Startling medical advice

I recently saw a video of a doctor attached to a teaching hospital being interviewed on a you tube channel. The doctor claims that he has developed a system named after himself to control weight gain and that he has over 400,000 followers. Some of the facts mentioned are known already and others to say the least are quite startling.

He says that among the contributory factors towards weight gain the most important one surpassing even exercise is the food one consumes. He treats carbs as poison and urges the consumption of fats and proteins instead. Says that one can survive even without a grain of rice but fats and proteins are vital. Ideally, a plate should have three fifths of fish, meat, curd and pol sambol and the balance carbs and greens one third each. If he is addressing the general public, he should know that fish and meat are now luxuries in most homes. He advocates consumption of fish, meat, curd and pol sambol ad lib. He calls pol sambol cheap and a gift from the gods. A coconut at Rs 120-140, chilies at Rs 2,000 a kilo and considering the cost of Maldive fish, etc., pol sambol is not cheap. Besides, it is usually an accompaniment to carbs like rice, yams etc. We do not eat it by the plateful although it is a rich source of essential fatty acids, fibre, etc. The doctor also advises to skip breakfast and eat only one or two meals a day. This is against all medical advice.

What caps it all is what he says against consumption of alcohol. He says not to drink beer or wine which are low in alcohol content but to drink half a bottle of arrack or whisky or even kasippu a day for a month and decide whether to continue the habit or give it up. Health benefits of moderate drinking are well documented. I thought the statement was preposterous.

Any comments?

Gamini Peiris

Panadura