Episode 1706 – Clinical expert in diabetes, Dr. David Unwin, joins Vinnie on this Friday to talk the obesity and diabetes epidemics, addiction, changing behaviors that make you sick, Dr. Unwin’s scholarship, improving mental health with low carb, and more.
DR. DAVID UNWIN
- Dr. Unwin started practicing in the 80s.
- He’s a GP – he likes being part of continued care.
- Dr. Unwin hales from the UK!
- He has recently come out with two fantastic papers:
- This one focuses on the science behind low carb diets:
- This one focuses on hypertension and low carb diets:
- Eating low carb has changed his life for the better since 2012.
- It’s not only helped his physical health, but his mental health as well.
- He is less anxious, and many of his patients have felt the same.
- Some of his patients have come off of antidepressants.
- He is less anxious, and many of his patients have felt the same.
- It’s not only helped his physical health, but his mental health as well.
- He puts many of his diabetic and overweight patients on low carb diets to lower their weight and reverse their Type 2 diabetes.
- Dr. Unwin is a runner! He now understands you don’t need carbs to be an athlete.
- He thinks motivation is important — don’t threaten your patients, motivate them in a positive way to get healthier!
- Don’t say “it may well get worse.” Say “it can get better and you can feel great! Are you interested?”
THE OBESITY AND DIABETES EPIDEMICS
- When he first started, about 56 people of his 500 patients had diabetes.
- Now, they have NINE TIMES that.
- During his training, he never saw a Type 2 diabetic below his 50s.
- Now, they have 20 year olds with serious diabetes.
- Diabetes is an epidemic all over the world.
- Obesity is another.
- He’s watched it increase in front of his eyes.
- It’s utterly knew to see so many individuals so heavy and unhealthy.
- Obesity is another.
- Obesity and diabetes can’t be genetic; we’ve seen this uptick happen over the past few decades.
- Then, it must be environmental.
- When he approaches he’s patients about their weight, he doesn’t take the offensive.
- He asks “Is now a good time? I have some information for you.”
- He thinks many overweight people have addict-like tendencies.
- They know this is bad for them, but do not stop.
- In this way, Dr. Unwin is more sympathetic.
- People aren’t doing this intentionally!
- A lot of chronic illness, including metabolic syndromes, is changing behavior.
- This behavior change is key.
- Dr. Unwin thinks diet can change the way you see the world.
ADDITIONAL READING FROM DR. UNWIN
- 1. Our low carb paper is out
https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/early/2020/11/02/bmjnph-2020-000072
For those of you interested we put lots into the supplementary file like our low carb nurse protocol and how we discuss physiology with patients
Published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention and Health
Improvements in diabetes control, weight loss and prescribing savings: The results of a lower carbohydrate diet for patients with Type 2 Diabetes over six years in NHS General Practice*
D Unwin, A Khalid, J Unwin, D Crocombe, C Delon, K Martyn, R Golubic, S Ray
Email for corresponding author; unwin5@btinternet.com
- Headlines
- 46% drug-free T2 diabetes remission.
- Significant improvements in weight, blood pressure and lipid profiles.
- 93% remission of prediabetes.
- £50,885 annual saving on the Norwood GP practice NHS diabetes drug budget.
- If every GP practice in England spent the same on drugs for diabetes per patient as Norwood the NHS could save £277,000,000
- Older patients can do as well as younger ones with a low carb approach.
- The participants who started with the worst blood sugars saw the greatest improvements in diabetic control
- Four individuals came off insulin altogether.
- Total weight loss for the 199 participants was 1.6 metric tons
- 2. The HYPERTENSION PAPER
Substantial and Sustained Improvements in Blood Pressure, Weight and Lipid Profiles from a Carbohydrate Restricted Diet: An Observational Study of Insulin Resistant Patients in Primary Care. Unwin et al.
