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The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency have issued a lifelong ruling to Dr. Gary Fettke, who despite being a qualified orthopaedic surgeon, is now no longer allowed to speak publicly on matters of nutrition. Interestingly, the ruling does not allow Gary to even do research in the area or gain further qualification because that would involve him communicating in the area of nutrition. Scottish doctor Malcolm Kendrick offers his take on the matter here.

Further examples have emerged of ‘Big Soda’ using corporate philanthropy to undermine public health measures and silence calls for a soda tax. In one instance, the mayor of Philadelphia proposed a soda tax in 2010 and the beverage industry offered $10 million to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia if the tax proposal was dropped.

A nice article from theatlantic.com on the history of breakfast and the confusion and anxieties that surround the ‘most important meal of the day’. “It was presumed that if one ate breakfast, it was because one had other lusty appetites as well.”

Molecular Biologist Cynthia Kenyon talks about the discovery that led to a revolution in our understanding of the ageing process. “We gave our worms a tiny bit of sugar and it shortened their lifespan by revving up the insulin pathway.” Kenyon now avoids all sugar, except dark chocolate, as well as bread, and sticks to low-GI foods.

Here’s a nice overview from The Telegraph on the recent joint report issued by the U.K.’s National Obesity Forum and the Public Health Collaboration which claims that thirty years of official health advice urging people to adopt low-fat diets and to lower their cholesterol is having “disastrous health consequences”.

Marika Sboros investigates why carbohydrate restriction isn’t officially recommended as a tool in the management of diabetes, despite it repeatedly proving to be effective. “One of the biggest reasons health organisations give for not recommending low-carb diets is lack of evidence on long-term safety. The problem is that there wasn’t any evidence on long-term safety of high-carb, low-fat diets when they were first introduced either”.

An interesting look at how the world’s largest food company, Nestlé wants to invent and sell ‘food medicine’. Sales in Nestlé’s confectionery business have fallen every year since 2012 and the companies response to this has been to invest heavily in research to create product lines designed to treat specific medical conditions. In other words, Nestlé would sell a problem with one hand and a remedy with the other.

An intriguing story from a doctor who has transformed her approach to practising medicine by adopting a nutritionally orientated approach to treating patients. Dr Joanne McCormack is part of a a global movement of doctors and scientists who are treating chronic diseases in a non-interventionist way based ultimately on the very simple idea that if a food has been eaten for millions of years, it must be safe.

New data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics found that in 2011-2012, Australians were consuming an average of 60g of sugars each day, or the equivalent of 14 teaspoons of white sugar. Sugar intake was highest among teenage males, who consumed an average 92g.