Today yes another sad day in US food policy. The 2020 U.S. Dietary Guidelines Reject Recommendation to Cut Sugar and tighten restrictions on saturated fat, while at the same time the country gets heavier and sicker. Over 70 percent of Americans are overweight and 42 percent are now obese. This is the majority of the country and are the ones who need real advice and assistance. The otherwise well do not need the governments advice. They are doing just fine.
In 2015 I wrote on the failure of the 2015 Guidelines to set a course for meaningful change.
Now we are at 2020 and the American public should be warned: the 2020-2025 do not apply to you if you have a metabolic condition, such as overweight/obesity, diabetes, non-fatty liver disease, heart disease, and more. Studies on treatment of these conditions were not reviewed.
Since our founding 6 years ago the Nutrition Coalition has made it a goal for science based food policy. Read our press release here in response. Several of us testified in the DGA open hearing this summer .
Amy Eiges who is active in our group has it correct. Amy has lost 200 pounds and restored her health.
Metabolic illness cuts into every field of medicine and health and we must work together to reverse it. We have not yet flattened the curve. If you are not convinced here are the recent reports on obesity in America.
*note the CDC still believe: “On average, people with diabetes should aim to get about half of their calories from carbs”. Not surprising they have been slow to action on coronavirus.
The results of the DGA since 1980. Not good.
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DGA Not Diverse
The DGA report does not take into account the diversity of our country
Dietary Guidelines report based on nearly all white populations, doesn’t reflect US diversity
African American physician Dr Tony Hampton got it right in July but no one listened
Commentary: Our Dietary Guidelines for Americans must address chronic health issues
And not helping our Latino population either
There is even discussion about prioritizing covid vaccine for obesity. Underlying conditions have played a pivotal role in determining who survives the virus. Americans who have conditions like diabetes and obesity are at huge risk.
One would think covid would highlight the poor health of our country, flawed policy, and focus on policy, education, and opportunity to reverse it. Covid and Metabolic Disease- this should be our united focus! I wrote about this topic in April and again in November. Nina Teicholz and I have a more recent publication accepted on the topic in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine (pre-pub will be available in a couple weeks) .
Nina shared her thoughts in the WSJ .
And a short article from the Times Republican.
And Nina’s response to the guideline release.
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Sat Fats Still Demonized
On the saturated fat issue (fats found naturally in meat , eggs, and dairy) the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, an institution which has been like the Alamo in its defense on the restricting saturated fats, exonerated them in a recent state of the art review. What was extraordinary in this article were the authors- 3 former members of the DGA committee. But a call to action to the DGA committee was sadly ignored as shared by the BMJ.
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Low Carb Studies Ignored
Here is a Nov 2020 Wall Street Journal article myself and others are quoted in as related to the 2020 DGA and low carb way of eating. Full text here- https://tinyurl.com/WSJDGA2020
Even Harvard, another Alamo of status quo defend to the death, cannot help but repot on the benefits of low carb for obesity
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/low-carb-and-high-fat-diet-helps-obese-older-adults
On-line libraries of low carb studies
Diet Dr https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/science
200 references on low carb 1797-2019
https://www.neslazeno.cz/references/
Virta list of research
https://blog.virtahealth.com/low-carb-research-comprehensive-list/
Low Carb Action list of research
https://lowcarbaction.org/low-carb-studies-list/
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On Policy And Industry
You can say I am skeptical of nutrition and food science and ties to industry . Article from this week here. . And from the BMJ- Ultra-processed foods and the corporate capture of nutrition—an essay by Gyorgy Scrinis
The DGA process even has whistleblowers involved.
I have strong interest in policy and correcting guidelines which may be fueling our current obesity crisis
As director of the Low Carb Action Network we made noise in the process making frequent public comment to the USDA.
You might even say I’m on a mission. WV Living Magazine did on short profile on the “Why” of my mission in WV which is to reverse Type 2 Diabetes in 1000’s of citizens in our state and prevent the next gen from suffering with this mostly preventable condition.
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On Children
Now if this short list of articles and links don’t have you scratching your head, here is the physical evidence for what is extremely wrong. Here is what was given to a family afflicted with obesity in the free school meal take away for holiday break . This family waited 3 hours to receive these ultraprocessed and sugar loaded food stuff from our schools. This is not the schools fault or this families fault they are battling obesity . Current methodology of school based policy for child obesity is NOT working and may even have unintended consequence
All foods pictured below approved for child consumption by the DGA in mass quantities.
OK a bright spot for the alternate approach. Just released today is The Case for Keto by Gary Taubes. Proud to be one of the clinicians mentioned in the book. You can read the first chapter here free
And an amazing interview with Gary from A Sweet Life
We hosted Gary here over 3 years ago at Try This WV.
Our new “Low Carb on any Budget” patient guide- Print and share.
www.tinyurl.com/lowcarbanybudget
So on we sail to 2025. I’m not giving up!
Mark
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post script -some tweets from colleagues Dr David Ludwig an Dr Robert Lustig who are the brightest researchers in the field of Endocrinology and Obesity
Mind boggling isn’t it. That food in packets for kids is terrible. Where to from here?