FOOD & DRINK
THE ANGRY CHEF: BAD SCIENCE AND THE TRUTH ABOUT HEALTHY EATING Review by Ursula Arens Writer; Nutrition & Dietetics Ursula has a degree in dietetics, and currently works as a freelance nutrition writer. She has been a columnist on nutrition for more than 30 years.
AUTHOR: ANTHONY WARNER PUBLISHER: ONE WORLD BOOKS; 2017 ISBN: 978-1786072160 (PAPERBACK) PRICE: £12.99
Mr Warner, aka Angry Chef, is a blogger. Like, it seems, most chefs, he enjoys sweary words; words which in print have a first and last letter and lots of ***s in the middle. Unlike, probably, most chefs, he studied biochemistry at university and really loves the language and methods of science. His occasional exposure to the fluffy thoughts of beautiful young things on social media platforms make him very angry, and his blogs are full of volcanic outrage at the muddled lifestyle claims advocating dietary purity with coconuts or avocados. He has lots of dietitian ‘likes’ on his posts, and obviously the time came when a publisher spotted the opportunity to elevate the impermanent blur of blogs, into the solid materialism of a book. Mr Warner gallops through a few of the dietary claims that have excited public attention in the past few years: detoxing, alkaline ashing, or going paleo, to more threatening and earnest dietary deviances such as GAPS or cancer ‘curing’ diets. There is method in the madness, in that all of these diets have small chunks of valid science within their claims. However, advocates massively distort and misunderstand details and come to silly or dangerous conclusions. It is the task of dietitians to provide constant, consistent, clear clarification and correction (the 5Cs of dietetics?). But for Mr Warner, this is not enough: he shrieks explosive and expletive filled fury, and perhaps this is also a correct response?
50
www.NHDmag.com November 2017 - Issue 129
There are many excellent chapters. But first some gentle critique. The blogs are tight and punchy; the book contains much verbal padding; perhaps the attempts to achieve certain word counts to fill pages? Also, there is attempted humour in the form of imaginary backand-forth dialogue with the pseudonym friend, Mr Science Columbo. I was not amused. A red editorial pen should have been used with more vigour. Chapter 14 on Relative Risk is excellent. The vital difference in absolute and relative risks must be familiar to all dietitians and yet it is the basis for alarming daily headlines on food and health risk. Large jumps from a small baseline attract public concern, whereas small increases from higher base figures pass unnoticed, although the latter result in larger absolute numbers affected by a condition. We all know this and yet we are always caught out. Mr Warner discusses a study reporting associations between greater intakes of bacon and the 18% greater chance of developing bowel cancer (compared to non-eaters of bacon). He slices and presents the data in different ways and in one chart, the chance of avoiding bowel cancer comparing eating lots of delicious bacon every day with a bleak-life-without,
Chapter 14 on Relative Risk is excellent. The vital difference in absolute and relative risks must be familiar to all dietitians and yet it is the basis for alarming daily headlines on food and health risk. appears nearly identical. Mr Warner does a grand defence of the odd bacon sandwich on a Sunday morning, and the consensus view is that risks from nitrates are smaller than risks from Clostridium botulinum. But his finding weakness in the bowel cancer-bacon data opens doors to general critiques of all cancer-food associations and may lead to unhelpful conclusions that diet-does-not-matter. Probably not what Mr Warner intended. Chapter 18 on Cancer is also excellent. He explains origins of dubious Gerson and Kelley therapies and describes the currently popular low carbohydrate diets for cancer, such as those promoted by Xandria Williams. Shifts in cancer cell metabolism from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis were first described by Otto Warburg in 1924. But these changes may be metabolic adaptions caused by rapid cell growth, and the faster uptake of glucose by cancer cells does not allow conclusions that limiting dietary carbohydrates inhibits their growth. Mr Warner describes some ‘false hope’ cases and concludes that carrot juice and enemas have yet to prove themselves as better than doing nothing. The final three chapters of the book consider countering the constant stream of misinformation about diet and health. But if you are an academic nutritionist, put on some body armour now: ‘Your reductionist experiments do little to shape the narrative when it comes to making decision about food: your arrogance and susceptibility to bias;
your inability to provide a consistent voice, confusing the public by creating needlessly sensationalist headlines that overstate the importance of your work.’ Ouch! In conclusion, the Angry Chef hopes that the reader is now immune to the charms of easy narrative and false hopes, and is left full of uncertainty and doubt (over diet and health claims). His guide to eating well is familiar and Pollan-esque, but just the kind of vague blitheness that many people find frustrating: “Eat different stuff, not too much, not too little, balance it and enjoy it. And eat some fish.” Is this really all there is to say about diet and health? And in future, people will still be asking dietitians and anyone else with a view, “What is healthier? Pumpkinseed oil or linseed oil?” Where experts hesitate, beautiful young bloggers will continue to give loud and certain answers to these questions (and sell the book). Appendix two of the book has the title The Angry Chef’s simple guide to whom we should believe in the world of food. Top of the list are dietitians; they are all dedicated, professional and intelligent and give the best evidence-based information available (but there are not enough of them.). Registered nutritionists are also praised. In contrast, there are Warner-warnings about nutritionists and therapists. This book is intended for the diet-interested general reader. But, of course, dietitians will enjoy the barbs lanced at self-proclaimed nutrition gurus.
We have five copies of The Angry Chef by Anthony Warner to give away in our FREE NHD prize Draw. For your chance to win a copy, email us at info@networkhealthgroup.co.uk stating that you want to be included in the Angry Chef NHD book giveaway. Closing date for entries is Monday 4th December 2017. www.NHDmag.com November 2017 - Issue 129
51