Interview: ABC 4Corners – Big Sugar, Big Food and the Australian Dietary Guidelines
4 weeks ago, I was honoured to be interviewed by ABC 4Corners investigative journalist Michael Brissenden to discuss the state of nutrition in this country.
For a long time now, we know that the Australian Dietary Guidelines are riddled with faulty misinformation, and outdated science. It also doesn’t help that these very Guidelines are heavily supported and promoted by the Dietitians’ Association of Australia, the governing body that I (and over 6000 other dietitians) are registered with to keep our titles as Accredited Practising Dietitians.
In Australia:
- Heart Disease is the leading cause of death, with 1 Australian killed every 12 minutes
- Of the Top 7 leading causes of death in Australia, between all the various cardio and cerebral vascular conditions, sits cancers, dementia and diabetes.
Looking into the current body of evidence, we know that sugar and a high intake of carbohydrates, NOT fat, is the underlying problem for all these conditions.
So –
Why have we not yet implemented a much necessary tax on sugar in Australia?
Why are the outdated Guidelines promoting a low fat high carb way of eating still being regarded as the best framework for healthy eating?
But, more intriguingly –
Why are those who speak up against the Guidelines being punished and silenced?
With a public health crisis, and a refusal to step up and step in the right direction by leading health authorities in this country, it really makes us question the motive behind it all.
Putting it all on the line, we chat candidly with Michael about what we believe, and the change we desperately need to actually improve the health of Australians.
With The Australian Medical Association (AMA) and the Dietitian’s Association of Australia (DAA) also being interviewed, make sure to tune in to ABC on Monday 30th April at 8:30pm AEST to see what unfolds.
SHOW UPDATE:
Unfortunately, none of my interview was actually aired on the show tonight. I’m disappointed on behalf of a LOT of dietitians out there that want to follow science based advice but are fearful of the repercussions of doing so. In the coming days I’ll be posting more about the challenges facing our industry and ways that we can start following the science when it comes to helping our patients.
If you’re interested, click the banner below and join the on-going discussion that 4 corners didn’t report from a dietitians perspective.
