Will the "Diet Debate" Ever End?

By Amy Campbell One of the joys (and burdens) of being a dietitian is the feedback that I get about the merits and pitfalls of various types of diets. Some people ask about certain types of diets because they're curious or because they want to lose weight/manage their diabetes/live longer, etc. Other people take a firm stance or position (often zealous in nature) that the "X" diet (fill in the blank here) is really the ONLY diet to be following if one wants to lose weight or lower his blood glucose. They'll argue and sometimes, I admit, become rather rude and dismissive if I or others won't jump on their particular bandwagon. Then, there are the health-care professionals, be they doctors, nurses, pharmacists, psychologists, or, yes, even other dietitians, who fully subscribe to a particular diet, eating plan, or way of life. Some are proponents of a vegan lifestyle (think Dr. Neal Barnard). Others eschew practically all carbohydrate (think Dr. Pierre Dukan) or maybe just particular carbohydrate foods, such as grains and dairy, for example (think Paleo diet). Some health-care professionals (including dietitians) are more mainstream, meaning that they realize and recognize that there isn't just one approach that will work for everyone — when it comes to weight and diabetes management, that is. Which brings me to the topic of this week's posting: Will the diet debate ever really end? One viewpoint This past summer, a "viewpoint" appeared in the August 21 edition of The J...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - Category: Diabetes Authors: Source Type: blogs