Dr. Miguel Ángel Martínez-González and the journalist Marisol Guisasola detail without fear or concealment why they do not act against obesity or overweight as they should be. We talk to the doctor
In this age of over-consumerism, pandemic, and misinformation, there are (few) people who speak out for everyone. They do not gain anything, they may even lose a lot, but still they believe that it is their duty to tell the only truth that is hidden from us in favor of economic and financial interests.
Some of these people are the acclaimed epidemiologist Dr. Miguel Ángel Martínez-González and the journalist Marisol Guisasola, who have just published a book that will give much to talk about, entitled ' What do you eat? '(Ed. Planet).
This work not only gives the keys to healthy eating, but also (and it is most interesting) the interests of the food and pharmaceutical industries are clarified with enlightening data.
A combative book that points out " the tricks used by both the food and pharmaceutical industries to undermine our health." " Of course only speak for that is well understood and to defend the public and not the interest’s commercial health. I think that clarity is absolutely necessary in this context of urban legends, doubts concerned and pseudoscience, conflicts of interest and unfounded beliefs. The omission, passivity and indolence can be the worst accomplices of the damage to public health. He who is silent, grants. I cannot not speak, "says Dr. Martínez-González, in the prologue of the work.
We spoke to the doctor to find out more about the book and what the powerful don't want us to know about our health.
Who is to blame that we are becoming more and more obese
Just as clinical medicine cures sick individuals, the goal of epidemiologists or public health physicians is to cure sick societies. Before the coronavirus pandemic, the combination of overweight and obesity already reduced our gross national product (GNP) by 2.9% per year. But when designing preventive public health strategies, the individual and social barriers that exist must be taken into account.
In Spain, a study published in the Journal of Cardiology predicts an increase of 16%, between 2016 and 2030, in the cases of overweight adults in our country. This would represent a direct health surcharge of almost 60%, according to experts.
But if the majority of the population were able to lead a healthy lifestyle, these chronic health problems would be reduced by at least 70% or 80% compared to what is happening now. This is possible if we return to the traditional Mediterranean-type food pattern, which consists of a diet similar to that of our grandparents (few red or processed meats, no hamburgers, no sausages, no cola, not so many sweets, cookies, but with lots of fruits, vegetables, legumes, fresh fish, olive oil and nuts).
We have abandoned the Mediterranean diet for globalization and the big multinationals. It has been the result of the perverse influence of copying what the Americans do without subjecting it to thought or judgment.
And why have we been abandoning the "real diet", the Mediterranean? "It has been due to globalization and the large multinationals. It has been the result of the perverse influence of copying what the Americans do without subjecting it to thought or judgment," Dr. Martínez-González told Vozpópuli.
"The big chains of hamburgers and sugary soft drinks have been very powerful, and they have wanted to extend their market to the whole world. If we look at it, over the years they have not only been expanding the offer, but they have been increasing the size rations. the soda bottles today have nothing to do with size 60s have grown the market and have spread to countries that do not have this culture, such as Spain. all this has made miss the Mediterranean diet, "he clarifies.
Why doesn't Health intervene?
As the author points out, millions of deaths have occurred due to the perverse intrusion of commercial purposes and the conflicts of interest of authors of scientific articles on medicines and health.
Millions of people are harmed or killed by commercial anxiety. Victims who in this book will be able to find scientific light for their day to day life and tools to forge their well-being based on choices that do not harm them.
Martínez-González challenges the reader to read recommendations on healthy diets and keep track of the number of times they use the words "moderate" or "moderation" , instead of speaking clearly and saying that it is necessary to eliminate what is harmful to the health . When it comes time to use the word less, that is, to explain what needs to be reduced, a cryptic language will preferably be used, suitable only for the initiated. They will talk about reducing trans and saturated fats, consuming fewer high-glycemic carbohydrates, fewer added sugars and less ultra-processed, without telling them the truth up front, as happens with tobacco or alcohol.
It is striking that for drugs they have put so many barriers and this has not been done with food. There are many food issues where there is a very serious problem
Why, given this reality, Health does not intervene and put limits on the food industry? " They should stop him now. Tax sugary drinks, for example, but that this money is not used to raise money. Actually, there seems to be a priority interest in public health. I think it is necessary to intervene in a clearer way. No barriers have been put in place for food companies, and that's how we are, "the doctor tells us.
" It is striking that for drugs they have put so many barriers and this has not been done with food. There are many food issues where there is a very serious problem," says Martínez-González, who delves into this issue on page 130 of the book, where he refers to a study called The Tactics of Big Soda, which details, with names and surnames, the millions of euros behind all this.
Paid researchers and studies
If you have come this far, reading, now you will ask yourself: why are we not told anything? Are there not studies or investigations that prove all this and make the authorities act?
Related to this is the alleged lack of bias of many investigators, who would have charged impressive sums of money to say what their payer wanted them to say. In this regard, the book refers to a 2003 study, published in the journal JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), on the relationship between financing by Big Pharma and its impact on the conclusions of the articles.
The study found that a quarter of the researchers were funded by the pharmaceutical industry, and approximately two-thirds of the academic institutions had a stake in the pharmaceutical corporations that funded the research. A significant association was shown between research funding by certain pharmaceutical companies and findings in favor of those industries.
There are and have been some scientists who have surrendered to the commercial profits of companies and are telling lies out of pure commercial interest
In other words, the probability that the conclusions were favorable to the commercial interests of Big Pharma was multiplied when those who paid were these corporations, compared to studies with independent financing. It was found that, many times, those who paid required the researchers to pass the data to them before publishing it.
"There are and have been some scientists who have surrendered to the commercial profits of companies and are telling lies out of pure commercial interest. When obesity is described it will really come to light that they sold to the big boys. And they are not lies like such, but of agnosia, that is to say, they generate doubts in the consumer instead of giving truthful information ", clarifies Dr. Martínez-González, without cutting a hair. Undiagnosed or untreated type 1 diabetes can cause weight loss. Glucose builds up in the bloodstream if insulin isn't available to move it into the body's cells. When glucose levels become high, the kidneys work to get rid of unused sugar through urine (pee). This causes weight loss due to dehydration and loss of calories from the sugar that wasn't used as energy.