Active Low-Carber Forums - Flour industry bread funds Atkins diet critic

Sun 17 Aug 2003

Floor industry bread funds Atkins diet critic

ANDREW MURRAY-WATSON AND TOM CURTIS

WHEN Dr Susan Jebb, one of Britain’s leading nutrition experts, condemned the hugely popular protein-based Atkins diet last week, slimmers began putting bread, potatoes and pasta back on the menu.

But an investigation by Scotland on Sunday has discovered that Jebb, head of nutrition and health research at Britain’s Medical Research Council (MRC), is working on a report into obesity funded by the Flour Advisory Bureau (FAB).

The bureau is the lobbying and consumer arm of the National Association of British and Irish Millers, and this is the second report Jebb has written for it, following an earlier study into obesity in Britain published in 1999. In total, the MRC has been paid around £20,000 to produce the two reports written by Jebb. The first recommended diets "rich in complex carbohydrates and low in fat".

Although FAB paid the MRC for the obesity report, not Jebb, the link to the flour industry has led some to question the scientist’s appraisal of the slimming technique. Her new study, according to FAB, will be looking at the "health benefits associated with eating 55% of energy intake as complex carbohydrates". Jebb denies any conflict of interest.

Last night Dr John Briffa, a London-based independent expert in nutritional medicine, said: "It’s up to other people to decide whether Susan Jebb’s view stems from her links with the flour industry. But if it appears that her scientific view has been skewed by the food industry, that is of enormous concern."

Speaking at a briefing at the Royal Institution last week, Jebb said "there is not a shred of evidence that Atkins works", adding that it was a "massive health risk". "Fad diets prey on the overweight, offering quick fixes and psychological tricks. I see no medical benefit at all in them and, in particular, the Atkins diet," she said.

Jebb’s criticism caused consternation among devotees of the slimming plan, who are encouraged to eat unlimited amounts of protein and fat but to cut out carbohydrates such as bread, pasta and rice. The diet has been followed by celebrities, including actresses Jennifer Aniston, Minnie Driver and Renee Zellweger and the British cookery writer, Nigella Lawson. Last week, Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution, replaced Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at the top of the UK book charts.

The success of the diet - devised 30 years ago by the American Dr Robert Atkins - has led to a concerted counter-offensive by manufacturers of high carbohydrate foods such as bread and potatoes, who fear demand for their products will dry up. The Potato Council has launched a £1m promotional campaign accompanied by the slogan "fab not fad", and the Grain Information Service issued a press release recently claiming 97% of state registered nutritionists believe the Atkins regime offers bad dietary advice.

Last night Briffa said he believed there had been a "concerted effort by the food industry to discredit Atkins".

He added: "I’m no great fan of him as a person, but this year alone four studies have pitted low carbohydrate against low fat eating, and they show very clearly that low carbohydrate eating is better for weight loss."

Jebb’s warning came just weeks after two teams of American scientists declared the Atkins diet was effective and safe. The two studies, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found the diet resulted in more weight loss than conventional low-fat alternatives.

Yesterday, Gordon Smith, the former Rangers striker and television football pundit, said the diet had worked wonders for him, adding that he believed Jebb’s comments should be treated with a "pinch of salt".

He said: "I lost a stone and a half in 10 days on the Atkins diet, it was unbelievable. I had no health problems and the weight has stayed off."

Commenting on the links between Jebb and the flour industry, he said: "We should be looking at the reliability of anybody who criticises the diet without having carried out a good, long-term study on it."

Last night, Jebb denied there was any conflict of interest in the MRC receiving money from the flour industry and her assessment of low carbohydrate diets.

She said: "I don’t see it as a conflict of interest at all. I am simply bringing to the public’s attention the scientific evidence. There is little evidence that low amounts of carbs are better for you than a high amount. You don’t have to be much of a scientist to see that’s what the evidence shows."

Jebb added there was an abundance of studies that "proved" the health benefits of eating a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet. "You have to look at my publication and scientific record and judge for yourself. I have worked tirelessly in consumer defence and I stand by my record," she said.

However, Jebb admitted there was no proof the Atkins diet was harmful. "I am a proponent of cautionary approach," she said.

"It is not responsible of scientists to be advocating that the population should have such a major shift in their diet to increase protein substantially and drop carbs on the basis of almost no evidence."

Yesterday, the MRC, which receives annual government grants of £400m, said that its Human Nutrition Resource Centre had a budget of £2.8m a year, of which 30% is expected to come from commercial contracts. A spokeswoman said: "It is the business of that unit to look for income from industry. But it remains completely independent and all the work carried out for industry is peer-reviewed."

And the FAB insisted it had not influenced Jebb’s findings in any way.

A spokeswoman for the bureau said: "We wanted to commission a report that pulled together all the existing pieces of research about the role of carbohydrates. Susan Jebb is the foremost researcher in this field. We had no control over her findings."

Dr Christine Edwards, senior lecturer of human nutrition at Glasgow University, defended her fellow scientist.

She said: "Dr Jebb is a deeply respected scientist and expert on obesity. What she has been saying about carbs won’t be out of tune with what most established nutrition experts are saying at the moment."

Last night, a spokesman for Atkins declined to comment.

Jebb is due to unveil the findings of her new report at a breakfast summit organised by the FAB on September 23.

The FAB website reads: "Susan Jebb, world-renowned obesity expert... will be launching the findings of a new literature review looking at the health benefits associated with eating 55% of energy intake as complex carbohydrates and how this affects weight loss and reduces risk of CHD [coronary heart disease] and diabetes."

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