On a serious note though, it angers and frustrates me that frauds such as her get such acclaim and, dare I say it, respect from the naive and ignorant public (and media); making millions from manufacturing “facts”. I have to admit that until reading your article I didn’t realise how bad she really was (I can’t stand watching her programs as it is!). It appears that those who shout the loudest get the most recognition.

I cannot resist telling you a short story on behalf of a friend I met up with last weekend…

Every year, him and a group of others meet up for a themed house party in the country.
The theme 2 years ago was “Baddies”.
Most people at the party were dressed up as comic hero nasties, Clockwork Orange, horror film baddies etc.

My friend (a 6 foot, dark haired, bearded male) dressed up as Dr Gillian Mckeith PhD.
I thought it was perfect!

I disagree with the negative slant towards Clayton College of Natural Health.

But I agree that there is a lot of quackery going on the natural health industry.

But I wish to split one microscopic hair concerning this article. Ben points out that chlorophyll won’t make oxygen in your gut and even if you stuck a flashlight up there and made some, you wouldn’t adsorb it, as you don’t have gills up there. He then goes on to say that even fish don’t have gills up there.

Truly pathetic of me to say this, but quite a few fish, particularly those that live in oxygen poor environments, will swallow air, and extract oxygen from it as it passes through their gut. Some of the South American armoured catfish, including some of the genus Ancistrus, are an example of this. So, some fish do, in a small way, have gills up their arses.

How long does this stuff stay in date? I wondered, as it’s 20 months since Ms McK agreed to drop the title “Dr”.

But would you believe it, on her very own site there’s also a bunch of clearly labelled “Dr Gillian McKeith” supplements:
http://www.gillianmckeith.info/gillianmckeithshop/gillianmckeithproducts/gillianmckeithsupplements.php

And come to think of it, funny how googling “Dr Gillian McKeith” brings up her Dr-less website, right up the top of the first page. Even though Google is usually so picky about a wrong title if it’s not embedded somewhere in the site ….

Perhaps it will make a good story alongside a Page 3 stunna?

K

from:

http://www.drgillianmckeith.com/publications-uhpb.php

we still find:

Dr Gillian McKeith’s Ultimate Health Plan is your bible to healthy eating, the only health plan you’ll ever need.

I must have a look to see just how many holes there are in the ASA’s voluntary code of advertising.

(Point 2) To Skeptyk for Feb 18th post: Your last paragraph concerning Caitlin’s post:
Ref the “burnt fingers and not met for centuries/lighting bonfires” jibe from Caitlin: tch tch Skeptyk, you must have been tired there. Regard the lady’s “handle”. Methinks she was ever such a little bit p****ed off with your previous spot on comments: she was hinting at you being a witch-burner in a previous life. Call me cynical (or a taxi if you wish, to quote the old joke) but looking at her replies to other posters I see just a little bit of manipulation/flattery applied from time to time too.

Her success shows that if you are bossy, brazen, pushy, ambitious, shameless, tough, ruthless and arrogant enough, and you have nice hair and teeth and speak confidently on TV, and you are prepared to promote yourself very aggressively and snarl about lawsuits if anyone questions you, you will succeed no matter what. You will be feted by some, will attract a following and become wealthy.

Let’s not bother trying to “understand” her ideas on acidosis or chlorophyll, people – we all know that these statements are like students’ exam howlers; she just doesn’t understand the biochemistry and physiology.

Let’s all keep writing – I’m appalled to see how she has bullied people into taking down comments made about her, so let’s step it up – she can’t sue us all, and certainly won’t be successful suing people who write true statements. Her CV is very suspect indeed but if genuine, she could easily have corrected any “misunderstandings”, which would have stopped us all commenting; she knows the best tactic is to prevent too much delving into her education and experience (or Mr Clifford does).
Hopefully she won’t get away with it for much longer.
Ben is right, “Channel 4, which bent over backwards to dress her up in the cloak of scientific authority, should be ashamed of itself.”

A few websearches aren’t helping. I’m particularly fond of http://www.nutritionaltherapy.co.uk/ which says in response to “What’s the difference between a nutritional therapist and a dietician?” that “A nutritional therapist uses lots of research from peer reviewed sources. A dietician uses research based on scientific evidence.”

On her mckeithinteractive.com website ( Where she is still Dr, btw) the personal profile offered at a bargain £34.99 purports to give a personal analysis of which Foods, Vitamins, Minerals, Superfoods, Herbs and Spices the individuals body ‘needs’, based on a ‘health factor status’ These factors include Blood Sugar, Thyroid, and ‘male hormones’, and ‘heart and circulation’.

Now as any diabetic will tell you testing blood sugar levels involves shedding blood. Not answering asinine questions on a website.

As i can’t really be @rsed, i’m not sure what actual questions the 30-40 minute questionnaire does ask: but i’ll bet a pound to a peanut, that they won’t bear any relation to real blood sugar, endocrinology, or exercise physiology tests that they purport to. Being as they are on a website, and do not involve a lab, needle or complicated exercise equipment.

I appeal for someone with £34.95 to and time to invest, to take the test, wait for the personal results ‘book’ and then call trading standards!!

Andrew.

Any of you slim & svelte scientists fancy shoving a pillow up your jumper and joining in ? If we could get one of us in each episode ………

Nice one. How about, “Drats! You’ve seen through my cunning disguise!”

This section is par for the course with holistic nutrition. However, I have always felt wary of the “healing crisis” notion. Is it really true that feeling ill is an effect of “de-toxification”? Symptoms like headaches and the runs don’t sound like a “healing crisis” to me, more like withdrawal or irritation caused by taking dietary change to extremes or too fast for the body to adapt. (Similar symptoms occur when people stop drinking coffee all at once, but not if they cut down gradually over a week or so.) Isn’t it more likely that this “healing crisis” could be avoided by introducing dietary changes more gradually? If so, doesn’t this suggest that McKeith’s approach, and similar radical diet change, is known to potentially make people feel unecessarily ill?

>> b) I’m suffering from headaches – is this normal?
Most people feel exceedingly well after just a few days or weeks on the Dr Gillian Lifestyle Plan. But Gillian does talk about the possibility of a ‘healing crisis’ experienced by a few patients. If there is a drastic change made quickly to the patient’s lifestyle, it is not unexpected that certain unpleasant changes may take place, especially if the patient was suffering from toxicities. Headaches, spots, pimples, skin rashes, itching, lots of pooh or the runs just to name a few, are ways that the body may expel or deal with unwanted matter. These unpleasant symptoms need not be feared; just notice them. Unpleasant symptoms are rare and should not continue for more than a few days or a week or so. Thereafter, the patient should experience improved and enhanced health and vibrancy. Nonetheless, always consult with your medical doctor or GP before embarking upon any nutritional programme and especially if you are experiencing any unpleasant symptoms.

http://www.drgillianmckeith.com/about-faqnutrition.php