Petition parliament

[thepolly]

Hi, I've been following the 8 week blood sugar diet and am a forum member there. There are a lot of people that have reversed their type 2 diabetes through low carbing and one of the members there started a petition to ask parliament to get the NHS to recommend this way of eating to people with type 2.

Was just wondering if anyone on this forum would be interested in signing and maybe sharing the petition.

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/125704

 

[Lamont D]

Done!

 

[Daibell]

Hi. Sadly this will have no effect and has been done before. The food industry lobby is too strong and affects many government health decisions. The recent new Eatwell Guide was the result of this lobby group.

 

[thepolly]

Hi. Sadly this will have no effect and has been done before. The food industry lobby is too strong and affects many government health decisions. The recent new Eatwell Guide was the result of this lobby group.

Can't we just wear them down by being incessant? The guide to food and what I should be eating in the leaflet I was given was all carby **** so I'm not sure what the 'eatwell' plate looks like. I will keep on keeping on though

 

[Brunneria]

I'm sorry, but I absolutely do not think that pushing people into 8 weeks of severe calorie restriction is a good idea.

That kind of thing has to be something that a person really WANTS to do in order to be committed and stick to it.

I also question the longer term use of it, in terms of nutrition and affecting long term metabolic rates.
https://intensivedietarymanagement.com/biggest-loser-diet-explained/
Long term low calorie diets have been shown to do this, while other diets (5:2, intermittent fasting) have not.

If my doctor started pushing the 800 cal onto me they would get a serious push back!

 

[catapillar]

I definitely understand the motivation behind the petition, but I have to confess I might lose confidence if the NHS were to determine what medical advice to give based upon what feels a bit like a popularity contest. I can't see that this petition will have any impact, whether by wearing them down or otherwise.

I would imagine what is needed for a the blood sugar diet to be endorsed is long term clinical studies on the costs benefit & risks - isn't it too new to have that kind of data yet? You say you know people have reversed their diabetes, but have they been followed up 5, 10 years down the line. Isn't that long term study what Taylor is currently working on? Maybe you are better off seeking funding for the trial or broadening of the trial... Petitioning for full endorsement might be premature.

I appreciate that if it has worked for you the benefits must be blindingly obvious & the desire for long term clinical data must grate on your common sense. I apologise, because I don't have that experience and so I can't sign.

 

[thepolly]

It's more about the eating advice than the 800 cal part of it. I still can't understand why I've been told to eat carbs, carbs and carbs in the handy leaflet I got given to explain my diabetes to me.

I've also been looking at just low carbing and keto type plans too. For me the 800 cals is working well but the low carb aspect is the most important bit of it. Also the diet is not meant to be done forever - as you say it wouldn't be sustainable.

For me though, the thought of the worst part of diabetes means that the diet made a lot more sense to me than being stuck on tablets which (as I understand it from 'The Obesity Code' by Dr Jason Fung who actually started the Intensive Dietary Management centre) is like trying to put out a fire by pouring petrol onto the flames.

Hi catapillar, no, this type of diet has been around for decades, even centuries along with fasting and other things that we western world (mostly) people do. 'The Obesity code' cites loads of research that has been 'lost' or overlooked due to the food industry wanting to push a load of **** down our collective throats and keeping us sick. Then of course we have big pharma in whose interests it doesn't make sense to have a load of healthy people who don't need to buy their drugs. I firmly believe that this is why we have such resistance to these old (new) ideas.

The rapid weight loss that the blood sugar diet gives is part of its charm, especially for entrenched carb addicts Although for anyone who is curious about the affect it is having on people's lives then the forum/site is also free to register to and has a really supportive community who are very happy to answer questions. We have a mix on there of type 2 and non diabetic people.

 

[JohnEGreen]

Although I like others here am unsure as to whether this petition is the right way to go I do believe something has to be done to change things. While in hospital recently in the side ward I was on all of the six patients where diabetic. Three out of that six at least where being treated for septic feet one because he had stood on a nail all had high blood sugars apart from me and I believe I was the only one who had heard of low carb diets most of them had been there weeks one gentleman had a perferating ulcer of the foot and was being treated with maggots.

The cost to the NHS of promoting the ingestion of high levels of carbohydrates must be very high as must be the level of suffering caused to people who have followed faithfully the advise given them thinking it will make them well.

So I have signed it.

 

[Brunneria]

If they weren't pushing low cal and just said low carb, I would be signing it too.

 

[lovinglife]

It is my understanding but willing to be corrected if I'm wrong the theory behind the blood sugar diet is not how you lose the weight but that you do. As someone who has lost over 11st so in theory my diabetes should be reversed/cured/in remission- whatever you want to call it. Sadly for me that is not the case - I still need help from medication so I disagree with the wording of the petition that all people with pre diabetes or diabetes SHOULD be on this diet.

Now if it was a petition to educate about carbs and the benefit of reducing your carb intake to what your body can cope with to keep your blood sugar in a healthy range using information from self testing then maybe I would sign that

 

[Avocado Sevenfold]

In an ideal world, we would be given a choice of proven diets to follow on diagnosis to suit our lifestyle. Horses for courses. I was told the Eatwell Plate was the only option. Plenty of carbs. I am not sure if any of the posters on this thread are following it. I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole.

Good luck @thepolly You have a great forum.

 

[JohnEGreen]

To be honest the petition it self is for the NHS to encourage the treatment of type 2 diabetes with a low carbohydrate diet. full stop I see nothing wrong in that the rest is merely an explanation of the thinking behind the petition.

 

[Brunneria]

To be honest the petition it self is for the NHS to encourage the treatment of type 2 diabetes with a low carbohydrate diet. full stop I see nothing wrong in that the rest is merely an explanation of the thinking behind the petition.

There is specific mention of low cal AND low carb, which is unsustainable in the long run - hence my objection.

 

[Avocado Sevenfold]

There is specific mention of low cal AND low carb, which is unsustainable in the long run - hence my objection.

The Blood Sugar Diet is an 8 week regime. It is not a long term plan.

 

[Brunneria]

The Blood Sugar Diet is an 8 week regime. It is not a long term plan.

I know. But that isn't stated in the petition.
There is insufficient explanation, and the implication is that this way of eating should be recommended to all. No timescale mentioned.

Nor is the referenced diet specifically called The Blood Sugar Diet, by Michael Mosely.
The whole thing is badly written, badly thought out and ambiguous.

Also worth bearing in mind that the actual MM Blood Sugar Diet isn't out and out low carb. It is low carb because you can't be high carb on 800 cals, but it isn't Low Carb as in tracking carbs as a priority.

 

[Avocado Sevenfold]

I know. But that isn't stated in the petition.
There is insufficient explanation, and the implication is that this way of eating should be recommended to all. No timescale mentioned.

Nor is the referenced diet specifically called The Blood Sugar Diet, by Michael Mosely.
The whole thing is badly written, badly thought out and ambiguous.

Also worth bearing in mind that the actual MM Blood Sugar Diet isn't out and out low carb. It is low carb because you can't be high carb on 800 cals, but it isn't Low Carb as in tracking carbs as a priority.

I agree that the petition page is poorly written.

The BSD is a low carb diet according to its website. Perhaps when I read it I automatically think of 800 cals worth of lower carb food as I am conditioned to do so through being diabetic. Perhaps non-D people would spend their calories on something carbier.

"An intensive 800cal, 8 week, Mediterranean Style Low Carb Diet..."

https://thebloodsugardiet.com/the-bsd-options/

 

[zand]

With all this talk of low cal diets I thought maybe I should try yet another to see if my body would respond to them again. So 9 weeks ago I attempted an 8 week 800 cal diet. Well it wasn't as easy as it used to be and I guess I averaged 1100 cals. I lost 6 pounds and as someone who doesn't lose weight easily nowadays I was pleased with that and certainly felt better for my son's wedding.

9 days on I have regained the 6 pounds and put on another one as well. So I agree with @Brunneria that low cal diets mess with your metabolism. This has been well known for at least 30 years and I'm not sure why anything would have changed that now.

 

[Avocado Sevenfold]

It doesn't seem too dissimilar to the Newcastle Diet to me (low cal for 8 weeks), but with using real food rather than high carb shakes. I have seen some people on this forum have success with that. As I say, horses for courses, won't suit everyone

 

[thepolly]

It is based on the Newcastle diet. I've been looking at other type diets too. I'm not sure if the wording can be amended on a petition once it's been started but I will pass comments onto the creator of the petition and see if she is able to change the wording

Thanks for all the input though

 

[Daibell]

Can't we just wear them down by being incessant? The guide to food and what I should be eating in the leaflet I was given was all carby **** so I'm not sure what the 'eatwell' plate looks like. I will keep on keeping on though

Hi again. There is nothing wrong in keep trying to wear 'them' down but the food industry lobby is all powerful. From time to time I will feed back to various websites about the stupid Eatwell Guide etc but I know it is ignored. As others have said, you need to forget calories, as following calorie reduction diets in my opinion has no value to us or indeed anyone? The issue is carbs. The reason calorie reduction diets work is due to the reduced carbs involved not the reduced fats e.g. the ND works to an extent but is not optimal. Dr Mosely has changed his views over the last year or so but is a follower not a leader with regard to diets and diabetes and has yet to fully understand the impact of carbs (in my opinion).