In a world of hard-hitting headlines, everchanging advice and confusing claims – it can be hard to know what to believe when it comes to eating well. The Public Health Collaboration believes that by educating healthcare professionals, individuals and the wider population – a real food revolution can be implemented to drive positive changes and reduce the incidence of lifestyle-related conditions. Read on to learn more about their amazing work!
N.B. - All references to Diabetes in this article are referring solely to the condition that is Type 2 Diabetes and is not to be misconstrued with Type 1 Diabetes.
Meet the Public Health Collaboration
The Public Health Collaboration (PHC) is a registered charity created to inform and implement healthy decisions for better public health. It was founded by director Sam Feltham following an initial crowdfunding campaign to set up the charity, which smashed its target and demonstrated an undeniable call for change by the public!
Since then the PHC has blossomed into an influential charity comprising of leading health experts including doctors, dietitians, psychiatrists, professors, and personal trainers – not to mention a whole community of PHC members dedicated to joining the movement and doing their bit to make a positive change to public health! The PHC has made it their mission to:
To communicate their message the PHC publishes evidence-based reports alongside running coordinated campaigns, presenting the government and wider public with evidence that is hard to ignore! Such reports and campaigns are targeted at NHS leadership, who the PHC wants to learn from their evidence and act upon it for the sake of Britain’s health and economy.
The ultimate aim of this is to drive a change in legislation that will overhaul the way we look at illness and treating it – focusing on prevention rather than cure, minimising medication and saving the NHS a fortune! The vision? An NHS that not only treats the unwell but also helps people to stay well.
Progressive Medicine and Root Cause Solutions
There are some problems facing the NHS that cannot be controlled as much as we would like – the ageing population, cancer, and genetic diseases to name a few. That sadly is a fact of life and we just have to thank our lucky stars that we have an NHS to look after us if we do get sick.
On the other hand, there are also a number of conditions that are largely influenced by poor lifestyle choices – like smoking, boozing, eating rubbish food and not moving enough. In fact, 9 out of 10 people in the UK have at least one unhealthy trait that is negatively affecting their health.
The PHC strives to influence a whole spectrum of public health advice, but their main focus is on the exponentially growing and ever-worsening problems of Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes. These two conditions, in particular, are massively influenced by dietary choices. Here’s why the PHC are looking to overhaul the dietary guidelines currently recommended by the NHS:
- In the UK, 25% of adults are Obese
- Type 2 Diabetes has risen by 65% in 10 years
- 90% of Diabetes cases in the UK are Type 2
- Both cost the NHS £16 billion a year
Put simply, these statistics show that things are getting worse rather than better. As Einstein once said “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used to create them” – to see improvements to public health there must be a change.
The PHC believes that by educating patients and the healthcare professionals advising them, they can make that change by targeting the root cause of many conditions – treating the person and resolving the problem, not just medicating their symptoms.
What About Existing Public Health Authorities?
The aim of the PHC is not to separate opinion or cause disagreement in the medical and health promotion communities; it is to support and inform existing public health authorities. By challenging evidence used to justify current recommendations that aren’t working, the PHC can propose their own evidence and suggest interventions and public health advice that could actually make a difference.
PHC in Practice
There is a growing wave of low carb programmes being implemented as therapeutic protocols to treat Type 2 Diabetes. Research has shown that weight loss and dietary measures can be just as effective, if not more effective, than medication. Adapting the diet and making some key lifestyle changes can help to reduce and even reverse Type 2 Diabetes – without the need for costly prescriptions that only manage symptoms.
Experts such as Dr David Unwin (PHC member and advisor) have published several reports to demonstrate evidence of the power of lifestyle in managing conditions like Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes.
One case study published by Dr. Unwin showed the effect of a low-carb diet in promoting weight loss that resulted in the ‘deprescribing’ of four medications. The patient was able to lose weight, control his diet and follow a healthier lifestyle – achieving his goal of being medication free. Not only is this outcome favourable for the patient, avoiding polypharmacy for life, but it is also a cost-effective and economical solution for the NHS to implement. Treating Type 2 Diabetes with a low carb diet in place of expensive drugs could free up a fortune for the NHS to spend on invaluable research and clinical trials into other lesser-known and understood conditions.
Prevention is Better than Cure!
Arguably, a low carb diet should be the default, go-to treatment for Type 2 Diabetes – a sort of first-line intervention before we even think about medication. That’s why Dr. Unwin has devised a Low Carb Program which is approved by the British Dietetic Association to educate and inform behaviour changes of NHS patients with Obesity, Prediabetes, and Diabetes. Implementing these in primary care settings and at the stage of prediabetes diagnosis could nip Diabetes in the bud before it progresses and causes further comorbidities.
The Public Health Collaboration is making waves in the medical community and flying the flag for Real Food lifestyles that promote health and prevent disease. By following and supporting their work you too can become part of the Real Food Revolution!
I Want to Collaborate!
To get behind the cause you can join the PHC on their journey to a real food revolution by following the below links and keeping up to date with the latest PHC. You can also donate (the PHC relies heavily on individual donations), become a member and represent PHC in your local area by becoming an ambassador.
The PHC has an awesome way to donate called Give as You Live - check it out here. We love this as you can donate when shopping online and you don’t even know!
Other ways to interact with the PHC can be found below.
Follow @ https://twitter.com/PHCukorg
Like @ https://www.facebook.com/PHCukorg
Follow @ https://www.instagram.com/PHCukorg
Follow @ https://plus.google.com/+PHCukorg
Membership @ https://phcuk.org/membership/
Ambassador @ https://phcuk.org/ambassadors/
All information provided on our website and within our articles is simply information, opinion, anecdotal thoughts and experiences to provide you with the tools to thrive.
It is not intended to treat or diagnose symptoms and is definitely not intended to be misconstrued for medical advice. We always advise you seek the advice of a trained professional when implementing any changes to your lifestyle and dietary habits.
We do however recommend seeking the services of a trained professional who questions the conventional wisdom to enable you to become the best version of yourself.
