I've had another complaint - Noakes

Feebearing - Cape Town - 140716 - Tim Noakes does a talk on the evolution of exercise. It forms part of the 17th World Congress of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology currently on at at the CTICC. REPORTER: SIPOKAZI FOKAZI. PICTURE: WILLEM LAW.

Feebearing - Cape Town - 140716 - Tim Noakes does a talk on the evolution of exercise. It forms part of the 17th World Congress of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology currently on at at the CTICC. REPORTER: SIPOKAZI FOKAZI. PICTURE: WILLEM LAW.

Published Aug 14, 2015

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Durban - Sports science professor Tim Noakes, by his own admission, has been labelled a “quack” by his detractors.

But it was to a full auditorium at the University of KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday that he delivered his high-fat, low-carbohydrate gospel.

It was the controversial, academic’s first visit to UKZN, as a guest of the college of health sciences.

Noakes advocates a diet high in animal fats, protein, full-cream dairy, fruit and vegetables. Grains and cereal are barred.

“Why do we have academic institutions? If we knew everything, we wouldn’t need them. My view is that if you aren’t challenging (conventional) thinking, you are the one who is controversial, and should be sacked. So I should be the only one employed,” an upbeat Noakes began.

He revealed that he had been told on Thursday morning that a complaint of disgraceful conduct had been laid against him with the Health Professions Council of South Africa, over a remark he had made to a dietician with whom he had disagreed.

On Thursday, however, the council could not confirm that it was investigating the complaint.

Noakes is already facing charges of unprofessional misconduct for encouraging a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet on Twitter.

“The reason the Banting eating plan works is because it is biologically based. It is the only diet which is biologically based. There’s a host of science proving that it is beneficial in many ways … If you understand the biology you will understand that when you take in carbohydrates, your body is not really designed for it.”

The Real Meal Revolution, the book which he co-authored, has sold more than 200 000 copies in its first year.

“All we are saying is eat real food. And that is very threatening to many industries that make processed food.”

Noakes said that cats today were all diabetic and obese because they were fed carbohydrates (in the form of pellets).

“There is an outbreak of diabetes among cats, because these are the most insulin-resistant animals. If you give insulin-resistant animals carbohydrates, they get fat and diabetic. Why is your cat diabetic, and why am I diabetic – it’s because we eat too much carbohydrates and we are not designed for it.”

He emphasised that saturated fat did not cause heart disease, citing a major study published in the British Medical Journal this week, which found that the saturated fats found in meat and dairy were not as bad for health as previously believed.

“If you fed your children corn flakes this morning, you might as well have put some glucose in a bottle, and given it to them.”

Noakes said that the more carbs people consumed, the hungrier they were, and the more they ate. The key to controlling obesity was understanding and curbing hunger.

“The reversal of the current obesity and diabetes epidemic will come not from the government but from the people who, when properly informed, will begin to demand healthy food choices.”

The audience had been invited to challenge Noakes, butthere was no fierce opposition.

The Mercury

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