I know I am probably going to receive a whole lot of backlash for this post, but I know for every negative response, I will receive 20 positive, so I am happy to take the punches.
I was recently reading through a “health” magazine and came across an article titled ‘Are Diet Soft-Drinks Really That Bad?’. The article presented two opinions; firstly, a Naturopath argued that all diet soft-drinks were terrible for you (which if you read the research, you will understand why). On the opposite side of the page was the opinion of an accredited Australian Dietitian who argued that diet soft-drinks were a great option for people trying to lose weight. As I continued to read through the article (and this particular dietitian’s promotion of diet soft-drinks), I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I felt a kind of rage building up inside of me. I went looking for answers.
A large portion of the population looks to the Australian Dietitian’s Association for a whole lot of guidance when it comes to choosing what is right or wrong for ourselves and our family. But who calls the shots?
A quick search of the major sponsoring partners (this can be found on the DAA website) offers some clue as to where this recommendation may have stemmed from:
A brief explanation of the foods these companies sell include Flora Margarine, Streets Ice-Cream, KitKat, Musashi, Rexona, Dove, Maggi’s, Uncle Toby’s and Jenny Craig… just to name a few. For a full list of the products these companies supply, jump on over to their respective websites.
According to the DAA the reason they seek partnerships with these companies is to in part “provide accurate and practical nutrition information to the Australian public and support public nutrition education programs.”
If you were to put yourself in the shoes of these sponsoring companies, would you consider promoting the research that tells the world your product’s and their ingredients may have adverse health effects? It’s not likely.
If you thought that was bad, Coca-Cola, Pepsico, Kelloggs, Unilever and SoyJoy are the major partners of the American Dietetics Association. The major sponsoring partners of the American Society of Nutrition include all of the above and more, including ‘The Sugar Association’… hrrrmmm.
Before you disregard all of the work being done in the US, remember a large proportion of the nutritional guidelines set here in Australia are influenced by the work done in the states.
The solution? Do your own research; or even better… Just Eat Real Food.
