News reports today state that Dawn Page, 52, suffered an epileptic fit after following the Amazing Hydration Diet on the advice of her nutritionist. She was told to drink large amounts of water daily and to reduce her salt intake, but soon began vomiting uncontrollably and was admitted to hospital. Mrs Page has been forced to give up her job and suffers from a defect which affects her memory, concentration and speech, and has been awarded a £810,000 payout at the High Court.
Mrs Page’s nutritionist denies any fault and the High Court settlement was made without mention of any liability. Yet the papers are warning against detox diets and following the case, the British Dietetic Association (BDA) urged people wanting nutrition advice to only visit professionals registered with the Health Professions Council.
I feel the reporting of the case is an act of sensationalism and I agree with Virginia Harry (FdSc DipION) from Nutriteach.co.uk, who commented “We don’t know why Mrs. Page consulted a nutritional therapist. We don’t know what other advice she was given and whether or not she was following it. We don’t know anything apart from the fact that she was recommended to drink 4 pints of water a day and cut down (not cut out) her salt intake. Whilst we are all bio-individually unique, that’s hardly radical, is it? I drink 4 pints of water a day and eat very little salt. Some diets recommend eating nothing but cabbage soup or for a fortnight, which would be potentially more dangerous.”
“Unfortunately, in every profession, there are competent practitioners and incompetent practitioners, whether they have a raft of qualifications or not. Recently, Jan Stanek, TV’s “Ten Years Younger” cosmetic surgeon agreed to a six-figure compensation payout to a face lift patient who claims she suffered a devastating stroke whilst under his knife.”
“The British Dietetic Association is, of course, recommending that people only seek nutrition advice from professionals registered with the Health Professions Council. That would exclude the many highly trained and skilled nutritional therapists coming out of colleges such as The Institute of Optimum Nutrition (ION), and registered with BANT (British Association for Nutritional Therapy) and, shortly, the NTC (Natural Therapies Council). In order to remain registered with these governing bodies, detailed case notes have to be taken and maintained, and many hours of continuing professional development are required.
There is a tendency for some people, when they consult an “expert”, to give their power and responsibility away. Whenever we purchase a service from another person - be that nutritional advice, cosmetic surgery, or central heating, we must always bear in mind “caveat emptor” - buyer beware.” Virginia Harry (FdSc DipION) from Nutriteach.co.uk
Ultimately, the person controlling what you eat or drink is yourself and although many people seek dietary advice, I feel it is your own responsibility to decide what you do or don’t put into your body.
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