads of any type of anything is good. And some people seem to have got the idea that the more fat they eat, the better their glucose numbers will be. I do Low Carb and slightly more fats to compensate for the calorie adjustment. Snacking is out unless I have spare calories. Overeating anything at all will put on weight.
 
I think it would be better if we referred to a low carb good fat diet. I do not consume vast quantities of every and any fat. It is very unwise to consume rubbish fatty foods. I have thought for sometime the high fat part of the diet gives the wrong impression and is poor public relations but I'm afraid doctrine always trumps reason when a fundamentalist approach is involved. D.
 
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lindisfel said:
I think it would be better if we referred to a low carb good fat diet. I do not consume vast quantities of every and any fat. It is very unwise to consume rubbish fatty foods. I have thought for sometime the high fat part of the diet gives the wrong impression and is poor public relations but I'm afraid doctrine always trumps reason when a fundamentalist approach is involved. D.
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I didn't lose on low carb high fat. I do lose on not high carb and not high fat. I think insulin injections allow me that small carb variant to deal with, for now.
I do often wonder how much of my own insulin I'm making. I might ask consultant if he can indulge me.
Its a good time to know. (Changing to basal and bolus seperate insulins).
I've hit a hiccup weight loss wise but I'm sure I'll be back on track by the end of the week. If only no hiccups came my way. ;)
 
After looking at the Daily mail report I noticed the photos with it. A large bottle of pop, a loaf of bread and what looks like a couple of tins of processed food sitting next to the couple on the beach. Another had a woman sitting next to a tube of Pringles. They don't need any help by eating mutton flaps!

I think the confounding variables were not taken into account in this report. Pictures of Tongans obviously eating a western diet shows that it does not follow New Zealand mutton flaps make Tongans huge.

Does the fact that most professional basketball players are tall mean that the NBA are feeding them aluminium?

Channel 4 Rock On
 
I was a bit dubious about the claim that mutton flaps were responsible for obesity too. The woman in hospital had mutton flaps brought in for her, but she also had a large portion of chips with it. The people shown eating the mutton flaps at home were also eating large amounts of rice, and washing t all down with fruit juice or fizzy soda drinks.
 
It all sounds very familiar. The standard of news reporting is at the Jeremy Kyle level. They must think we are all totally stupid.
 
lindisfel said:
I think it would be better if we referred to a low carb good fat diet. I do not consume vast quantities of every and any fat. It is very unwise to consume rubbish fatty foods. I have thought for sometime the high fat part of the diet gives the wrong impression and is poor public relations but I'm afraid doctrine always trumps reason when a fundamentalist approach is involved. D.
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I understand what you mean, but what do you consider 'rubbish fatty foods'? Fatty meat, tinned fish in oil, bacon, butter, cream, etc.? Or margarine, vegetable oils, processed nonsense?

The high fat part of LCHF frightens people, no doubt about it, but less if you buy into the latest research that saturated fats aren't bad for us and unsaturated are benevolent. Transfats, of course, terrible!
 
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