Diet wars

picture by James

Research into diets have hit the news… again.  In an industry prone to fads, nutrition leads the way.  A recent study has shown excess protein has several negative health implications – including increased cancer and diabetes risk.  The inevitable sensationalist headlines have followed.

The low carbohydrate, high fat (LCHF) diet fads have been around for a while, and really came out as a backlash against the low fat movement, where saturated fat especially was demonised.  Unfortunately when Low Fat became the bench mark of healthy living, food manufacturers rushed to make (and so label and market) everything as low fat.  Breathing a sigh of relief, consumers could now buy in confidence, knowing that low fat food made for low fat people.  

And what is not only low in fat, but actually contains an amazing 0% fat – sugar.

The results have been fairly devastating.  Since the 1960’s low fat diets have not lead to a low fat population and now approximately two thirds of the UK population is classed as overweight.

So the diet fad swung the other way.  Not only was sugar bad, now all carbohydrates were sent by the devil himself to be a curse upon us.  An approach really brought to main stream attention by the Atkins diet.  Now, I am not completely against lowering carbohydrate intake, and sugar especially is the source of many dietary problems, but when diets were advocating cutting out fruit and vegetables I was stunned (I am equally irked by low fat proponents who shun avocado's).  I have never met, read about or heard of anyone who is obese due a fruit and vegetable addiction.

I am unconvinced by any arguments I have seen for cutting out entire food groups from your diet.  I have seen effective weight loss achieved with calorie controlled, low GI, LCHF and low fat diets.  I have no doubt that if you chose any of the myriad of diet books in any book store and followed it to the letter you would lose weight.

So what should we do?

My advice remains that a healthy, balance and natural diet remains the best option.  It should include fat, protein and carbohydrates, although keeping sugar and trans-fats to a minimum.  As a rule of thumb, the less processed the food is, the better it is for you (ie, if you can't recognise what it was when it was alive and kicking, think again).  And fresh fruit and vegetables should be eaten in abundance!  Remember 5 a day – it’s a minimum, not a target.