Back in February I wrote about a Times article which quoted weight loss advice offered by a few professionals in the field. I took exception to one of the experts:
Hala El-Shafie says: Diets set you up to fail; they should be banned. Eat small amounts of the right food. Eat regularly and well. Get moving: exercise helps. Think about why you eat. Accept your body shape and who you are; size 8 (4 US) jeans will not necessarily make you happy.
Essentially I thought what she was calling “not dieting” was, for most people, a diet. Other than that, I absolutely agree with all of the above.
Recently, someone who has used and benefitted from her services commented that I was being unfair. If you’ve got this far, you might as well read the whole thing.
It all sounded good until Jenniferjelly posted another (nice) comment with a link to the the clinic. A quick look at the site seems to say that it’s all about bariatric surgery. What?
Learning to eat smaller portions? Yes!
Because my stomach is itself a tiny portion of what it was? Um, No!
The sad thing is that I think Hala El-Shafie probably really does help people like me deal with food issues but her website is almost all about bariatric surgery. Sheesh. I feel like I’ve been used for advertising something I don’t like.
Anyway – I’ll keep the comments at least until we see how the “nutrition rocks” website pans out. It could be great. It could be a further ploy to sell the services of an expensive private bariatric surgery clinic.
(And I DO know that bariatric surgery is the final life-saving answer for some. I also know that plastic surgery is life-saving and life-giving for those who have been disfigured but I don’t approve of marketing it to the general public so they can have bigger breasts.)
Looking forward to seeing if this turns out to be positive or negative in the end.
Dear Millie,
Hello! Hala El-Shafie here… I interestingly came across your blog, and comments and wow what an eye opener…
Well your synicism is really refreshing as well as vitally important so I am very pleased I fell upon your blogg …
As a specialist bariatric dietitian this is one of my specialist areas and I support people both pre and post surgery. I am independant and not attached to any huge provider . I am really passionate about my patients needs and ensuring they get the best treatment and care in an independant well informed environment. Bariatrics is my specialty but I also support patients that have not had bariatric surgery ie patients/clients that have emotional issues around food and may need support with weight management in a holistic and supportive manner. Each client is supported on an individual basis according to their specific needs.
I welcome your comments as firstly it’s made me realise I need to update my website and 2ndly also gives me confidence to walk confidently knowing that all the factors you are concerned about I cover in my practice…keep your comments coming as they are refreshing and also valuable…
Nutrition Rocks is an entirely different venture and aims to be a fun and positive way of educating, informing people around eating well and supporting a great body image!
Best wishes
Hala El-Shafie BSc Hons RD
Thanks Hala. I suspect we agree on a lot and I’m glad you understood my concerns. I look forward to seeing the Nutrition Rocks site. Will you let me know when it’s up and running?
Dear Millie
Absolutely – it will be launching on June 21st and the basis of the site is to promote positive body image and great nutrition !
Any constructive feedback is always very welcome, we want to make this free resource as brilliant and interactive as possible…
very best wishes
Hala