Last week, ABC Catalyst broadcast the first of a two-part investigative report on dietary fat and the role it plays in cardiovascular disease. “The Heart of the matter” Â subsequently sent shock waves through the community and I’ve read, sent the Heart Foundation, who have been busy blaming fat and salt for causing obesity and heart disease whilst promoting candy like breakfast cereals, into some serious damage control.
I’ve long opposed the conventional dietary guidelines surrounding dietary fat, so these reports are music to my ears. The show is hosted by Dr. Maryanne Demasi, who moved from medical science to journalism to encourage people to think critically about their own health. Following on from her scathing Catalyst investigation into sugar (“Toxic Sugar”, if you missed it catch up here), “The Heart of the Matter” does just that.
She says
“Over the last 2 to 3 years, I have interviewed at least a hundred experts and patients worldwide about their views on diet, heart disease and medications to lower cholesterol. It became obvious that there was a growing scepticism about the advice we have been given – with many saying that the links between cholesterol, saturated fat and heart disease haven’t been grounded in good science. Through a mixture of politics, personality struggles and self-preservation, we have put too much focus on saturated fat and cholesterol – which has led to millions of people believing that low-fat diets and medication to lower cholesterol are the best treatment for heart disease.”
If you’ve missed these reports, then I encourage you to take time out and watch them via this link HERE (as the direct ABC links were removed after uproar from the powers that be).
Note- Dr. Maryanne Demasi and the Catalyst report were placed under serious scrutiny after its release. There was a response posted by Dr. Demasi about her 3-year investigation into statins and her refute however it was removed from the ABC website.
This is also an interesting article “The Statin Insanity.”
Love to your thoughts on this post – post a comment below!
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Hannah says
So good to finally hear this on some more mainstream media!
Hannah says
So good to finally hear this on some more mainstream media!
Georgia Harding says
Yes I agree, even though there was a lot of opposition to these reports, they thankfully made it on air. G x
Sarah Twst says
Hi Georgia,
I have been subscribing to your blog for years now and love it!
Last night I watched ‘What the Health?’ On Netflix. It was produced this year and turns the debate on fats and sugar on its head!!!! Have you watched it? Would love to hear your thoughts as I it’s quite a game changer….
Thanks for all you do for family nutrition- wonderful!!!
Sarah
Georgia Harding says
Hi Sarah, yes I’ve watched it and found it to be one of the shonkiest, most poorly produced doco’s I’ve ever watched. I think I go to the part where they said eating 1 egg a day was the same as smoking 5 cigarettes per day in terms of life expectancy and that sugar doesn’t impact on diabetes and switched it off (the first time I’ve ever done that). After being in this business a long time, I’m sick of people demonising whole-food groups or advocating a one fits all approach to diet (in this case the push to veganism) – sensationalism to make a buck basically. I’m not bagging veganism, it suits some, but not everyone. I’ve treated a lot of unhealthy vegans and have been one myself (and have been vegetarian for many years too). It suited my body for a while, it doesn’t any longer.
The only part (of what I watched) that I agreed on is that processed foods are no good and that many people do eat too much meat and refined grain and not enough vegetables (balance is all out, many more veggies required by most). Most of their ‘science’ really just didn’t stack up.
I’ve written about the kind of cognitive dissonance exhibited in this doco in this post – https://wellnourished.com.au/the-healthiest-diet-in-the-world/
If you are looking for a brilliant, uplifting and genuinely interesting documentary, I loved the 4 part Michael Pollan series called ‘Cooked’ – my kind of healthy TV!
Great question, have been waiting to have my say on this (trying to keep it short is tough lol) G x