BANT welcomes Keith Vaz's position on the diabetes diet
Responding to Keith Vaz'scall to improve diabetes prevention, the British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT) said:
The British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT) welcomes Keith Vaz MP's support for a stringent Diabetes Prevention strategy, which focuses on diet and lifestyle education and support rather than a "pill for an ill".
Strategies to halt the rise in chronic preventable diseases, such as obesity and diabetes, are essential in preserving our National Health Service's budget for more acute needs. These conditions do not happen overnight but develop insidiously before they become apparent. There is no doubting the evidence which shows diet, stress and lifestyle can positively or negatively influence your health.
Keith Vaz' position on the food and drink products he terms the "diabetes diet" is absolutely right. Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is reversible using diet and lifestyle strategies but the one-size-fits-all public dietary guidelines are not fit for this purpose. GPs across Britain see thousands of pre-diabetic patients daily and desperately need the help of Registered Nutritional Therapists who are the only health professionals using a model for personalised nutrition advice which can be rolled out across the country and deliver the results needed to save the nation’s health and its purse.
BANT stands ready to help in the battle against the diabetes epidemic and welcomed the recent statements by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) urging the General Medical Council to recommend referrals to practitioners such as nutritional therapists who are registered with the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council.
