PHE say NOF advice to eat high fat is irresponsible

[SunnyExpat]

I am keen supporter of the aims of the Public Health Collaboration (PHC), who initiated the report, which came out a few days ago, and, like many of you, I have been a bit confused by the connection with NOF. I've just emailed Sam Feltham, the PHC Director with my concerns and have had an almost immediate response,

"NOF approached the PHC in the run up to the publication of our report,
and as Dr. Aseem Malhotra is currently involved in both we thought it
would be a good match particularly with their established relationship
with the media already. They wrote a separate report "Eat Fat, Cut
Carbs, etc.", which is the one all the media were talking about, to link
to and compliment the PHC report on healthy eating and weight loss. We
think it gave the desired effect but this is where the relationship
ends, simply in a complimentary report. We remain independent and intend
to remain so indefinitely."

You can find links to the original PHC report and supporting graphics here, https://phcuk.org/healthy-eating-guidelines-weight-loss-advice-for-the-uk/
those of you who were (rightly) concerned about authorship, sponsors, references and so on, should find the information you want in this document. Please do give it a serious look, it's a team of right thinking people, trying their best to make things better for all of us.

Sally

Who wrote 'Eat fat, cut carbs'?
It has no author, and doesn't appear anywhere on NOF, only the PHC?

 

[sally and james]

Who wrote 'Eat fat, cut carbs'?
It has no author, and doesn't appear anywhere on NOF, only the PHC?

I've made enquiries and will let you know if/when I get a reply.
Sally

 

[Oldvatr]

I'm not an expert on Atkins as its not a diet that I've ever read up on per se. Having said that Atkins developed his diet due to his research showing that fat and cholesterol was not the enemy that everybody was painting it to be. However a lot of the reasons that Atkins was not more successful than he was was down to personality issues, not to mention the fact that big business (i.e Sugar companies etc.) had their say in promotion of the whole LFHC debacle.

What I have actually tried is a variant of LCHF called best of health (Their name not mine.) The emphasis there was to limit carb intake to 30g daily and no more. The amount of protein and fat was viewed as being free to eat as much or as little as you like. It wasn't until I started to research into it further that the distinctions between triglcerides and various types of fats came through clearly. THe thing is that in the struggle to show that fat is not the enemy, the distinctions in the health of various types of fats has become blurred, and people dont realise that the fats they're advised to eat (vegetable oils, polyunsaturates etc.) ar ethe ones which are the worst for them.

We are only recently waking up to the difference that Omega-3 and Omega-6 oils have on us, and that it seems best to try to reach balance between the two. The problem with the LF approach is that it moved the balance in favour of Omega-6 oils (i.e. towards vege oils away from mainly animal sourced oils such as fish). If you read up how they chemically extract oil out of plants and what they have to do to it to stop it going rancid on the shelf then it may put you off using them. Of course, transfats are now the worst, and as PHE say, all animal fats are transfats. (they are both saturated, but one is artificially inseminated, the other is as nature intended)

 

[SunnyExpat]

I've made enquiries and will let you know if/when I get a reply.
Sally

Actually, just fouund the link,
Dr Aseem Malhotra, chairman of the very quiet NOF, and advisor to PHC.

There is actually a lot of funding floating around a well, so I would expect to see more complementary reports.
It is disappointing as chairman, Dr Malhotra allows so much anti-LCHF advice on his NOF website. Maybe worth an email to him directly?

 

[Oldvatr]

I am keen supporter of the aims of the Public Health Collaboration (PHC), who initiated the report, which came out a few days ago, and, like many of you, I have been a bit confused by the connection with NOF. I've just emailed Sam Feltham, the PHC Director with my concerns and have had an almost immediate response,

"NOF approached the PHC in the run up to the publication of our report,
and as Dr. Aseem Malhotra is currently involved in both we thought it
would be a good match particularly with their established relationship
with the media already. They wrote a separate report "Eat Fat, Cut
Carbs, etc.", which is the one all the media were talking about, to link
to and compliment the PHC report on healthy eating and weight loss. We
think it gave the desired effect but this is where the relationship
ends, simply in a complimentary report. We remain independent and intend
to remain so indefinitely."

You can find links to the original PHC report and supporting graphics here, https://phcuk.org/healthy-eating-guidelines-weight-loss-advice-for-the-uk/
those of you who were (rightly) concerned about authorship, sponsors, references and so on, should find the information you want in this document. Please do give it a serious look, it's a team of right thinking people, trying their best to make things better for all of us.

Sally

I am replying to this in order to copy the text, since it is important. My comment is that the PHCUK diet report is very animal-centric, and may be difficult for vegans to adopt.

 

[Oldvatr]

Actually, just fouund the link,
Dr Aseem Malhotra, chairman of the very quiet NOF, and advisor to PHC.

There is actually a lot of funding floating around a well, so I would expect to see more complementary reports.
It is disappointing as chairman, Dr Malhotra allows so much anti-LCHF advice on his NOF website. Maybe worth an email to him directly?

You have just answered the question I was intending to ask just now. I had suspected there was someon with a foot in both camps. So Aseem is chairman of NOF? I found him tweeting Sam Feltham, but was not aware of his connection with NOF. He is also author of several papers referenced in the report. Maybe also author of the published report?

 

[sally and james]

Sam Feltham has just replied to my query. He has confirmed that the NOF report was mainly written by Aseem Malhotra, with feedback from the NHC team.
So nothing sinister, just people doing their bit and, all too often taking a lot flak for it.
Sally

 

[SunnyExpat]

You have just answered the question I was intending to ask just now. I had suspected there was someon with a foot in both camps. So Aseem is chairman of NOF? I found him tweeting Sam Feltham, but was not aware of his connection with NOF. He is also author of several papers referenced in the report. Maybe also author of the published report?

I read it as his title in one of the news articles, however I just read Prof David Haslam is, so I'm unsure.
I shall further investigate the links.

 

[SunnyExpat]

David Haslam - Chair of the National Obesity Forum on the NOF website, so who knows who is in the slot at the moment. I feel it may not be a functioning Obesity Forum.

 

[SunnyExpat]

I feel the money comes down on Prof David Haslem.
He seems to have taken the seat from the previous incumbent, a Dr Colin Waine

 

[Oldvatr]

Sam Feltham has just replied to my query. He has confirmed that the NOF report was mainly written by Aseem Malhotra, with feedback from the NHC team.
So nothing sinister, just people doing their bit and, all too often taking a lot flak for it.
Sally

Agree. Nothing sinister, just took a bit to unravel where it all came from. Thanks for getting this clarification. I found the NOF one a bit of establishment bashing, which is probably why it attracted the flak. The PHCUK dietary report was much more balanced in my view. As a user of LCHF I am obviously pleased to see this initiative taking place, and hope that this is the start of fruitful discussion in the media (but without the fructose and less fraction).

 

[librarising]

Of course, transfats are now the worst, and as PHE say, all animal fats are transfats. (they are both saturated, but one is artificially inseminated, the other is as nature intended)

Are you saying you condemn animal fats for being trans fats ?

I ask because there's a big difference between them and industrial trans fats, as explained here :

https://chriskresser.com/can-some-trans-fats-be-healthy/

Wouldn't want anyone fearing the health benefits of animal meat ; )

Geoff

 

[SunnyExpat]

Are you saying you condemn animal fats for being trans fats ?

I ask because there's a big difference between them and industrial trans fats, as explained here :

https://chriskresser.com/can-some-trans-fats-be-healthy/

Wouldn't want anyone fearing the health benefits of animal meat ; )

Geoff

You should see my cholesterol rocket on saturated fats!

But no fear of the NOF going against eating meat.
They'll want to keep their sponsors, the British Meat Nutrition Education Services onboard no doubt.

 

[SunnyExpat]

Agree. Nothing sinister, just took a bit to unravel where it all came from. Thanks for getting this clarification. I found the NOF one a bit of establishment bashing, which is probably why it attracted the flak. The PHCUK dietary report was much more balanced in my view. As a user of LCHF I am obviously pleased to see this initiative taking place, and hope that this is the start of fruitful discussion in the media (but without the fructose and less fraction).

I have a feeling, with the change of chairman, the majority of the rest of the staff leaving, and the charity effectively ceasing trading in 2011, after 5 years, it seems to have come back as a bit of a blog.
I may be cynical, but I would expect marketing to follow.
(One of the things that really puts me off the PHCUK website is the request for donations on every page, and the pay to sign up. Reminds me of the old American evangelists, 'send your donations to.....tell your friends....
many will though)

 

[Oldvatr]

Are you saying you condemn animal fats for being trans fats ?

I ask because there's a big difference between them and industrial trans fats, as explained here :

https://chriskresser.com/can-some-trans-fats-be-healthy/

Wouldn't want anyone fearing the health benefits of animal meat ; )

Geoff

Are you saying you condemn animal fats for being trans fats ?

I ask because there's a big difference between them and industrial trans fats, as explained here :

https://chriskresser.com/can-some-trans-fats-be-healthy/

Wouldn't want anyone fearing the health benefits of animal meat ; )

Geoff

I don't class animal fats as transfats myself, but I have now seen three references making this declaration. Twice the head of PHE did this, once on TV, and once in a blog she wrote on another matter prior to the NOF report.
Also.
Prof Tom Sanders, Emeritus Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics at King’s College London, said in his riposte to that report:
"Vegetable oils sold in supermarkets and used in catering are free from trans fatty acids. The only remaining sources of trans fatty acids in the UK diet are butter, beef and lamb fat."

So two antagonists of the NOF report have this mistaken belief.

Also noting no mention of margerine or spreadable butter products.

 

[Oldvatr]

Are you saying you condemn animal fats for being trans fats ?

I ask because there's a big difference between them and industrial trans fats, as explained here :

https://chriskresser.com/can-some-trans-fats-be-healthy/

Wouldn't want anyone fearing the health benefits of animal meat ; )

Geoff

I have 3 times posted a response to this, and on each occasion it disappeared as soon as it displayed.

 

[librarising]

Thanks for that. I didn't know animal fats were trans fats, but neither will I fear them. Butter all the way for me

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app

 

[SunnyExpat]

Trans fats do exist in meat. They are natural, they are a low percentage, molecularly, they are trans fats.

 

[Oldvatr]

I have 3 times posted a response to this, and on each occasion it disappeared as soon as it displayed.

Try again. on three occasions now i have seen a member of the antagonists to the NOF report state that animal fats are transfats and must be avoided. Twice the head of the PHE declared it, once on TV, once in a blog she wrote on another matter. The third time was made in the rebuttal to the report, and I quote:
Prof Tom Sanders, Emeritus Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics at King’s College London
said:
Vegetable oils sold in supermarkets and used in catering are free from trans fatty acids. The only remaining sources of trans fatty acids in the UK diet are butter, beef and lamb fat.

No mention of margerines or spread from fridge butter spreads or shortening. (or for that matter pork or venison or ostrich).

Personally i do not class animal fats as transfats. They are naturally hydrogenated to become saturated.

 

[Oldvatr]

Trans fats do exist in meat. They are natural, they are a low percentage, molecularly, they are trans fats.

Nope. Trans in this instance means temporary. Animal fats are Saturated, by which the bonds in the chain that would other wise lead to harmful oxidation are filled by hydrogen molecules. This gives saturated fats their robustness and longevity , whereas vegetable oils have to be force fed to do the same to prevent them going rancid. But transfats do not hold these extra hydrogen molecules very strongly, and they deteriorate slowly, hence the trans. it is this loss of molecules that makes transfats harmful since they are more prone to harmful oxidation and break up into free acid radicals inside the body.