They’re back… the carbohydrate loving members of the medical establishment, and this time they mean business. What kind of business they mean; you can decide for yourself.

Prof. Jim Mann (Professor in Human Nutrition and Medicine at the University of Otago) his team at the University of Otago Dunedin come armed with a meta analysis of

observational studies and clinical trials conducted over nearly 40 years [that] show a 15 to 30 per cent decrease in deaths and incidence of coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer, when comparing the highest dietary fibre consumers with the lowest.

In other words, they have (re)examined a lot of the studies that have been conducted over the last 40 years – now that would appear to me to exclude Ancel Keys’s 1955 Seven Countries Study but I’d take a punt it’s in there – and found, surprise, surprise that they agreed with the results.

Now here’s the thing… given that the kind of person likely to listen to medical advice is probably going to listen to all the medical advice (I listen to none of it, as far as food is concerned) and that over the last 40 years the medical establishment has flooded the planet with advice of all types – some good, some nonsense – why do they think it is eating carbs and fibre that has made such a magical difference to people’s health? Why do they not think that the same people that have increased their fibre intake, at the same time would not also be giving up smoking, taking more exercise, lowering their stress levels, reducing their exposure to pollutants, having blood tests and acting on the results, moving to the country and taking up pottery, making their own butter (new one for me, that) or maybe even stopping eating bacon (never!!).

The truth is they don’t know, they can’t know and it looks to me like they are just trying to create a bit of (cheap) publicity, for reasons I can’t imagine… The study was commissioned by the World Health Organisation and frankly, I would have thought that the WHO could have been a bit more imaginative than to ask for a rehash of 40 (or more) years of the same old, same old. But what the hey, it’s not their money.

Meanwhile let’s have a look at the obesity statistics for children from some selected countries over the last 40 years, as the medical community again congratulates itself for getting its advice exactly spot on.

Finally a word about the organisation that carried out the study – the Edgar Diabetes and Obesity Research Centre at the University of Otago, Dunedin in New Zealand, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but this is an interesting throwback…

Dr Robyn Toomath – a diabetes specialist and obesity campaigner – says after 14 years she has achieved nothing.

If you can’t be bothered to read the post, here’s a relevant chart from it, showing New Zealand’s obesity rates:

Hmmm… not much success there Prof. Mann. Maybe your countrymen and women aren’t listening to your advice? Or maybe they are…?

And now here’s a word from our sponsors, well the Edgar Diabetes and Obesity Research Centre’s sponsors who, amongst others, are:

Eli Lilly. Whose diabetes related medical products are as follows:
Basaglar® (insulin glargine injection)
Glucagon™ (glucagon for injection [rDNA origin])
Glyxambi® (empagliflozin and linagliptin) tablets**
Humalog® Junior KwikPen® (insulin lispro injection 100 units/mL)
Humalog® Mix50/50™ (50% insulin lispro protamine suspension, 50% insulin lispro injection [rDNA origin])
Humalog® Mix75/25™ (75% insulin lispro protamine suspension, 25% insulin lispro injection [rDNA origin])
Humalog® U100 (insulin lispro injection)
Luxura HD
Humalog® U200 (insulin lispro injection)
Humulin® 70/30 (70% human insulin isophane suspension, 30% human insulin injection [rDNA origin])
Humulin® N (human insulin [rDNA origin] isophane suspension)
Humulin® R (U-100) (regular insulin human injection, USP [rDNA origin])
Humulin® R (U-500) (regular U-500 [concentrated] insulin human injection, USP [rDNA origin])
Jardiance® (empagliflozin) tablets**
Jentadueto® (linagliptin and metformin hydrochloride) tablets**
Jentadueto® XR (linagliptin and metformin hydrochloride extended-release) tablets**
Synjardy® (empagliflozin and metformin hydrochloride) tablets**
Synjardy® XR (empagliflozin and metformin hydrochloride extended-release) tablets**
Tradjenta® (linagliptin) tablets**
Trulicity® (dulaglutide)
Humatrope® (somatropin [rDNA origin] for injection)
Olumiant® (baricitinib)
Taltz® (ixekizumab)

Phew!!! That’s a lot of drugs for people who have (mainly) eaten too many carbs!!!!!

And…

Novo Nordisk. Whose diabetes related medical products are:
GLP-1 analogue
Victoza® (liraglutide)
Basal insulin / GLP-1 analogue
Xultophy®  (insulin degludec/liraglutide)
Modern insulins
Fiasp®  (insulin aspart)
Levemir® (insulin detemir)
NovoMix® 30 (biphasic insulin aspart)
NovoRapid® (insulin aspart)
Tresiba® (insulin degludec)
Human insulins
Actrapid® (insulin human, rDNA)
Insulatard® (insulin human, rDNA)
Injection devices
NovoPen® 5 Blue
NovoPen® 5 Silver
NovoPen® 4 Bue
NovoPen® 4 Silver
NovoPen Echo® Blue
NovoPen Echo® Red
NovoPen® 3 PenMate®
Needles
NovoFine® Needles 31G 6mm
NovoFine® Needles 30G 8mm
NovoFine® Autocover® 30G 8mm
NovoTwist® Needles 32G 5mm
NovoFine® Needle Remover
Glucagon
GlucaGen® Hypokit 1mg

Bloody Hell!! I wonder how much money they make from this stuff!!! BTW, I like that all the needles are helpfully followed by a needle remover 😦

In case you had any doubts though, the Edgar Research Centre says that it provides more information on its sponsors in its annual reports and gives a useful link that takes you to this page (my bold):