Sir: Our health is one of, if not the, most vital and important aspect of our lives (‘Public Health England attacks fizzy drinks in anti-sugar war,’ 28 June, p5). Therefore the fundamental necessity for public health policies and practices to be based on credible, reproducible and solid evidence is something that I have always been passionate about, irrespective of whether I was working in academia, healthcare, research or with the food industry.
When you decide to have a career in nutrition, you commit to dedicating your studies and working life to becoming knowledgeable on the ever-evolving evidence base surrounding diet and health. Therefore, as professionals (whether academics, industry, health professionals or policy makers), it is only right that we put evidence-based policy and practice on a pedestal to highlight how important and fundamental this principle is. After all, we have every right for policies and government initiatives to be solidly grounded in the best quality of available evidence.
Unfortunately, it’s no great surprise that people can become completely confused and mystified by all the media headlines surrounding health. As a nutritionist it is depressing and worrying when you read vast numbers of comments under news articles where people are clearly stating that they are no longer listening to health advice. It is, regrettably, far too easy to be swept along by media headlines and lose track of what the evidence actually shows.
Therefore whether we are talking about the media, policies or practice, let’s get rid of the hype, stick to the facts and listen to the science.
Dr Glenys Jones, nutritionist & nutrition communications manager, Sugar Nutrition UK
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