Nutritional Education!

[smw99]

On Saturday evening, I was talking to a friend who has recently been diagnosed as prediabetic after a routine blood test. Message to her and to another 2 friends in the same situation was nothing to worry about, just come back in a year to be retested. I started to explain that it might be a good idea to cut back on carbohydrate and explained that I have eaten very little for the last 2 1/2 years. The usual question of what I eat followed and I explained that I eat a lot more fat. She said 'surely fat is carbohydrate isn't it?' I was literally speechless!

 

[Member496333]

Nothing to worry about? Was that the advice from their respective doctors?

 

[Engineer88]

On Saturday evening, I was talking to a friend who has recently been diagnosed as prediabetic after a routine blood test. Message to her and to another 2 friends in the same situation was nothing to worry about, just come back in a year to be retested. I started to explain that it might be a good idea to cut back on carbohydrate and explained that I have eaten very little for the last 2 1/2 years. The usual question of what I eat followed and I explained that I eat a lot more fat. She said 'surely fat is carbohydrate isn't it?' I was literally speechless!

Did they have any logic at all to back that?

 

[JoKalsbeek]

On Saturday evening, I was talking to a friend who has recently been diagnosed as prediabetic after a routine blood test. Message to her and to another 2 friends in the same situation was nothing to worry about, just come back in a year to be retested. I started to explain that it might be a good idea to cut back on carbohydrate and explained that I have eaten very little for the last 2 1/2 years. The usual question of what I eat followed and I explained that I eat a lot more fat. She said 'surely fat is carbohydrate isn't it?' I was literally speechless!

Jaw-dropping. You'd think docs want their patients to progress to T2! And fat, a carb... Ye gods...

Time to hand out LCHF leaflets!

 

[Member496333]

Jaw-dropping. You'd think docs want their patients to progress to T2! And fat, a carb... Ye gods...

Time to hand out LCHF leaflets!

Serious question...is it beyond the realms of possibility that some doctor’s practice’s receive some form of kickback from drug companies? Perhaps not in the UK but I’m fairly certain it happens in the US, and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if there are benefits to UK practices prescribing medications. It would certainly explain a lot.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Serious question...is it beyond the realms of possibility that some doctor’s practice’s receive some form of kickback from drug companies? Perhaps not in the UK but I’m fairly certain it happens in the US, and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if there are benefits to UK practices prescribing medications. It would certainly explain a lot.

I can't say. I'd hope that's not the case, as it'd rather go against the whole "First, do no harm" thing... More hypocritic than hippocratic oath. I do know a former friend of mine, who was a pharmasist, insisted I didn't have the willpower for a LCHF diet. (I have my gran's stubbornness... I have the willpower for just about anything. Especially if you **** me off) I guess they -carers- do see a lot of that... People who start off wanting to do just about anything, but claim not to be able to "live without" their toast, or crisps, or whatever. Maybe it's just plain seeing it so much they give up? If they even know LCHF/Keto is a thing that can actually help with T2. I do know research in nutrition etc is skewed and filled with conflict of interest. Ah well... At least we know what's what, eh.

Edited by mod to insert asterisks

 

[Brunneria]

I think it is pretty easy for people to get confused.
We are so used to the low fat, low salt, high whole grain message, along with 5+ portions of fruit and veg, with fruit being a great snack.

For someone who has been exposed to that for decades, then assuming that fat and carbs are lumped together isn't much of a leap... I regularly encounter people who think that a gluten free diet means you can eat pastry instead of bread, or that it is OK so long as the bread is brown. Plus, a lot of people don't realise that starchy carbs and sugars are both carbs. The media has latched onto so many soundbites that people let them wash over, without actually understanding.

And on this forum we often talk about carbs as if they are only bread, rice, potato, sugar, fruit and pasta, when in reality, carbs are found in all veg, nuts and legumes, fibre is carbohydrate, and there are carbs in foods like prawns and liver. So we aren't even consistent ourselves...

For a newcomer, it is just a confusing minefield.

 

[Bluetit1802]

My friend's husband was recently told he was pre-diabetic. He was given no advice at all, come back in 6 months for another test. At least it was 6 months, not a year..

Fat a carb? Laughing my socks off at that one.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

I think it is pretty easy for people to get confused.
We are so used to the low fat, low salt, high whole grain message, along with 5+ portions of fruit and veg, with fruit being a great snack.

For someone who has been exposed to that for decades, then assuming that fat and carbs are lumped together isn't much of a leap... I regularly encounter people who think that a gluten free diet means you can eat pastry instead of bread, or that it is OK so long as the bread is brown. Plus, a lot of people don't realise that starchy carbs and sugars are both carbs. The media has latched onto so many soundbites that people let them wash over, without actually understanding.

And on this forum we often talk about carbs as if they are only bread, rice, potato, sugar, fruit and pasta, when in reality, carbs are found in all veg, nuts and legumes, fibre is carbohydrate, and there are carbs in foods like prawns and liver. So we aren't even consistent ourselves...

For a newcomer, it is just a confusing minefield.

True... That's why I usually say "practically all carbs turn to glucose once ingested" because if someone's already panicked at their diagnosis and you toss all the exceptions and such in there as well... It's just not doable to understand it all in one go. Sweeping statements on a heap are still a lot to take in, but it's a place to start...

 

[Boo1979]

Serious question...is it beyond the realms of possibility that some doctor’s practice’s receive some form of kickback from drug companies? Perhaps not in the UK but I’m fairly certain it happens in the US, and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if there are benefits to UK practices prescribing medications. It would certainly explain a lot.

When I worked in the NHS ( childrens mental health services so secondary care rather than GP’s) drug reps were frequent visitors to the clinic, handing out freebies to the prescibers (ie the consultant psychiatrists) like branded post it notes, laser pointing pens for powerpoint presentations, food ( usually posh sandwiches, crisps, fruit etc). They also supplied funding for “continuing education” for the medics, paid some of the costs for Trust wide away days etc. The Trust outlawed the parctice as being clear conflict of interest, but just before I retired I was still pointing out the practice

 

[Member496333]

When I worked in the NHS ( childrens mental health services so secondary care rather than GP’s) drug reps were frequent visitors to the clinic, handing out freebies to the prescibers (ie the consultant psychiatrists) like branded post it notes, laser pointing pens for powerpoint presentations, food ( usually posh sandwiches, crisps, fruit etc). They also supplied funding for “continuing education” for the medics, paid some of the costs for Trust wide away days etc. The Trust outlawed the parctice as being clear conflict of interest, but just before I retired I was still pointing out the practice

Not surprised at all, really. Influence is pervasive. It’s human nature.

 

[JAT1]

I admit that before I was diagnosed, I had no idea what a carb was !

 

[Alison Campbell]

Unfortunately this is standard advice for prediabetes, just regular checks until we can medicate you and get funding for extra tick boxes.

 

[Guzzler]

We shouldn't be too harsh on people, after all, it's only easy after you've learned it.

Now where have I seen that before?

 

[Deleted member 308541]

I admit that before I was diagnosed, I had no idea what a carb was !

My older cars had carbs, before fuel injection was commonplace on petrol engines.