Comments on: A life high in sugar is driving us mad

By: Liz45

Liz45 — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 05:44:18 +0000

Well, I’ was very pleased to read this article. I don’t have a sweet tooth; don’t take sugar in tea (since I was about 14 and overweight-surgeon didn’t want to remove my appendix until I lost some weight? how embarrassing for a 14 yr old?). I wonder if people who have a problem with their insulin levels are sweet lovers. I know of at least 2 people, one whose diabetes is controlled by sensible eating and exercise, and another who’s had type 2 diabetes for many years, requires medication to contol it, and they both love sweet things - lollies, biscuits, cake, chocolate etc. As I don’t have any genetic evidence of diabetes, and really don’t like sweet foods(except natural sugars in fruits etc) then I should be OK if I keep my brain ‘sharp’ by activities, such as reading, sewing, following politics?? gardening etc. Fingers crossed!

By: Mungo McCall

Mungo McCall — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 06:32:18 +0000

True, but the implication to the rest of your diet as soon as you do cut out sugar and refined carbs (Gillespie does talk about this in the book as well - have you read it?) is that the tendency is to eat healthier anyway. I probably exaggerated a little when I said I didn’t make other changes to my diet, but those seemed to happen quite easily as a result of not having such a sweetened diet. I was just surprised that my doctor’s advice on diet didn’t contain the advice to cut out sugar altogether, combined with other approaches as it made a very good beginning for a life changing approach to eating.

What else would you suggest diet-wise Peter? I assume you have some sort of expertise in this area…

By: Peter James

Peter James — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 06:20:22 +0000

While I am pleased that someone can have their long-term glucose control improve from very dreadful to dreadful, the reason that you could not ” find any other advice that simply says ‘cut out sugar’ apart from Gillespie’s” is that such advice would be wrong. Cut out sugar, but do much more. As well as taking medication from your doctor, take all his advice on diet.

By: Mungo McCall

Mungo McCall — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 06:03:05 +0000

I for one am glad of Gillespie’s “tunnel-visioned crusade” as it was shortly after reading his book I cut almost all sources of sugar (apart from fruit) from my diet. I made no other changes to my diet whatsoever.

Within four months I was rewarded with a 13 instead of a 25 score on my blood test for insulin resistance. I’m now taking medication to try and control the insulin resistance before it develops into something worse, but I couldn’t find any other advice that simply says ‘cut out sugar’ apart from Gillespie’s, so thanks Dave and keep ignoring the haters!!

By: Joal

Joal — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:56:18 +0000

“Where is the discussion of the abundant evidence on the relationship between sugar consumption and dementia?”

Would you please point me to some of this abundant evidence? I’d like to read it. I was under the impression that the cause of diabetes was not known with certainty, only that it was related to (among other things) unhealthy diet and obesity (i.e. NOT SUGAR SPECIFICALLY).

But I’d be more than happy to be corrected.

By: Peter James

Peter James — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:53:11 +0000

While a lawyer may not be concerned about the gross offensiveness of equating dementia with being “mad”, Crikey’s Editor should be.

Of greater concern is the simplistic assertion that there is ‘a direct link between consuming sugar and “impaired cognitive function”.’ The study by Cukierman-Yaffe et al. related glycaemic control to cognitive function. David Gillespie’s crude assumption that poor glycaemic control is directly due to the consumption of sugar undercuts the important health message that all facets of diet must be considered in reducing obesity and hence type II diabetes.

Could Crikey commission a “Clarifier” from a medical expert to deal with this medical problem rather than rely on a lawyer on a tunnel-visioned crusade against only one of the dietary factors underlying obesity and type II diabetes?

By: Bullmore's Ghost

Bullmore's Ghost — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 08:46:55 +0000

“*Sigh*…I guess I really have to lay off the Fruchocs now…”

I’d certainly advise it if you find yourself forgetting where you left them.

By: acannon

acannon — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 06:44:34 +0000

*Sigh*…I guess I really have to lay off the Fruchocs now…

By: Joel Brooks

Joel Brooks — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 06:18:10 +0000

I wonder how long it is before we will start to regard sugar as a drug again as it was once regarded back in the 16-1700s (whatever) when Europeans first started getting stuck into the sweet stuff. Sugar is far more ubiquitous in our lives than alcohol or caffeine let alone the fun illegal stuff. Its the elephant in the room none of us really want to face up to (including me).