A Tasmanian surgeon who was told by the nation’s medical watchdog to stop giving specific nutritional advice is one of several cases that prompted a Senate committee to call for an inquiry into the agency.
Gary Fettke is an orthopaedic surgeon and an advocate of a low carbohydrate diet.
He said he became passionate about nutrition after amputating limbs of diabetic patients whose diets were a big part of the problem.
“What I’ve been advocating for some years is cutting sugar down, particularly all the refined sugars in the diet,” he said.
“Over time that’s evolved, and it’s evolved to what I call low carb, healthy fat.
“It’s just eating lots of vegetables, pasture-fed meat and the right amount of oil in the form of things like nuts, avocado, cheese, olive oil and fish.”
One of his patients, Julian Robinson, who had to have his leg amputated because of complications from diabetes, said the diet changed his life for the better.
“He virtually said to me, ‘You need to change your diet and your lifestyle or you’ll die,'” Mr Robinson said.
“I cut out of my diet most of the carbohydrates, which was hard because I like biscuits so much, and increased my protein. I eat a lot more meat and eggs.”
A recent study by the CSIRO has found a low carbohydrate diet had better outcomes for diabetics.