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NHS Advice on diet

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Bellx15

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Bigotry, prejudice, insincerity, blind deference to authority. The medical / pharmaceutical industry's shameless exploitation of people for profit.
I haven't found any mention of this yet, although I expect there will be some, but here goes -

Has there been any discussion of how this forum might approach television channels (e.g., CH4, BBC4) about looking into the ridiculously inappropriate advice emanating from the NHS? I can envisage quite a scandal stirring up.
 
I helped with a "Watchdog" programme on diabetic chocolate - they asked for assistance on this forum.

I tried to talk to them about diet, but they weren't interested. Didn't reply to subsequent emails.
 
I would be surprised if nothing had been taken up by television yet, but assuming that's the case ..

What would be the best way to get them interested, I wonder. Obviously just saying that "I find the NHS guidelines ludicrously inappropriate" wouldn't cut much ice. It would have to come from the group as a whole, or from some qualified nutritional experts on the group (or beyond the group).

What about running a group poll, to see what proportion of members disagree with the carbohydrate advice? Mustn't get too complicated, remember - this is the dumbed-down media we are talking about. I'm certainly no expert, although my learning curve is pretty steep at the moment, but I would want to say something like:

1. Diabetes is essentially the body's inability to control blood glucose levels within normal, healthy limits. High blood glucose damages the pancreas and thereby compounds the problem, eventually leading to deterioration and the need for medication,etc. Therefore:
2. The principal aim of the diabetic care plan must be to regain control over blood glucose levels.
3. Carbohydrates of all kinds are most easily and rapidly converted to blood glucose, resulting in elevated glucose levels after meals; over the longer term this repeated elevation in blood glucose leads to deterioration. Therefore:
4. The care plan needs to include a lower-than-normal intake of carbohydrates. Energy can be drawn from fats and proteins to compensate.

Now look at the NHS care plan:

Continue to eat as a normal healthy person. Carbohydrates at every meal, unchanged, because carbohydrates are the body's natural source of energy. Then accept that T2D is a progressive condition, and that medication will eventually be required in most cases. Do not reduce carbohydrate intake, because that would lead to other problems.


Any thoughts?
 
Bellx15 said:
Has there been any discussion of how this forum might approach television channels
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Quite a few over the years :)
 
Wonder if C4's Food Hospital programme would be interested? - they seem to do some vaguely scientific comparisons of diet A vs Diet B for specific disorders
 
IanD said:
I helped with a "Watchdog" programme on diabetic chocolate - they asked for assistance on this forum.

I tried to talk to them about diet, but they weren't interested. Didn't reply to subsequent emails.
Click to expand...

Perhaps if you mention the words 'Contraversial new diabetic diet' and 'Is the NHS killing diabetics?" or 'Desperate Diabetics Take Food Law Into Their Own Hands!" their ears would prick up. :think:
 
viviennem said:
I keep emailing Woman's Hour. They keep ignoring me :roll: .

Viv 8)
Click to expand...

How about Lorraine Kelly or whatsisface with the silver grey hair who's on every programme including The Cube ... can't remember his flippin name! ? :think:
 
badcat said:
Wonder if C4's Food Hospital programme would be interested? - they seem to do some vaguely scientific comparisons of diet A vs Diet B for specific disorders
Click to expand...

That sounds like a plan badcat. :D
 
Bellx15 said:
I would be surprised if nothing had been taken up by television yet, but assuming that's the case ..

What would be the best way to get them interested, I wonder. Obviously just saying that "I find the NHS guidelines ludicrously inappropriate" wouldn't cut much ice. It would have to come from the group as a whole, or from some qualified nutritional experts on the group (or beyond the group).

What about running a group poll, to see what proportion of members disagree with the carbohydrate advice? Mustn't get too complicated, remember - this is the dumbed-down media we are talking about. I'm certainly no expert, although my learning curve is pretty steep at the moment, but I would want to say something like:

1. Diabetes is essentially the body's inability to control blood glucose levels within normal, healthy limits. High blood glucose damages the pancreas and thereby compounds the problem, eventually leading to deterioration and the need for medication,etc. Therefore:
2. The principal aim of the diabetic care plan must be to regain control over blood glucose levels.
3. Carbohydrates of all kinds are most easily and rapidly converted to blood glucose, resulting in elevated glucose levels after meals; over the longer term this repeated elevation in blood glucose leads to deterioration. Therefore:
4. The care plan needs to include a lower-than-normal intake of carbohydrates. Energy can be drawn from fats and proteins to compensate.

Now look at the NHS care plan:

Continue to eat as a normal healthy person. Carbohydrates at every meal, unchanged, because carbohydrates are the body's natural source of energy. Then accept that T2D is a progressive condition, and that medication will eventually be required in most cases. Do not reduce carbohydrate intake, because that would lead to other problems.


Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

That's about right I think. You could also add something about the lack of proper explanation about what diabetes is and initial advice from some GP practices which leaves diabetics floundering and terrified for the first three months, not knowing what to do. This fact can be borne out by the many newbie posts on this forum, we could show them all the posts which come in and say 'HELP ME PLEASE... I don't know what to eat." etc. I think that alone would prove there's a gaping hole in NHS care for diabetics right from the very start. For example I was simply given tablets and referred to the diabetic nurse who then gave me more tablets and a book and told me to come back in 3 months. That was my sum total of conversation with a clinician about my diabetes, I wasn't even told what type I was or what my blood test results were. That was it and it took all of 3 mins.

What do the admins and moderators feel about approaching TV. Do we have their approval and how could we go about forming a team to carry out specific tasks to ensure we get it moving and it gets done rather than just talking about it?

:)
 
Maybe also perhaps asking/challenging the TV channels to think about why the official medical advice on diet (for T2 at least - I dont know enough about T1 to know if its the same in both diseases) is different here and in other countries such as those in Scandenavia
 
Perhaps pointing out that knowledge of what to do if a diabetic is in trouble is as vital and lifesaving as any other medical emergency?

The amount of people who think you must give a comatose diabetic insulin is scary!!! or force orange juice between the lips of an unconscious diabetic :roll:
 
catherinecherub said:
Anyone interested in this thread might like to do a little "light" reading on this thread below. It started off full of promise but there have not been any updates. :(
Something must be done.
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=29512&hilit=changing+guidelines
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As the one who started that particular thread (though I didn't have any control over events) and without wanting to apportion any blame, I think that perhaps we can say that it demonstrated that the forum is not necessarily the ideal vehicle for this sort of collective enterprise (although the e-petition is a shining exception). Also, DCUK have no interest in being involved. I would want to stress that some of us are still continuing the pressure, albeit on an independent one-to-one basis with existing contacts (via MPs, contacts on NICE, etc) -- wheels are still turning, if rather slowly. That's no reason to pour cold water on new initiatives, but perhaps they are best orchestrated by pm, and by targetting a specific journalist/production company where one already has an entree. Good luck!!!
 
About three years ago i was diagnosed as being borderline then a while later they called it pre diabetic when i asked what this meant the doctor said that i would most probably go on to develop full blown diabetes not once did he say "but if you change your diet and eat better you may aviod this" so i just carried on i didnt think i had any option its only when i was diagnosed last week and i came on this site that i realised maybe if i was given a bit more information i might not be where i am today. when i spoke to the practice nurse i was told that i could not have a appointment to see dietician for 4 weeks ,i asked "what shall i do in the meantime " she said oh just carry on as normal ! if it wasnt for this site i would not have a clue what to do
 
gally said:
About three years ago i was diagnosed as being borderline then a while later they called it pre diabetic when i asked what this meant the doctor said that i would most probably go on to develop full blown diabetes not once did he say "but if you change your diet and eat better you may aviod this" so i just carried on i didnt think i had any option its only when i was diagnosed last week and i came on this site that i realised maybe if i was given a bit more information i might not be where i am today. when i spoke to the practice nurse i was told that i could not have a appointment to see dietician for 4 weeks ,i asked "what shall i do in the meantime " she said oh just carry on as normal ! if it wasnt for this site i would not have a clue what to do
Click to expand...

Hi Gally -

that is just disgraceful. Whenever the evidence suggests that the NHS has little interest in preventative medicine, I find myself loath to accept this, but sometimes the evidence leaves us with no plausible alternative.

Don't just accept your diabetes at this stage, though. Do what you can to reduce your BG levels, and see where that takes you. Good luck!

BTW when did you start on the meds?
 
What about that chap who made the Eat, Fast and Live longer program? He has done some interesting TV about food, he's a borderline diabetic and his wife is a GP. He would probably be our best bet ...
 
Fraddycat said:
Michael Mosley
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Not a bad idea. He did the documentary because he wanted to live longer but healthy. He also did a documentary about HIT (high intensity training) where he showed if you did (I think it was) three minutes of pure hell on a bike 3-4 times a week, you gained more than spending hours at the gym, or pounding the streets. He seems to be very interested in health issues, but my one concern... as a medically trained man, will he listen to us, going completely against the NHS line? I would like to think he would.
 
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