Onverzadigde vetten zijn in Nederland zo langzamerhand weer uit de ban. Onder voedings- en medische wetenschappers in het buitenland is ook verzadigd vet zo langzamerhand weer geaccepteerd. Ook in Nederland (ssshhhhht, want het mag nog niet hardop gezegd worden) is verzadigd vet onder vooroplopende wetenschappers zo langzamerhand weer uit het verdomhoekje aan het komen. Dan mogen we tenminste weer een lekkere salade met uitgebakken spekjes eten: veel groen en wat lekker vet. Dat is heel wat anders dan alleen maar vet eten.

In Engeland schoot een informerende sluikreclame site voor volwassen de bekend pro-vet arts Malcolm Kendrick in het verkeerde keelgat.

Van een wederzijds bevriende relatie uit de UK, kreeg ik onderstaande brief die Kendrick eind vorige week stuurde aan de Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), zeg maar de Britse Reclame Code Commisie. Of die inhoudelijk verstand van zaken heeft of zich daarover een mening durft aan te meten is de vraag. Ze zullen beroep moeten doen op expertise die tegen wat het publiek is geleerd te denken ingaat.

Om een iets breder Nederlands publiek alvast voor te bereiden op de rehabilitatie van verzadigd vet en de op angst gebaseerde reclametaktieken van een grote Nederlands-Britse margarinemaker neem ik de tekst hier over. Kendrick belooft dat hij steeds harder op de trom zal gaan slaan over de Verzadigd Vet Navigator die door het bedrijf wordt gesponsord om o.m. de verkopen van Flora (de Britse merkvariant van onze Becel) in de benen te houden. In de margarinemarkt zit nl. al tijden geen groei meer.

I have complained about satfatnav.com and the You Tube video Sat Fat nation supported by Unilever. I think it is best to complain individually (the form only allows this anyway). This is what I wrote. I see this as an opening salvo.

I am writing to complain about a website, and linked Youtube video sponsored by Unilever, in support of Flora margarine. The website is www.satfatna.com the linked YouTube is Sat Fat Nation.

The YouTube video states that saturated fat consumption is the cause of narrow arteries (atherosclerosis) . It focuses on a triple artery bypass and makes the following statement. ‘The condition has been caused by a diet thatis high in saturated fat.’ The patient’s heart is described as having a ‘layer of blubber.’ ‘This is a direct result of excessive saturated fat consumption.’ The implications is that the primary cause of heart disease is saturated fat consumption, and this ‘scare’ tactic is used to promote Flora, and other Unilever ‘low saturated fat’ products. I believe this to be misleading, and factually untrue, and I would strongly ask the Advertising Standards Authority to remove the offending information and apologise for using scare tactics in this way.

Whilst the connection between saturated fat and heart disease is well established in the popularmedia, the scientific facts do not support anyone making a claim that heart disease is ‘caused by a diet that is high in saturated fat.’

A meta-analysis of all clinical studies into the impact of reducing saturated fat found that:

Despite decades of effort and many thousands of people randomised, there is still only limited and inconclusive evidence of the effects of modification of total, saturated, monounsaturated, or polyunsaturated fats on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. (BMJ 2001;322:757- 763)

This was followed by a major study in Sweden, the ‘Malmo Study.’ This was done on 30,000 people over six years. The key findings were that:

‘Saturated fat showed no relationship with cardiovascular disease in men. In women, cardiovascular mortality showed a downward trend with increased saturated fat intake.’ (J Intern Med, August 2005:252(2) 153-65)

After this we have had the very large Women’s Health Intervention study on 48,835 women which lasted 8 years and reported in 2006. In this study, on the intervention arm, saturated fat consumption was reduced by 25%. There was no effect on CHD or stroke, or total mortality, or any form of cancer (Pubmed 16467234).

Furthermore a major international medical study INTERHEART looked at risk factors for heart disease in 262 centres in 52 countries around the world.

Nine risk factors were identified for heart disease.
Dyslipidaemia, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, abdominal obesity, psychosocial stress, consumption of vegetables and fruit, exercise and alcohol intake. Nowhere was saturated fat consumption found to be a risk factor. It was not even mentioned as a minor risk factor.

The conclusions of the largest ever interventional study on saturated fat consumption and heart disease [28 medical centres, 361,662 men, saturated fat consumption reduced 28%] ‘The overall results do not show a beneficial effect on coronary heart disease or total mortality from this multifactor intervention.’ (Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial. JAMA . 1982; 248: 1465.)

The fact is that the evidence linking saturated fat consumption to heart disease is, at best, extremely weak. At worst, there is a negative association between saturated fat consumption and heart disease.
For Unilever to support a message that saturated fat is ‘the cause’ of heart disease is scientifically unsupported, uses fear tactics to promote consumption of its product, and I would ask that the ASA looks at the website and linked YouTube video.



Hieronder het door Kendrick gewraakte filmpje met 'vetblubber' rond het hart:


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