'A new dietary paradigm?' - prove it
R Kapp
Family physician, Goodwood, Cape Town, South Africa. rkapp@deck.co.za
To the Editor: While I respect Prof. Noakes' passionate search for a much-needed nutritional nirvana, I wish to mention some of my objections to his article in the November issue of the SAMJ.[1]
]]> While conceding his study's limitations, he could have added a few more: patients generally exaggerate their actual weight loss; no attempt was made to verify these alleged clinical successes by consulting any patient's clinician; there is no indication that these patients were indeed following the 'Noakes diet'.Furthermore, these case studies are no more dramatic than the stories of patients we as clinicians experience on a regular basis: people who have experienced significant weight loss as a result of other diets, including the prudent diet. Unlike Noakes' short-term study, these patients bear testimony to long-term successful weight loss.
More alarmingly, I am amazed that the mighty Discovery Health -one of Prof. Noakes' sponsors - is suddenly too out-of-pocket to fund a randomised control trial (RCT) needed to prove Noakes' hypothesis.
In conclusion, I challenge Prof. Tim Noakes to do the ethical thing: conduct the necessary RCT to prove his hypothesis. Failing which, he should stop using this debate as a platform from which to openly criticise his colleagues and confuse the public.
1. Noakes TD. Low-carbohydrate and high-fat intake can manage obesity and associated conditions: Occasional survey. S Afr Med J 2013;103(11):826-830. [http://dx.doi.org/10.7196/SAMJ.7302] [ Links ] ]]>