Can you put a town on a sugar-free diet? Cardiologist Aseem Malhotra decided to find out.
Dr. Malhotra chose Tameside, a borough in greater Manchester near his childhood home. Tameside features a well-managed hospital that took a stand and eliminated sugar-sweetened beverages from its facilities. Building on its success in the fight against sugar, last July, with Malhotra's help, the hospital launched a "70 day sugar-free challenge to mark the 70th anniversary of the [British National Health Service, or] NHS."
The results? Weight loss and more wellbeing:
More than 100 healthcare professionals and members of the public have fed back their results, which reveal an average of 4-10kg weight loss over the 70 days, and dozens of testimonials of an improved sense of wellbeing.
At Diet Doctor, our long-term goal is to empower people everywhere to revolutionize their health. This experiment in Tameside is the sort of grassroots change we are hoping will help get out the word and reverse the current trends toward more and more obesity, diabetes and other chronic illnesses.
Can you start a sugar-free or low-carb challenge in your community - big or small? Why not take matters into your own hands and make a difference!
The Guardian: What can the town that gave up sugar teach us about diabetes and obesity?