0:00:02 > 0:00:04Wales is one of the fattest countries in Europe.
0:00:04 > 0:00:0959% of us are obese or overweight.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11And guess what...
0:00:11 > 0:00:13that includes me.
0:00:13 > 0:00:19Obesity costs the Welsh NHS over £73 million every year.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22So why have we become fat?
0:00:22 > 0:00:25After all, we've had lots of advice over the years.
0:00:25 > 0:00:30We should eat more non-fatty foods, like bread, pasta and potatoes.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34But what if that government advice has been wrong all these years?
0:00:34 > 0:00:40We are now basing our guidelines on some very dated and poor research.
0:00:40 > 0:00:41Now, have a look at this roast.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44Would you say this is healthy?
0:00:44 > 0:00:46And what about now?
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Well, according to a controversial new report,
0:00:49 > 0:00:50this really is the healthy option.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52Tastes good.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54So, apparently, fat is fine.
0:00:54 > 0:00:55There is no convincing evidence
0:00:55 > 0:00:57that links saturated fat with heart disease.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59It's carbs which are the real killer.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02A carbohydrate at the end of the day is just sugar.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05I'm going to take my life and my belly in my hands and go on
0:01:05 > 0:01:09this controversial low-carb high-fat diet, despite warnings from
0:01:09 > 0:01:10the medical establishment.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13Honestly? I think you're probably going to cause more harm
0:01:13 > 0:01:15to your body than good.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18Is it time to cut the carbs and fill up on fat?
0:01:23 > 0:01:25Now, I am no stranger to diets.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29Three years ago, I gave up sugar. I went on a traditional diet
0:01:29 > 0:01:33and exercise regime where I ate less and exercised more.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37I've reduced alcohol,
0:01:37 > 0:01:39I've replaced my nightly carbohydrate fix
0:01:39 > 0:01:41with a healthy alternative.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43And it worked. I lost a stone and a half.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45But I have to come clean -
0:01:45 > 0:01:49I may have put just a little back on.
0:01:49 > 0:01:50Mm!
0:01:50 > 0:01:52Wales has an obesity epidemic.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55So when a group of health professionals published
0:01:55 > 0:01:58a report that challenged the government dietary guidelines
0:01:58 > 0:02:02and proposed that a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet
0:02:02 > 0:02:05could be the answer, I wanted to investigate.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07Lovely, thank you very much.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11Now, the idea of this diet is to get most of my energy intake from
0:02:11 > 0:02:15foods high in fat, such as meat, fish and dairy products,
0:02:15 > 0:02:19rather than what the government guidelines suggest,
0:02:19 > 0:02:22which is a strict limit on fat. They endorse a higher portion of
0:02:22 > 0:02:26starchy carbohydrates like bread, pasta and potatoes.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31Dr Zoe Harcombe is a great advocate of the low-carb,
0:02:31 > 0:02:35high-fat diet, so what are the ingredients for success?
0:02:35 > 0:02:38What I wanted to show you here is what 25g of carb looks like,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41and that's what we're going to be trying to get you to do
0:02:41 > 0:02:43over the next two to three weeks.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46- And why does 25g of carb matter? Why that quantity?- Yeah.
0:02:46 > 0:02:51It's taking you down to your carb intake being about 5% of your
0:02:51 > 0:02:55energy intake, but it's just to give you an idea of how little it is of
0:02:55 > 0:02:59certain foods and how much you can get of other foods.
0:02:59 > 0:03:00This, for example,
0:03:00 > 0:03:04would be 25g of carbohydrate in the form of rice.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07- And if you like pasta... - I do like pasta.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09..that's your pasta allowance, I'm afraid,
0:03:09 > 0:03:13if you choose to take your carb intake in the form of pasta.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16- Goodbye, spaghetti carbonara and spaghetti bolognese.- Yep.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18You're getting the idea.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20Sunflower oil and olive oil, lard, butter,
0:03:20 > 0:03:23these things do not contain carbohydrate.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25- You're saying lard is OK. - Lard is fine.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27It's goodbye to the starchy things
0:03:27 > 0:03:30the government tell us to base our meals on.
0:03:30 > 0:03:31So the good news is that we're going
0:03:31 > 0:03:33to serve you some pork and crackling,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36and that is what you're going to be able to eat in unlimited quantities.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38Oh, my goodness.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41- That looks lovely, doesn't it?- Yeah.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43- Crackling, which is fat.- Yes.
0:03:43 > 0:03:44Which is good fat?
0:03:44 > 0:03:48Any fat found in real food is good fat.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51There is only one bad fat and that's the one made in factories.
0:03:51 > 0:03:52It's called trans fats.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56So fat that comes from an animal, or plants, or vegetables
0:03:56 > 0:03:57are good.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01- Fats that come from factories, bad.- Pretty much.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03It smells absolutely wonderful.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06Now, I wouldn't normally have all that amount of crackling,
0:04:06 > 0:04:08but it looks absolutely wonderful.
0:04:08 > 0:04:09Lots of greens.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12I usually wouldn't have that many greens.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14I'm not a huge fan of my greens,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17but I know I'm going to have to fill up on them.
0:04:17 > 0:04:23Ordinarily, I wouldn't have this much butter with my food, but...
0:04:23 > 0:04:24here goes.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34Tastes good.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37But if it tastes good, will it do me good?
0:04:37 > 0:04:40In life, nothing is usually that simple.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43By the way, don't try this at home unless,
0:04:43 > 0:04:45like me, you first see your doctor.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49Dr Marina Arulanandam is my GP,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52so it's time for some tests to see if I'm fit enough
0:04:52 > 0:04:54to start this diet experiment.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01- Your test results have come back. - OK.- You're going to live.- Yeah.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03- Which is very good.- Yeah.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06- You're not pregnant, which is even better.- Even better.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08That is good news. You can tell a lot from blood, can't you?
0:05:08 > 0:05:10- Absolutely.- It's very impressive. - Absolutely.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12OK, so, your cholesterol,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15your total cholesterol is 5.6.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19So that is slightly higher than we'd expect you to be.
0:05:19 > 0:05:20According to the guidelines,
0:05:20 > 0:05:24it should be... Anything between four and five would be acceptable.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26- So it is slightly over where it should be.- Slightly over.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30- But I'm not too concerned about you embarking on this diet.- OK.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34But I've got to reiterate that it has got to be very short-term.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37Three weeks, that's the plan. I'm going to do it for three weeks.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39Fine, OK.
0:05:39 > 0:05:40The other thing to remember is, yes,
0:05:40 > 0:05:42you're doing this diet for three weeks,
0:05:42 > 0:05:46don't go overboard and think, "Wow, I'm having a high-fat diet,
0:05:46 > 0:05:48"I can eat lots of cream and lots of red meat and, you know,
0:05:48 > 0:05:50"I can put cream in all my sauces."
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Just be a little bit sensible about what you're doing, OK?
0:05:53 > 0:05:56You know the risks with high fats.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00My doctor has cautiously agreed to my body experiment,
0:06:00 > 0:06:04but as expected, she's concerned about my arteries.
0:06:04 > 0:06:09Surely a high-fat diet can't be good for my heart.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11A prominent supporter of the benefits
0:06:11 > 0:06:15of this diet is the London cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18There is no convincing evidence that links saturated fat with
0:06:18 > 0:06:20heart disease.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23I wanted to ask him if he thought it was safe for me to do this diet.
0:06:23 > 0:06:29'The evidence is very clear, dietary fat does not clog the arteries.
0:06:29 > 0:06:34'What is driving this is refined carbohydrates, too much sugar.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37'I've treated thousands of people with heart disease over my
0:06:37 > 0:06:41'career and what I tell them is that they should follow what I
0:06:41 > 0:06:44'call evidence-based scientific studies that tell you
0:06:44 > 0:06:46'the best diets for heart health,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49'which is what I would say is a high-fat Mediterranean diet, so that
0:06:49 > 0:06:53'means, at the base, it means lots of vegetables, green vegetables.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55'It means nuts, it means olive oil, oily fish.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58'It means cutting out the refined carbohydrates and added sugars.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01'See them as a treat but not part of a healthy diet.'
0:07:01 > 0:07:06So the fat that clogs up a patient's heart, the kind of patients
0:07:06 > 0:07:11you see every day, you're saying that that comes from carbs?
0:07:11 > 0:07:15'Well, what is interesting is when you look at the latest data...
0:07:15 > 0:07:18'A lot of policymakers, even nutritionists, scientists,
0:07:18 > 0:07:20'have not fully appreciated this.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23'When you look at the saturated fats in the blood that are
0:07:23 > 0:07:27'correlated with heart disease and type 2 diabetes, the ones that are
0:07:27 > 0:07:29'driving that and are produced by the liver
0:07:29 > 0:07:33'are sugar, starch, alcohol.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35'So that is what we need to be concentrating on.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37'It is not caused by dietary fat.'
0:07:37 > 0:07:40Well, you couldn't get a much stronger endorsement than that,
0:07:40 > 0:07:44but this does fly in the face of a lot of the dietary guidance
0:07:44 > 0:07:46we've all heard for a generation.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50But if a cardiologist says my arteries will be fine,
0:07:50 > 0:07:51on with the experiment.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55My first day on this diet starts with breakfast - bacon and egg fried
0:07:55 > 0:07:58in real butter, but no bread.
0:07:58 > 0:08:03I thought I'd miss eating toast and eating cereal,
0:08:03 > 0:08:05but I don't really.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09The South Wales valleys are the epicentre of the Welsh
0:08:09 > 0:08:11obesity epidemic.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15I'm in Ebbw Vale to meet Wales' foremost obesity expert and adviser
0:08:15 > 0:08:18to the Welsh government Professor Nadim Haboubi,
0:08:18 > 0:08:23who advocates a low-fat diet, the opposite of what I'm trying.
0:08:23 > 0:08:28I'm embarking on an experiment to undertake a low-carbohydrate,
0:08:28 > 0:08:31high-fat diet for three weeks.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34- Oh, my God. Really?- Do you approve?
0:08:34 > 0:08:36- Of course not.- Why?
0:08:37 > 0:08:41Losing weight is never impossible.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44On any diet, you will lose the weight.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49Sustainability is the most important,
0:08:49 > 0:08:54and weight maintenance, maintain weight loss.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57And I am certain,
0:08:57 > 0:08:59from experience..
0:09:00 > 0:09:03..that you cannot sustain that.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06A high-fat diet has a risk factor.
0:09:08 > 0:09:13Very low carbohydrate also have its complication and adverse effect.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17This is something we discourage, actually, in the centre,
0:09:17 > 0:09:19in this clinic.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21We think that people should count their calories.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24We think people should be on a low-fat diet.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27They should be on complex carbohydrates, not very low.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29Not high either.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32And they should have a liquid protein intake.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34It's a simple equation.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37There is no magic about, you know, obesity,
0:09:37 > 0:09:39it's just simply we are inactive.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43It's amazing how much we have changed,
0:09:43 > 0:09:45how much the society has changed.
0:09:45 > 0:09:50So your advice to me embarking on this experiment is?
0:09:50 > 0:09:51Waste of time.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56And, honestly, I think you're probably going to cause more
0:09:56 > 0:09:57harm to your body than good.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02Well, that's not really what I wanted to hear.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06I meet with Paul Hinwood, one of his patients.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09I was working 70-plus hours a week,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12just grabbing food when I could,
0:10:12 > 0:10:14drinking too much,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17not doing enough exercise cos I was constantly at work.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19So, how much weight have you lost?
0:10:21 > 0:10:25Well, I've gone from 230kg down to 213,
0:10:25 > 0:10:29and that's just from seeing Dr Haboubi and his team
0:10:29 > 0:10:34and using some diet pills and just eating healthily.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37There's lots of arguments in the diet world, isn't there,
0:10:37 > 0:10:39as to what the right diet is
0:10:39 > 0:10:43and almost whoever you speak to contradicts the last person.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46But when I started seeing the weight management team,
0:10:46 > 0:10:50they told me the facts, the way it was and how it should be.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54There's so many different diets and everything out there and
0:10:54 > 0:10:57so much conflicting advice off people,
0:10:57 > 0:11:01you've got to take as much of it on board as you can,
0:11:01 > 0:11:06way up your odds and go for what you think is the best.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08Well, that is sound advice. Although, I must admit,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11I'm starting to find it a little confusing,
0:11:11 > 0:11:12though one thing is clear -
0:11:12 > 0:11:17the medical establishment is pretty reluctant to buy into this diet.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21But some doctors are now recommending it to their patients.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25The only one I can find in Wales is GP Dr Angharad Powell.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29I think that we got the dietary guidelines wrong.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32A report from a few years ago showed that about 58% of adults were
0:11:32 > 0:11:36overweight, 22% of adults were obese.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39You can imagine that a GP's workload is very much skewed towards
0:11:39 > 0:11:43people with obesity and associated chronic diseases.
0:11:43 > 0:11:48You know, my view is that much of that work load, much of that
0:11:48 > 0:11:53morbidity could be prevented with a change in our approach to diet.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57It's difficult when we talk about protein and fats and carbohydrates.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59What does that mean in terms of food?
0:11:59 > 0:12:00And I agree entirely.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03I think, you know, there are a few phrases that people find helpful.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05One of them is banish the beige.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08I quite like that one because it means cutting out bread,
0:12:08 > 0:12:09it's cutting out pasta,
0:12:09 > 0:12:14it's cutting out potatoes and processed foods.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17I think people imagine with a high-fat diet you're eating
0:12:17 > 0:12:19a stick of butter with a couple of nuts on the side.
0:12:19 > 0:12:20That isn't what I eat.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22High fat is in relation to the proportions
0:12:22 > 0:12:24to the other nutrients - the carbohydrates and the protein.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27This isn't going to be for everybody and it isn't for all the
0:12:27 > 0:12:29patients I see, but certainly,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32I think we should be offering it as part of the suite of options
0:12:32 > 0:12:35to patients as opposed to a kind of dietary dogma that we all
0:12:35 > 0:12:38kind of know as individuals doesn't work, but we just think that
0:12:38 > 0:12:39it's us that went wrong.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42But I don't think we could have all gone wrong.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46So what do Dr Powell's patients make of her unorthodox advice?
0:12:46 > 0:12:50Catherine Johnson has been on the low-carb, high-fat diet for
0:12:50 > 0:12:53nine months since she found out she had type 2 diabetes.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57There are things that are vital for us in order for us to live.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59Carbohydrates aren't on that list.
0:12:59 > 0:13:04My blood sugar's come down from 19.5, which is dangerously high,
0:13:04 > 0:13:06and it's now average.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09It's at five, 5.5, which is pre-diabetic,
0:13:09 > 0:13:13so I have halted my diabetes.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15And your weight has dropped off?
0:13:15 > 0:13:17Yeah, and that was the happy side effect,
0:13:17 > 0:13:20that I lost three-and-a-half stone.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24But physically, it's so much more than just that.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27Before, I found that by two in the afternoon I was tired
0:13:27 > 0:13:29and I needed to nap.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33I'd begun to feel fuzzy, some days as though I was underwater,
0:13:33 > 0:13:37as in my head just wouldn't clear and I couldn't think as straight,
0:13:37 > 0:13:40whereas now I've got a lot more energy.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44My thinking is sharper. I feel... I feel back to the way I was.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46I hadn't realised I'd changed
0:13:46 > 0:13:48until I came back to how it used to be.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51People want a magic bullet, they want a magic tablet because
0:13:51 > 0:13:55it's easier. People don't want to have to make the changes.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57That's a frightening thing for people to do.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00This diet has clearly worked for Catherine,
0:14:00 > 0:14:03so it's going to be interesting to see how it works for me.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05So far, so good.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07I've kept a food diary of the last seven days.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11My new life is breakfast of bacon and eggs,
0:14:11 > 0:14:13steak and veg for lunch,
0:14:13 > 0:14:15chicken breast for tea.
0:14:15 > 0:14:21Brunch on Saturday was fish, ham, veg, salad and...
0:14:21 > 0:14:24Well, you get the picture. It's a completely new life.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29None of my usual potatoes, chips, bread, toast, sandwiches.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31No alcohol at all.
0:14:31 > 0:14:36The upshot is I started this experiment weighing 14.5st.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40I weighed myself this morning, and after seven days, I weigh 14st.
0:14:40 > 0:14:45So I've lost half a stone. So this works.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47Having said that, Professor Haboubi did say that
0:14:47 > 0:14:50if you go on any diet, you will lose weight.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53But to keep up with my experiment,
0:14:53 > 0:14:56I do have to widen my repertoire in the kitchen.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59I'm in Pontypool to meet a cafe owner who says
0:14:59 > 0:15:04he reversed his type 2 diabetes diagnosis by ignoring GP advice,
0:15:04 > 0:15:08researching online and losing weight on the low-carb, high-fat diet.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12Let's see if Mark Gregory has some recipe ideas for me.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14I've done this for a week now
0:15:14 > 0:15:18and I can see the menu could get slightly predictable,
0:15:18 > 0:15:20so I'm in need of inspiration.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23Talk me through some breakfast ideas.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Eggs are nature's multivitamin. Lots of eggs!
0:15:26 > 0:15:29Omelette for breakfast - why not? Frittata.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32Lunch... Actually, I don't bother.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34Do you know what? I don't feel hungry.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37One thing I've learnt is you can go without.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39The idea is you start burning your body fat,
0:15:39 > 0:15:41so skip a meal - it doesn't hurt.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44- What about dinner?- Bolognese with meat sauce, if you like,
0:15:44 > 0:15:48but chuck in all the vegetables, serve it with rice cauliflower.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50So when the punters come in here
0:15:50 > 0:15:52and they want something from their favourite cafe,
0:15:52 > 0:15:56you sound like the sort of preacher man behind the till.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59I won't preach. But I think, you know, if the government
0:15:59 > 0:16:02are allowed to push their version of a healthy diet,
0:16:02 > 0:16:06then I'm allowed to tell people - if they WANT to know -
0:16:06 > 0:16:10what choices they should be making, and it is all about choices.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Think about your diet, making choice.
0:16:13 > 0:16:14It's a valid point.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Why is the low-carb, high-fat diet not widely offered
0:16:17 > 0:16:20as an option for those trying to lose weight?
0:16:20 > 0:16:23Back in May, two non-profit organisations,
0:16:23 > 0:16:26the Public Health Collaboration and the National Obesity Forum,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29released a report that directly challenged
0:16:29 > 0:16:32the UK Government's current dietary advice.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36Samuel Feltham is the director of the Public Health Collaboration
0:16:36 > 0:16:40and one of the key people behind this controversial report.
0:16:40 > 0:16:46- You are going against received medical wisdom, aren't you?- Yeah.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50The problem is that received medical wisdom
0:16:50 > 0:16:56doesn't have any strong evidence that it's true.
0:16:56 > 0:17:03So there's been several analyses of the scientific evidence,
0:17:03 > 0:17:06and each and every time it shows that
0:17:06 > 0:17:11a better approach for people to lose weight, become healthier
0:17:11 > 0:17:15and even reverse things like type 2 diabetes
0:17:15 > 0:17:20is by following a low-carb, high-fat diet.
0:17:20 > 0:17:25You are seriously suggesting that the official dietary guidelines
0:17:25 > 0:17:27are making us fatter?
0:17:27 > 0:17:28- LAUGHING:- Yeah, absolutely.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33Obesity has tripled and diabetes has doubled,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36and those dietary guidelines have not changed.
0:17:36 > 0:17:42So, arguably, the healthy eating guidelines that have been set
0:17:42 > 0:17:45have caused the problem.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47These are some pretty strong claims.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51I need to get the other side of this increasingly complex story.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55The British Dietetic Association represents clinical dieticians
0:17:55 > 0:17:58and advises the government on health and diet.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01Dr Amanda Squire is their spokesperson in Wales.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05The low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet in very short bursts
0:18:05 > 0:18:08is not necessarily a problem.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11What we are concerned about is
0:18:11 > 0:18:14there is a lack of substantial long-term evidence
0:18:14 > 0:18:18for its ease of use, its safety of use
0:18:18 > 0:18:21and, actually, what the long-term effects are,
0:18:21 > 0:18:23regards to your general health
0:18:23 > 0:18:27and your risks of coronary heart disease and obesity.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30The evidence for the current arrangements
0:18:30 > 0:18:32aren't terribly good either, are they?
0:18:32 > 0:18:35There is some discrepancies on all evidence.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38Research, as you know, is a group of people
0:18:38 > 0:18:40that will publish their findings.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43Different groups will find different findings.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46As dieticians, what we do is interpret
0:18:46 > 0:18:50that complex and often confusing information
0:18:50 > 0:18:54and put it in terms that the general population can understand
0:18:54 > 0:18:57and go on to carry out in their day-to-day lives.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01Well, we've had donkey's years of following the current guidelines.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03Would you say they're a success?
0:19:03 > 0:19:05They are a success because...
0:19:05 > 0:19:07We've got an obesity crisis.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Yes, our obesity rates aren't ideal,
0:19:09 > 0:19:12but they're certainly not increasing at the rate they were.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15We're never going to see dramatic changes,
0:19:15 > 0:19:17we're never going to see dramatic improvements,
0:19:17 > 0:19:21because it takes a long time for research
0:19:21 > 0:19:23to filter through to the public.
0:19:23 > 0:19:28So, how are we expected to weigh up all this conflicting advice?
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Anyway, my current diet experiment continues.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34So, at the end of week two, 14st.
0:19:34 > 0:19:39I haven't put any more weight back on or lost any more. I'm stable.
0:19:39 > 0:19:44I'm missing things like fish and chips, takeaways,
0:19:44 > 0:19:47and I'm missing eating lots of fruit,
0:19:47 > 0:19:48which ordinarily I would do.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52This regime dictates that you can't eat too much fruit
0:19:52 > 0:19:54because of the amount of sugar,
0:19:54 > 0:19:56but I'm managing, I'm getting through on this,
0:19:56 > 0:19:57it's not too onerous.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02Losing weight is an awful lot about what you eat.
0:20:02 > 0:20:08Exercise is, of course, important, but you cannot outrun a bad diet,
0:20:08 > 0:20:10however many legs you've got.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14Here in Pembrokeshire, Jonathan Williams may have hit upon
0:20:14 > 0:20:17my perfect low-carb, high-fat takeaway.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20- Lobster and some seaweed butter. - Lovely.
0:20:20 > 0:20:21That's our secret ingredient.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24This is the cornerstone of everything we cook with,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27which is the laverbread mixed with Welsh butter,
0:20:27 > 0:20:31and we've been doing this for about, I don't know, four, five years.
0:20:31 > 0:20:32So we put the lobster in there.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34The lobster's just caught off the beach.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37I've always been a massive advocate of eating butter.
0:20:37 > 0:20:38I'm not sure about you, but...
0:20:38 > 0:20:40We've spent 30 years being told butter's bad for you
0:20:40 > 0:20:42- and now it seems it isn't.- No.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45It's quite interesting how it turns around.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47And when they've been queuing outside here all day
0:20:47 > 0:20:50thinking this is really cool and really trendy, and I'm sure it is,
0:20:50 > 0:20:52but you're not doing anything new at all.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54I mean, they were doing this 100 years ago.
0:20:54 > 0:20:55They called it "real food".
0:20:55 > 0:20:58It was free food, they got it off the beach.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02Yeah. I mean, yeah, you can't give away my secrets now, Jamie.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06I mean, it is. I think people are so used to...
0:21:06 > 0:21:08I don't know whether it's media
0:21:08 > 0:21:11or what's happened in the last 30, 40 years of people kind of...
0:21:11 > 0:21:13You know, all these different diets coming out.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16And it's funny how it's almost turned full circle now
0:21:16 > 0:21:18and we're kind of almost going back to where we were 100 years ago,
0:21:18 > 0:21:20before the big companies came in
0:21:20 > 0:21:23telling us what to do and what to eat and how to live your life.
0:21:23 > 0:21:28Just basic, good, local food - it's simple.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31So, how does it feel to be the next big thing, then?
0:21:31 > 0:21:35That you are it, you are the low-carb, high-fat trendy diet?
0:21:35 > 0:21:37Yeah, it feels pretty good.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40I do like my bread rolls to mop up my butter from time to time.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42I think, you know, I think everything in balance,
0:21:42 > 0:21:46everything in reason, and I think you should not be afraid of butter,
0:21:46 > 0:21:49you should not be afraid of these things. I think, you know...
0:21:49 > 0:21:51- I think they're all good. - A healthy takeaway.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54- Well, yeah. - It's not possible, surely.- In a way.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56I would offer you some, but...
0:22:00 > 0:22:01That is so good, isn't it?
0:22:02 > 0:22:03So lovely.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05You get to eat that every day on your diet, Jamie.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09I wish I could. That's... Well, it's so simple, isn't it?
0:22:09 > 0:22:12- It's just fish...- Yeah. - ..butter...cook.- Yeah.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15People always say they're really confused about
0:22:15 > 0:22:17the food they should eat.
0:22:17 > 0:22:22I guess the simple answer is real food. Real food.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24Not from a factory.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28Straight from the sea, in this case.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30Can the answer really be that simple?
0:22:30 > 0:22:34And if it is, then why is it not the basis of government advice?
0:22:34 > 0:22:37With so much criticism of the government guidelines,
0:22:37 > 0:22:41the question that begs answering is who's behind
0:22:41 > 0:22:44the dietary information we're bombarded with?
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Professor David Miller from the University of Bath
0:22:47 > 0:22:50is an expert in this subject.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53So, who actually advises the UK Government?
0:22:53 > 0:22:58Scientific committees which are made up of working scientists
0:22:58 > 0:23:00from the universities of this country,
0:23:00 > 0:23:02and they advise the government
0:23:02 > 0:23:06on the best science on nutritional questions
0:23:06 > 0:23:08and they advise the government what to do about that.
0:23:08 > 0:23:09That's how it's supposed to work.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12But, of course, there are informal influences by corporations
0:23:12 > 0:23:16paying scientists to do research which can distort the evidence base.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19The other way in which the corporations influence is
0:23:19 > 0:23:23through the process of directly targeting and trying to influence
0:23:23 > 0:23:27civil servants, special advisers, government ministers,
0:23:27 > 0:23:30and they do that by meeting them directly, by putting on events,
0:23:30 > 0:23:34by funding think tanks to attract the minister to come and speak.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37And they do it also directly by funding political parties.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39So what would you like to see change?
0:23:39 > 0:23:42Well, I think the key thing is
0:23:42 > 0:23:46to remove the taint and potential corruption
0:23:46 > 0:23:49of corporate money in the whole policy process.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52The advice should be coming from scientists who,
0:23:52 > 0:23:55to the best of their ability and to the best of our system's ability,
0:23:55 > 0:23:57don't have conflicts of interest
0:23:57 > 0:24:00which could adversely affect the kind of advice that they give.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02When it comes to dietary advice,
0:24:02 > 0:24:04do you think we should be listening to the UK Government?
0:24:04 > 0:24:07Well, if you want to listen to what the UK Government says,
0:24:07 > 0:24:10you need to ask the question, what underlies that?
0:24:10 > 0:24:11What science underlies that?
0:24:11 > 0:24:14And when you look at that closely, it's not the best science.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17One thing I am discovering is that
0:24:17 > 0:24:21there's no shortage of disagreement on diet.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Governments of every complexion strongly deny
0:24:24 > 0:24:26that they're influenced by the food industry,
0:24:26 > 0:24:31or that any advice isn't based on objective scientific research.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34But there are still many questions which I wanted to put
0:24:34 > 0:24:37to the people in charge in Wales, the Welsh Government.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39Well, nobody wants to talk to me.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42I had wanted to talk to the Chief Medical Officer for Wales
0:24:42 > 0:24:43and the Health Minister.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46They both work in this building behind me, but they have both
0:24:46 > 0:24:49declined our invitation to take part in this programme.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51But they have issued the following statement.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55They say, "The Eatwell Guide is the UK's national food guide
0:24:55 > 0:24:57"which has been..."
0:25:00 > 0:25:04"..and forms the basis of Welsh Government dietary advice.
0:25:04 > 0:25:05They say, "It's designed..."
0:25:08 > 0:25:14"..including in relation to starchy carbohydrates and fats."
0:25:14 > 0:25:15So there.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17Even though as a devolved nation
0:25:17 > 0:25:21Wales has the power to write our own guidelines for public health,
0:25:21 > 0:25:25in this case we are following what Public Health England says.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28Well, I've been following my own advice.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31My three weeks are up and this is my moment of truth.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33Good to see you.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35Well, here's the big question - how is my cholesterol?
0:25:35 > 0:25:39It was a little on the high side when we started this experiment.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42Has it gone up or down after a high-fat diet?
0:25:42 > 0:25:46So, when we started this process three weeks ago,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49your total cholesterol level was 5.6.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53Yesterday, when we did this,
0:25:53 > 0:25:58your total cholesterol had gone down to 4.9.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00So I know I'm throwing figures at you,
0:26:00 > 0:26:03but basically what I'm trying to say is, surprisingly,
0:26:03 > 0:26:06even though you have been on a high-fat diet,
0:26:06 > 0:26:10it appears as though your cholesterol level has gone down.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14'Wow. So how much of my belly have I lost?'
0:26:14 > 0:26:16So, the last time we did this...
0:26:17 > 0:26:18..it was...104.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22We're still around about 104,
0:26:22 > 0:26:26we haven't really lost anything around your abdominal circumference.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29'That's a downer. But what about my weight?'
0:26:29 > 0:26:31Hop on the scales, then, Jamie. Do you feel brave enough?
0:26:31 > 0:26:32OK, here we go.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35So, you were 94kg when we started.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39We are now down to 88kg.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41- Well done.- 'That is a result.'
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Three weeks on, what do you conclude?
0:26:44 > 0:26:46It would be very difficult for me to say
0:26:46 > 0:26:48whether it has done you any damage or not internally,
0:26:48 > 0:26:50because I have no way of finding out
0:26:50 > 0:26:54how your liver, your heart, your kidneys are doing after this diet.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58What it's done is made you lose a considerable amount of weight.
0:26:58 > 0:27:04So for anyone who is contemplating a regime change like mine,
0:27:04 > 0:27:06what would your advice be?
0:27:06 > 0:27:08They need to come and see either
0:27:08 > 0:27:10one of our doctors or the practice nurses,
0:27:10 > 0:27:15take advice, be followed up, be aware of the dangers,
0:27:15 > 0:27:19the positives and negatives of any diet, not just this diet,
0:27:19 > 0:27:22and take that all on board before they embark on it.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27This low-carb, high-fat diet may not be for everyone,
0:27:27 > 0:27:29but it seems to have worked for me.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33I've lost the best part of a stone,
0:27:33 > 0:27:35my cholesterol has dropped
0:27:35 > 0:27:36and I feel pretty good.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40The one thing I've taken from all of this
0:27:40 > 0:27:43is to be more aware of the food I eat.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48I spent my whole childhood not eating any greens.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51The irony now of having to eat lots and lots of greens.
0:27:52 > 0:27:53It's very nice.
0:27:54 > 0:27:58But the reality is I still have weight to lose
0:27:58 > 0:28:03and so does the majority of the population in Wales.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05We eat too much, we eat the wrong things,
0:28:05 > 0:28:09but confusing, contradictory dietary advice
0:28:09 > 0:28:14is a serious contributory factor in our big, fat problem
0:28:14 > 0:28:16and that is serious food for thought.