Leading doctors create Public Health Collaboration to challenge and improve dietary guidelines

A group of 12 leading doctors are establishing an independent health charity to combat obesity and type 2 diabetes in the United Kingdom.
The charity, called the Public Health Collaboration (PHC), will emphasise the need for a complete overhaul of the dietary guidelines currently recommended by the NHS.
“[W]e are generally following the [dietary] advice we’ve been give, but it’s not making us healthier!” says the PHC’s crowdfunding page. “Arguably, the current advice has got us into our current sticky situation. A complete overhaul is needed for our dietary advice based on the scientific evidence in order to improve our nation’s health, and we believe that the PHC is the team for the job but that is only possible with your support.”
Founding members of the PHC include several influential doctors and dietitians within the field of type 2 diabetes, including Dr. David Cavan – author of Reverse Your Diabetes – Dr. David Unwin, dietitian Dr. Trudi Deaki, and Dr. Rangan Chatterjee – known for his work on the BBC’s Doctor in the House.
The PHC aims to use the expertise of its members to challenge and improve dietary guidelines. The first of its reports on healthy eating and weight loss guidelines provided by the NHS is scheduled to be published in April 2016.
Sam Feltham, director of the PHC, said: “Our initial £5,000 fundraising target doesn’t sound like it’s enough to change anything on such a large scale, especially if you’re used to big budgets, but we’re in a fortunate position that our founding members of doctors are giving their time for helping write our reports and support our campaigns.
“The first report will examine the scientific evidence to recommend new dietary guidelines for optimal public health. Once it is published in April 2016 we recommend that the NHS leadership reads the report and takes it seriously for the sake of the nation’s health and economy.”