Eat Well Guide
Although used in the DiRECT trials the Eat Well Guide (EWG) is not recommended in type 2 diabetes guidance.
Although used in the DiRECT trials the Eat Well Guide (EWG) is not recommended in type 2 diabetes guidance. The EWG has come under significant criticism after being created with food industry involvement.
An analysis of the updates of the EWG suggests it would reduce type 2 diabetes diagnoses by 780,000 individuals in 10 years and subsequent reductions in cardiovascular disease (Cobiac, Scarborough, Kaur, & Rayner, 2016).
The EWG does provide advice that is starkly different to other evidence in type 2 diabetes – notably the low carbohydrate approaches that other approaches advocate for in type 2 diabetes, and the NHS does not specifically recommend this guide now for type 2 diabetes.
An analysis of the impact of EWG recommendations on health impact was undertaken, but those who were diabetic are excluded from this study (Scheelbeek, Green, Pappiel, Knuppel, & et al, 2020). Notably it was found the impact of reducing saturated fat and improved intake of fish oils had the least impact on mortality on this study.
Dr Zoe Harcombe PhD has been clear that the EWG has not been tested as an RCT, despite guidelines recommending low fat, higher carbohydrate diets, there has been a continued increase in obesity and diabetes rates (Harcombe, 2016) although this assumption is made that individuals are following the nationally set recommendations and guidelines.
References
Cobiac, L. J., Scarborough, P., Kaur, A., & Rayner. (2016). The Eatwell guide: modelling the health implications of incorporating new sugar and fibre guidelines. PLoS One, 11(12), p.e0167859.
Scheelbeek, P., Green, R., Pappiel, K., Knuppel, A., & et al. (2020). Health impacts and environmental footprints of diets that meet the Eatwell Guide recommendations: analyses of multiple UK studies. BMJ Open, 10(8), p.e037554.
Harcombe, Z. ( 2016). Designed by the food industry for wealth, not health: the ‘Eatwell Guide’. . British Journal of Sports Medicine