The British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) offers journalists and broadcast media access to science-based nutrition information and comments on current nutrition issues. During office hours (9am – 3pm, Monday to Friday) our communications manager, an MSc Registered Nutritional Therapy Practitioner will be available via email to provide expert comments, quotes and analysis, discuss story ideas, and deal with enquiries regarding press, TV or radio interviews, and can refer enquiries to the relevant expert within the field.
BANT hosts an open-access Nutrition Evidence Database (NED) providing healthcare professionals and journalists the latest nutrition research. Our scientific editorial board and expert reviewers are all available for comment, alongside over 3500 BANT Nutrition Practitioners throughout the UK.
Membership renewals are open from 01-31 January 2026 Existing members can now renew their membership for 2026. Not a BANT member? For all membership enquiries, including nutritional therapy, student and associate – contact [email protected] #Nutrition #Lifestylemedicine #Membership...
What happens when the GLP-1 medications wear off? Few other drugs have hit the market with the speed and ferocity of the GLP-1 weight loss medications. The rapid increase in users has led to an estimated 1.5 to 1.6 million people in the UK using either Wegovy (semaglutide) or Mounjaro (tirzepatide) for weight management, with 95% accessing them privately (1). This last point is cause for great concern. With so many people accessing these medications privately there is no governance for safe dosing or the necessary wraparound care and support needed to ensure patient safety. The remaining......
WISHING OUR MEMBERS A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS As we wrap up what has been an exceptionally busy year for BANT, we wanted to extend our thanks to all members, friends and supporters and wish you all a very Merry Christmas and festive season. Our offices will be closed from today, Thursday 18th Dec till Monday 5th January as our team enjoy a digital detox and some lifestyle medicine with their loved ones. It has been a wonderful year of growth and connection within our networks, at BANT events, and attending......
The publication of the UK Government’s new 10-year health plan was trailed as an ambitious roadmap towards prevention, innovation, and a digitally enabled NHS. Yet despite some strong recommendations, the strategy falls strikingly short of the promises it purports to deliver, particularly when it comes to prevention; tackling obesity, improving chronic disease outcomes, and strengthening the public health workforce. The marginalisation of qualified nutrition practitioners and the absence of robust, food-first strategies creates a glaring hole in this plan. Without them, the promise of prevention is not just weakened, it......
BANT welcomes Secretary of State for Health and Social Care of the United Kingdom, Wes Streeting’s intention to tackle the obesity epidemic in the UK. BANT has been consistent in its call for an effective obesity strategy, and as robust in its criticism of the 14 government-led strategies and 680 policies that have failed since 1992. The proposed ‘Healthy Food Standards’ appears to build upon many of the recommendations from Henry Dimbleby’s 2021 National Food Strategy, commissioned but disappointingly not implemented by Boris Johnson’s cabinet. The white paper from which......
Good nutrition is defined by a consistent focus on health nutrition. This approach supports how your body performs, recovers, and maintains balance over time. It’s one of the most effective ways to support your long-term health, energy, and resilience. The choices you make around food have a direct impact on how your body functions, how well you recover from illness, and how you feel daily. You might be doing your best by cutting down on sugar, cooking at home, or skipping late-night snacks, but still not feel your best. That’s......
Many people hear the term “nutritional therapist” and think it simply refers to someone who tells you what to eat. They’re trained to consider how your body responds to food, stress, and daily habits in a way that’s specific to you. But the role of nutritional therapists goes far beyond meal plans and diet advice. If you’ve been curious about working with a nutritional therapist or you’re trying to understand how they differ from other types of nutrition professionals, this guide will help clarify what they do and why their......
In recent years, more people have started exploring how nutrition connects with health and performance. For some, that curiosity deepens into a desire to learn more or seek out formal nutrition training. But what does that training involve? And who benefits from it? The truth is, not everyone who’s interested in nutrition needs formal training. What many people need is access to qualified, evidence-based guidance, something delivered through working with a Registered Nutritional Therapist. Rather than everyone pursuing education, there’s increasing need for skilled professionals who are already trained and......
You’ve cut out certain foods. You’ve tried supplements. You’ve followed advice from blogs, friends, or social media but nothing’s really changed. Your energy’s still low. Your digestion still feels off. And you still feel unsure what your body needs. A nutritional consultation offers a different approach. It starts with you: your health history, your lifestyle, your goals. Instead of ambiguous tips, you’ll get a tailored plan built to deliver results you can sustain, based on current nutrition science. What to Expect from a Nutritional Consultation A nutritional consultation is your......
Tried every diet but still feel tired, bloated, or unsure what’s working? Struggling to figure out which advice to trust? Many people are caught between conflicting health trends and one-size-fits-all plans that don’t reflect their real-life needs. When you hear the term “food nutritionist,” you might think of someone who tells you what to eat or what to avoid. But many food nutritionists, particularly those with recognised training and professional registration, do far more than offer general food advice. They assess your overall health and develop personalised strategies to support......
Yet another punch to the gut as the Government announces a delay to rules that would ban unhealthy food advertising before 9pm, showing the full force of corporate lobbying. In the same week that news broke of the Government withdrawing recommendations to food manufacturers and retailers to promote ‘minimally processed’ and ‘nutritious foods’, BANT is further dismayed to see attempts to tackle childhood obesity derailed by the industry. The restrictions due to come into effect in October 2024, were to cover adverts promoting high fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) products.......
Tried every diet but still feel tired, bloated, or unsure what’s working? Struggling to figure out which advice to trust? Many people find themselves overwhelmed by conflicting health advice and generalised plans that don’t take their unique needs into account. When you hear the term “nutritional therapist,” you might think of someone who tells you what to eat or what to avoid. But many nutritional therapists, particularly those with recognised training and professional registration, do far more than offer general food advice. They assess your overall health and develop personalised......
…in the face of spiralling obesity rates and costly anti-obesity medications. BANT is dismayed to read the government withdrew recommendations to food manufacturers and retailers to promote ‘minimally processed’ and ‘nutritious foods’ in the face of lobbying from global food companies as reported in The Guardian BANT has repeatedly called for measures to act against the drivers of obesity and restrict ultra-processed foods and drinks (UPFDs), in a collective effort to create a food environment for good health. BANT’s agenda to ‘reclaim the UK’s health’, as laid out in our......
Ever followed a diet plan exactly only to feel worse, see no results, or feel lost when it ends? You’re not alone. Generic diets often fail to reflect your body’s real needs. Increasingly, evidence shows that personalised nutrition delivers better outcomes by recognising the complex, individual nature of human health. Rather than prescribing one-size-fits-all plans, personalised nutrition considers your genetics, metabolism, microbiome, health history, lifestyle, and environment. This approach is more likely to support sustainable changes, long-term health improvements, and real behavioural shifts. Why Generic Diets Fall Short Public health......
Nutrition science plays a central role in delivering personalised, effective, and ethical healthcare. It underpins the practice of nutritional therapy, informing how professionals assess, understand, and support individuals to achieve meaningful outcomes in both symptom management and long-term health. When integrated with behaviour change strategies, nutrition science becomes a powerful tool for improving population health without widening health disparities. It enables targeted support that takes each person’s biology, environment, and lived experience into account. What Is Nutrition Science? Nutritional science is the study of how nutrients, foods, and dietary patterns......
Training hard but not seeing results? Struggling to recover after workouts, manage energy levels, or make sense of the endless nutrition advice online? You’re not alone. Many active people put time and effort into exercise but get stuck when their diet doesn’t support their goals. Maybe you’ve tried protein shakes, cutting carbs, or intermittent fasting, yet nothing consistently improves performance or recovery. That’s where a qualified sports nutritionist comes in. A sports nutritionist helps you understand what, when, and how to eat to fuel your training, reduce fatigue, reduce the......
Are you managing a chronic condition that never seems to improve, even with medication? Maybe you’ve been told to “eat better” or “get more rest,” but no one has helped you understand how or why. If you’re looking for a more structured, sustainable way to take control of your health, lifestyle medicine could be the missing piece. Lifestyle medicine is an evidence-based, multidisciplinary approach to preventing, managing, and sometimes even reversing chronic diseases by addressing their root causes. It focuses on six core areas: nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management,......
Have you been dealing with ongoing symptoms and feel like no one’s joining the dots? Maybe you’ve tried diets, supplements, or read endless articles online, yet nothing seems to stick. If this sounds familiar, you might be wondering what nutritional therapists do and how they could help. With growing public interest in functional medicine and personalised care, nutritional therapy is becoming more visible. But there’s still confusion about the role, who is qualified, and how it differs from general nutrition advice. This article breaks it down clearly and simply. Nutritional......
More people are recognising how diet and lifestyle influence long-term health and they’re looking for credible, personalised support to help them make lasting changes. With this rising interest, many individuals are searching for qualified practitioners who can offer reliable, science-led advice tailored to their unique needs. As a result, the need for well-trained Registered Nutritional Therapy Practitioners has never been more apparent. This guide is for anyone considering a career in nutrition or looking for qualified support to improve their health. If you’ve ever wondered how nutritional therapists gain their......
Insulin sensitivity plays a fundamental role in metabolic health, affecting how efficiently the body processes glucose for energy. When insulin sensitivity is reduced, the body requires more insulin to regulate blood sugar levels, increasing the risk of conditions such as type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and obesity. Fortunately, lifestyle and nutrition interventions can help improve insulin sensitivity and support long-term metabolic health. Registered Nutritional Therapy Practitioners, professionally supported by BANT, provide evidence-based strategies to optimise insulin function through personalised nutrition and lifestyle adjustments. Understanding Insulin Sensitivity Insulin is a hormone......
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a widespread digestive condition that can cause discomfort, disrupt daily life, and affect overall well-being. Symptoms such as bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and constipation often vary in severity and triggers. While conventional treatments may offer relief, lifestyle medicine takes a proactive, whole-body approach to managing IBS. Registered Nutritional Therapy Practitioners, in a PSA-accredited register and professionally supported by BANT, provide personalised guidance on diet, stress management, and daily habits to improve gut health and reduce flare-ups. Understanding IBS and Its Triggers IBS is a functional......
Athletes at all levels strive to enhance their performance, endurance, and recovery. While training is essential, sports nutrition plays a pivotal role in optimising results and avoiding injury. A sports nutritionist consultation with sports nutritionists, professionally supported by BANT, can help athletes develop a personalised nutrition strategy that aligns with their goals. Why Nutrition Matters in Athletic Performance Food is fuel, and without the right balance of nutrients, even the most disciplined training cannot deliver peak results. Carbohydrates provide the energy needed for endurance activities, while proteins support muscle repair......
Nutritional therapy offers more than a short-term diet or food plan. It is a science-led, personalised approach to health that considers your unique biology, lifestyle, and environment to support long-term well-being and prevent disease. For over 27 years, Registered Nutritional Therapy Practitioners have championed this approach, rooted in the principles of functional medicine and supported by the professional standards of BANT. But how exactly can nutritional therapy help you and how do you know you’re choosing the right practitioner? Let’s break it down. Why Nutritional Therapy Could Be Right for......
A nutritionist consultation can be a transformative experience, helping you understand how diet and lifestyle choices impact your health. However, not all nutrition professionals operate under the same framework. Registered Nutritional Therapy Practitioners in a PSA-accredited register, unlike general nutritionists, are highly trained professionals who apply a functional, science-based approach to personalised nutrition. They focus on addressing the root causes of health concerns rather than offering one-size-fits-all dietary advice. BANT serves as the professional body that supports and oversees high standards in nutritional therapy. If you’re considering your first nutritionist......
Anti-Obesity Medications Prepared by The British Society of Lifestyle Medicine (BSLM), The British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) and the College of Medicine and Integrated Health (CoM). March 2025. Executive Summary Call to Action We urge policy makers, health care leaders and regulatory bodies to ensure that anti-obesity medications (AOMs) are used safely, effectively and sustainably. We call for resources for policy and public health to be prioritised over medication-based approaches, which when used, must be supported by a Lifestyle Medicine wrap-around service to protect our most......
So why can’t patients access nutrition advice as an integrated part of NHS primary care? Health and care services are delivered by a mix of professions and practitioners working in different roles. Some of these roles are subject to statutory regulation while others are not. Practitioners can, however, voluntarily join a register and demonstrate their commitment to maintaining professional standards (1). What is less known is the politicking and professional slandering that goes on behind the scenes with regards to those health and care practitioners on voluntary registers. Despite choosing......
How a Nutritional Consultation Can Transform Your Health Journey Embarking on a path to better health can often feel overwhelming. With countless diets and wellness trends, it’s easy to lose sight of what truly works for your body. A nutritional consultation offers personalised guidance rooted in science, helping you navigate your unique health needs and achieve lasting change. What is a Nutritional Consultation? A nutritional consultation is a one-on-one meeting with a Registered Nutritional Therapist, designed to assess your dietary habits, lifestyle, and health goals. Unlike generic diet plans, this......
Struggling to break free from unhealthy eating patterns? Understanding the principles of nutrition science can empower you to make lasting changes. By leveraging evidence-based strategies, you can transform your relationship with food and adopt habits that support your long-term health and well-being. Bad Eating Habits Bad eating habits often develop gradually, influenced by factors such as stress, convenience, and emotional triggers. These habits can lead to a cycle of poor nutrition, weight gain, and decreased energy levels. Identifying the root causes of your eating behaviours is the first step towards......
How to Feel Energised and Beat Fatigue Through Your Diet Ever find yourself dragging through the day, desperately needing a boost to keep going? While getting enough sleep and managing stress are essential, what you eat plays a significant role in your energy levels. By focusing on health nutrition, you can tailor your diet to naturally enhance your vitality and overcome feelings of fatigue. Fatigue and Its Dietary Connections Fatigue can arise from various sources, including inadequate sleep, high stress levels, and underlying health conditions. However, one of the most......
7 Essential Skills You Gain from Professional Nutrition Training Helping individuals make informed dietary choices and addressing widespread health challenges through evidence-based nutritional strategies are at the core of effective nutritional practice. Professional nutrition training equips you with the expertise needed to excel in this field. Whether you are aiming to build a career as a Registered Nutritional Therapist or simply seeking to understand the principles behind sound dietary advice, the skills developed through this training are invaluable. Below are seven essential skills that illustrate the importance of professional nutrition......
How a BANT Membership Supports Your Success as a Nutritional Therapist For over 25 years, the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) has been at the forefront of supporting nutritional therapists in achieving professional excellence and advancing the field of nutritional therapy. As the leading professional body for Registered Nutritional Therapy Practitioners, BANT offers an invaluable network, unparalleled resources, and a steadfast commitment to promoting the highest standards of education, ethics, and practice in personalised nutrition and lifestyle medicine. If you’re a nutritional therapist or aspiring to join......
How BANT Supports and Elevates Nutritional Therapy Professionals For Nutritional Therapists seeking to advance their careers and deliver the highest standard of care, membership with the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) offers a pathway to professional excellence. Recognised as the leading professional organisation for Registered Nutritional Therapy Practitioners, BANT has been at the forefront of the field since its establishment in 1997, continually evolving to reflect the growing scope and impact of nutritional therapy. Today, BANT serves as both a professional body for Registered Nutritional Therapists and......
Why Working with a Nutritional Therapist Could Change Your Life Good nutrition lies at the heart of optimal health and wellbeing. However, navigating the complexities of modern diets, conflicting health advice, and unique individual needs can be daunting. This is where working with a professional, such as a Nutritional Therapist, can make all the difference. By providing tailored guidance and support, these experts empower clients to achieve transformative and lasting health benefits. Whether you are an individual striving to improve your lifestyle or a professional considering collaboration, the expertise of......
We close this year with issue 5 of the BANT NED Journal focused on Sports Nutrition and Performance New for this edition is an applied research article from the NED Editor-in-Chief Professor Justin Roberts and the founder of The Centre for Integrative Sports Nutrition Ian Craig. Using a case study to bring things alive, Justin and Ian walk through the research and reflections required to work with sportsmen and women from an integrative perspective. We then have a series of Expert Reviews on newly released science, which provide summary overviews......
How Lifestyle Medicine Supports Long-Term Health Lifestyle medicine is transforming the way we think about health and wellbeing. By focusing on evidence-based, personalised approaches, it empowers individuals to prevent, manage, and even reverse chronic conditions. At its core, lifestyle medicine aligns seamlessly with the principles of nutritional therapy and BANT’s network approach, offering a powerful framework for long-term health. This discipline goes beyond treating symptoms it works to address the underlying causes of illness through sustainable changes in diet, activity levels, sleep, and mental wellbeing. For Nutritional Therapists, lifestyle medicine......
Extend the Dietetics register to include Registered Nutritional Therapy Practitioners. The British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) has submitted its response to the Labour government’s NHS 10-Year Health Plan unanimously calling for an extension to the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) register to include Registered Nutritional Therapy Practitioners. This singular regulatory change would augment the NHS workforce and get straight to the issue of tackling chronic disease through prevention-led care, thus relieving the strain on NHS resources and instantly increasing General Practitioner capacity to address GP wait......
What is Nutritional Therapy and How Can it Benefit Your Health? For many, understanding the intricate relationship between nutrition and personal health can be overwhelming. This is where nutritional therapy steps in—a science-based, personalised approach to improving health, addressing symptoms, and promoting peak performance. Rooted in the latest advancements in nutritional science, genetic research, and epigenetics, nutritional therapy offers tailored recommendations to individuals. Whether you are navigating a health concern, aiming to optimise performance, or seeking preventative care, this therapeutic approach can be suitable for everyone. What is Nutritional Therapy?......
BANT is back at the Ihcan Summit at 155 Bishopsgate, London 16 November 2024 for the CPD accredited event that is a ‘must-attend’ for registered nutritional therapists, integrative health practitioners and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) professionals. Tickets at https://www.ihcansummit.co.uk/book/ Use promo code ‘BANT’ for £20 off the ticket price (£75 reduced from £95) Speakers – Saturday 16 November 2024 Dr David Unwin Dr David Unwin, MD, is an award-winning GP known for pioneering the low-carb approach in the UK. Through the years, Dr Unwin has been highly recognised for......
Weight loss jabs to help jobless living with obesity return to work but let’s not forget healthy living. BANT supports Health Secretary, Wes Streeting when he says, “people need to take “healthy living more seriously”. New plans to tackle obesity with a real-world trial of weight-loss injections impact on worklessness have been revealed, with the goal to get people back in employment and ease the financial burden on the health service. Whilst BANT remains cautious about the ethical and financial considerations to such an approach, we agree with Streeting that......
BANT is back at MLS: Medical Longevity Summit at Excel London 10-11 October 2024 where you can find us on pod H91b The Medical Longevity Summit returns to CCR as a dedicated event for healthcare practitioners to promote healthier, longer lives for patients. An area of keen interest for both aesthetic practitioners and patients alike, the Summit will explore evidence-based holistic care and wellness and how these treatments can enhance the offering of aesthetic clinics. Expect a dedicated space with brands and a theatre exploring functional, integrative, regenerative, and lifestyle......
BANT is back at the Nutritional Medicine Institute Summit at The Millennium Gloucester Hotel London 11-12 October 2024. NMI Summit 2024 An Energetic View: Mitochondrial Nutrition for Fatigue, the Brain, and Healthy Ageing provides insights into advances in nutritional medicine that can improve mitochondrial function, energy production, and health outcomes in a highly personalised way. Topics include: – Mitochondrial function in health and medicine – Fatigue, fatigue syndromes, and long covid – Brain energy metabolism, mental illness, and cognitive decline – #Healthyageing and prevention of age-related #chronicdisease – Clinical......
BANT is back at Best Practice – Birmingham NEC 09-10 October 2024 Returning for it’s eleventh annual edition, Best Practice Birmingham continues to grow and serve the UK’s #generalpractice and #primarycare communities and with a long-establish history is the undisputed number one event for the sector. https://www.bestpracticeshow.co.uk/ BANT will be there representing the Nutritional Therapy Profession and promoting BANT Practitioners, as both registrants of the CNHC and PSA-accredited voluntary register to whom GP’s and Primary Care providers can refer patient to for nutritional support. If you want to understand more......
In the UK around 1 in 4 adults are obese. The latest ebook by Independence Educational Publishers (Vol. 436 Obesity ISBN: 978 1 86168 896 5) explores the problem with obesity, what causes obesity, how it can affect your health, and how to maintain a healthy weight. The Issues series explores contemporary social issues in a format that is accessible to all levels, aimed primarily at the 11 – 18+ age group. The books are used in a wide variety of courses including GCSE, A-level and Further Education, as well......
The recently published Labour-commissioned Lord Darzi report claimed the NHS must ‘reform or die’. Like Darzi, BANT believes the ‘NHS must reform’. Chronic disease results in patients requiring years of care at spiralling costs to the NHS. Of the £280.7 billion allocated to healthcare expenditure annually, £58 billion is spent on treating obesity related ill health alone (1,2). Over 50% of GP visits are now from patients living with metabolic disorders such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer – all of which require a dietary component to optimise treatment......
BANT invites you to shape the future of medical aesthetics at CCR 2024, taking place on 10 & 11 October at London’s ExCeL. Register for free – ccrlondon.com Brought to you by Aesthetics, CCR features world-class educational programmes, unparalleled networking opportunities, and the speciality’s most respected brands. It is the perfect place to explore innovative solutions, learn from expert medical practitioners and share best practice with peers. Secure your FREE pass today to join 3,800 passionate practitioners for a two-day learning experience that will enhance your skills and aesthetics career. BANT will be exhibiting on Stand H91b and presenting at The Medical Longevity Summit which returns to......
BANT welcomes the Labour Government and urges the new Health Secretary to deliver on his pledge for prevention focused healthcare The British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) has responded to the new Labour Government: BANT CEO Satu Jackson said: “We congratulate the Labour Party and new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, and look forward to working together under the new Government. BANT welcomes the opportunity to meet with the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting and his team to deliver on the Labour manifesto pledge to shift the health system focus towards......
BANT would like to congratulate Dawn Waldron and Justin Roberts who have been awarded BANT Fellowship and Breda Gajsek, BANT Honorary Fellowship, in recognition of their significant contribution to the nutritional therapy profession and the practise of nutritional therapy. For many years, they have been advocates of the profession, supporting and advancing integrative healthcare and the safe practice of nutrition and lifestyle medicine. For Dawn, a mid-life cancer diagnosis in 1997 prompted a radical career change. Dawn graduated from ION with distinction in 2004, then joined the ION academic team......
Time for a prevention-led model to rebuild the nation’s health ***Press release *** Monday 29th April 2024As UK voters prepare to go to the polls, BANT (British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine) is calling on all parties to place nutrition and preventative healthcare at the heart of their pledges to the UK population. BANT CEO, Satu Jackson states “The health of the nation is dire. The statistics don’t lie. We are the “sickest nation in Europe” in the most real sense. It is time to focus on prevention and......
The doom of dysbiosis: an imbalance of your gut microbiota We know by now that dietary habits can have a powerful impact on the composition of our microbiota. Sadly, the conventional Western-style diet that is so common the UK is overly processed and packed with sugar, salt, fat and additives which can reduce gut microbial diversity and lead to dysbiosis. [1][2] Dysbiosis simply indicates an imbalance and instability of the gut microbiota which can lead to a variety of adverse health problems. This can create a snowball effect, altering our......
A healthy gut microbiome is the secret to your wellbeing. Are you ready to design a menu that will lead you there? You might be wondering why nutritionists are obsessed with gut health. What is all the fuss about and why does gut health matter? Perhaps it is because virtually every health condition could be improved with a better gut microbiome. Most of us will jump to gastrointestinal diseases when drawing a link between our gut microbiome and health outcomes. But clinical trials have shown remarkable evidence of how diverse......
You’ve likely heard a lot of mention of the gut microbiome over the past couple of years in relation to health and disease. However, you may be less aware of the fact that we have multiple microbiomes which include the oral microbiome, skin microbiome, and in females, the vaginal microbiome. Together, the microorganisms which inhabit these microbiomes perform a host of functions which support both the local environment for example, the mouth in the case of the oral microbiome, as well as wider systemic health – meaning affecting the whole......
It has been a tumultuous time for UK health in the wake of the pandemic and continuing strikes within the NHS. As the new year kicks off with National Obesity Awareness Week 10-16th January, BANT asks what has happened to the government’s obesity strategy? And when will we get meaningful policy on ultra-processed foods to help tackle the worsening obesity epidemic? We need to get the basics right if we are to change the obesity trajectory and make meaningful improvements to metabolic health. This entails making healthy whole foods available......
We’re living longer but less healthily The British public live longer, yet unhealthier lives than previous generations. Many people in the UK will experience decades with serious chronic illness, much of which is preventable. While the ability of our NHS to sustain life is admirable, a long history of ineffective public health policy has created a toxic recipe for extremely long-term illness that will soon finish-off a health service already on its knees. The UK is officially on track to become the ‘most obese country in the EU’ by 2030......
How to avoid feeling floored by chronic stress! The feeling of stress is familiar and manifests itself in plentiful ways. We feel stress when we’re sandwiched between commuters at rush hour, trying desperately to calm a screaming toddler, or competing in a race. Stress plays a part in our daily existence and is a key component of our survival armour Initially, the stress response is adaptive and helps prepare our bodies to cope with an onslaught of stressors that are both internal (fears and anxiety, for example) and environmental (financial......
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) ministers have withdrawn their recommendation of 23rd of June 2023 to the Privy Council Office (PCO) that AfN Application for Royal Charter be granted, and the matter will be reconsidered in the light of BANT representations. AfN has not withdrawn its petition and BANT will be making a further submission to the PCO as part of this process. Please refer to our June 29th press release for further information (https://bant.org.uk/bant-takes-legal-action-against-department-of-health-and-association-for-nutrition-on-royal-charter/) BANT Council FIND US ON POLITICS HOME This article was published......
75 years of the NHS, yet still no provision for preventative diet and lifestyle support. As the National Health Service (NHS) celebrates its 75th anniversary, the nation has been reflecting on NHS accomplishments. A new report from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals Brits feel their general wellbeing has declined in recent years and only 53.9% of Brits are happy with the UK’s health system (1) Public opinion is clear – we all want to maintain the right to free health care at the point of delivery (2). However,......
In 2019 the Association for Nutrition (AfN) petitioned the Privy Council for a royal charter of incorporation claiming that it is the pre-eminent body in the field of nutrition, health and allied subjects. BANT made representations that the grant of a royal charter was not in the public interest and AfN did not meet the published criteria for such an award. Privy Council Advisors (Department of Health) have considered BANT’s objections and have nonetheless recommended that chartered status be granted. BANT is now seeking Judicial Review proceedings to challenge this......
Reducing obesity and metabolic disease depends on a return to real food and a culture of nutritious eating. Reading ingredient labels and avoiding marketing traps can empower us to make healthier choices. But can we escape the junk food cycle? More than 50% of foods consumed in the UK are ultra-processed according to research. These include packaged breads, breakfast cereals, reconstituted meat products, ready meals, confectionery, biscuits, cakes, pastries, industrial chips, soft drinks and fruit juices (1). Our current food climate is dominated by ultra-processed foods which fuel metabolic dysregulation......
Emerging evidence on the therapeutic power of plant foods Cancer and the many risk factors. Cancer is a complex disease with multifactorial triggers and multiple therapeutic pathways. It is precisely this complexity which has led to the emergence of greater individualisation in cancer prevention and cancer support, and the need for more integrated treatments to recognise individual diversity. Nutrition and lifestyle recommendations are steadily becoming part of the patient protocol with greater consideration given to the role they play alongside traditional treatments. Cancer is the leading cause of death in......
Recognition that non-sugar sweeteners are not healthy. BANT welcomes the new guidelines published 15th May by the World Health Organisation (WHO) (1) in which they recommend against the use of non-sugar sweeteners (NSS), also commonly referred to as non-nutritive sweeteners (artificial sweeteners and alternatives that contain zero or very low amounts of carbohydrates or energy). A 2022 article published by BANT, The truth about sugars and non-nutritive sweeteners, detailed the misconception that non-nutritive sweeteners are a ‘healthier’ alternative to sugar when they are in fact associated with the risk of......
Body weight, inactivity, and social deprivation amongst the contributing factors. Latest figures from Diabetes UK reveal that the number of people living with diabetes in the UK has topped 5 million for the first time (1). 90% of those with diagnosis have Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). More alarmingly is the rise in diagnoses in the under forty age group, highlighting the increasingly younger demographic of the disease. Speaking on the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme, Professor Partha Kar, National Specialty Advisor on Diabetes with NHS England and co-author......
Funding for prevention should reflect the scale of the problem The British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) welcomes the publication of the Hewitt review of integrated care systems, especially the recognition that only through prevention can we address the British health crisis. As the professional body for c.3,500 nutrition practitioners across the UK, BANT continues to highlight the importance of prevention over cure. While we welcome a 1% increase in funding for prevention, this is very little considering the growing scale of our public health crisis. While investment......
Junk food culture mean Brits eat more ultra-processed than real food. The British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) fully supports Henry Dimbleby’s move to step down from his role as government food advisor in protest at the lack of action against obesity and junk food culture. BANT has continually called on the government to improve, not remove its obesity strategy following the 2020 publication of Dimbleby’s National Food Strategy, and expressed dismay at DEFRA’s inadequate white paper response. Dimbleby’s resignation speaks volumes for where ‘obesity’ sits in the......
Why is everyone talking about Dementia? Dementia is a public health priority with a huge human and economic burden. 50 million people are living with dementia globally and 850,000 of those are in the UK (1). As the population grows it is predicted that by 2025 over one million people in the UK may have dementia and by 2050, 152 million people in the world will be living with dementia (1). Despite millions of pounds of investment in research, there is currently no cure for the disease. There is now......
Nutrition practitioners are a crucial addition to every Primary Care Network General Practitioners are the gate-keepers to primary healthcare. In the dawn of the NHS this model worked. You called the doctor, scheduled an in-person appointment, and your course of treatment was prescribed. We are now in a very different medical landscape. The demands of an increasingly sick population exceed the capacity of a shrinking pool of GPs to safely visit, assess, treat, and refer patients. Getting an appointment is a challenge, with waiting times typically weeks not days. To......
So much of female health is in the hands of your microbiota. The vaginal microbiome is a diverse community of microorganisms that live in the vagina. This unique ecosystem is a critical determinate of female health; mediating female reproductive health, protecting against infection, and facilitating the transfer and acquisition of microbiota to infants born vaginally. Multiple factors can influence the microbial composition of the vaginal microbiome, notably diet. The foods you eat can promote the growth of beneficial commensal bacterial or conversely trigger an overgrowth of more pathogenic species. Adopting......
We need to act now to stop eating our way into poor health and disease. The crisis and strikes affecting the NHS dominate headlines across the country, with our national health service facing the most challenging time in its history. Worsening working conditions and outrage over pay are driving a staffing emergency, yet the real problems run deeper. This has prompted the British Association of Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) to insist that the government wake up to the failings of decades of poor policy around the importance of nutrition......
From feeding your gut microbes to fuelling your mitochondria… Energy is the fundamental source by which we live our lives. We need it to wake up, get going and keep functioning throughout the day. In nutrition, it is one of the most frequently mentioned......
Going 100% ‘Plant-based’ doesn’t always mean ‘healthy’. Learn how to maximize your nutrient intake while taking steps towards a kinder and more sustainable existence Is adopting a vegan diet as nutritionally beneficial as claimed? Most of the global population follow an omnivorous diet, eating both plants and meat, however the balance between consumption of these foods has shifted to such an extreme, some say irrevocably, with devastating impact on health and planet. More and more individuals are now choosing a plant-rich or fully-vegan diet in response to climate, environmental, ethical......
Eating a broad and colourful array of plant foods isn’t just beneficial for our health, it’s delicious and exciting too! Scientists, clinical researchers and healthcare experts have long advocated the benefits of dietary diversity for our growth, development, immunity and overall wellbeing. Eating an assortment of plant foods is essential to achieving this dietary diversity and improving the ecosystem of our gut microbiome. Studies have shown the positive effects of a high intake of plant foods such as cruciferous vegetables, berries and dark leafy greens on chronic diseases, digestive health,......
BANT calls for action to reduce the consumption of ultra-processed junk foods, which underpin the worsening obesity epidemic in the UK, and renews calls for meaningful policy, not procrastination in response to government plans to scrap their obesity strategy. BANT has once again called for the Government to address the flaws in the current strategy targeting foods high in fat, salt, or sugar (HFSS). The plan, which failed to address the use of fructose and modified starches in ultra-processed foods, which are as detrimental as simple sugars, (3) is facing......
It is with deep sadness that we acknowledge the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history and a constant presence in our lives over the past seventy years. We are grateful for her extraordinary service to the nation over so many decades and the dignity, duty and service that the Queen demonstrated throughout her reign. Our thoughts and condolences are with The Royal Family at this time. ...
In a world where convenience, technology and delivery apps have taken over. Cookery shows first appeared in the UK in 1930’s and pretty soon it gave birth to the concept of celebrity chefs and competitive cooking shows. Our appetite for these shows is no less today with over 30 million viewers tuning in to the nation’s top 10 foodie TV shows every week and past surveys showing Brits now spend more time consuming “food media” than cooking food for themselves. Back in 2016 the Huffington Post revealed “The average adult......
We have reached a precipice in the battle to reduce obesity rates and combat the rise in diet-induced illness in the UK. Since 1992, 14 government-led strategies and 680 polices related to obesity have failed, including the current governments 2020 ‘Better Health’ campaign and NHS digital weight management services (1), the funding for which has incidentally now been pulled (2). The cliff-edge we are standing on is that of actively confronting the ‘modifiable causes’ for obesity, not least diet and the plethora of ultra-processed products being marketed by manufacturers....
In response to the BMJ article ‘Vitamin D intoxication and severe hypercalcaemia complicating nutritional supplements misuse’ BANT would like to draw attention to the inconsistencies in the purported title of the practitioner cited in the case report; referred to as a ‘private nutritionist’ by the author, changed to ‘nutritional therapist’ in the published BMJ press release (1), leading subsequent media reports to also use ‘nutritional therapist’. The distinction between the two is critical to the reputation of Registered Nutritional Therapy Practitioners, versus the ambiguous title ‘private nutritionist’. Only Registered Nutritional......
This non-strategy falls way short of delivering against health targets BANT is dismayed to see the dilution of the National Food Strategy (NFS) recommendations to such an extent that ‘health’ is no longer discernible amongst the strategic objectives. BANT submitted several key technical points to DEFRA regarding the recommendations to ‘Escape the Junk Food cycle’ as well as on social prescribing, and the blatant under-utilisation of existing practitioners who are well-placed to assist primary care providers in the field of nutrition and lifestyle. These considerations appear to have been side-stepped......
Food and mood rhyme for a reason as the two are intrinsically linked. What we eat directly correlates to how we feel. Ever felt wired after too much caffeine? Or jittery after too much sugary food? The intricate relationship between the human gut microbiome and the brain is now shedding light on just how much our diets impact our mental wellbeing. The word ‘diet’ has mistakenly become synonymous with weight loss and physical wellness but refer to its actual meaning it simply indicates “the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats”. These foods, as we now know, can influence both physical and mental health for better or for worse....
What is better than curling up under the covers, resting your head on a soft pillow and letting your body fall into a deep slumber? Sleep replenishes our cells, removes metabolic waste and toxins from our brains, and offers a chance to rest and conserve energy[1]. Research has shown that good quality sleep helps with learning and memory, boosts our immunity and can enhance our mental wellbeing[2]....
Setting the standard of excellence in science-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine The 14th of March 2022 marks a landmark anniversary for BANT as it celebrates 25 years as the leading professional organisation for practitioners of nutrition and lifestyle medicine. Founded in 1997 with a handful of members and the ambition to shape the future of personalised nutrition one person at a time. Fast-forward 25 years and BANT membership has swelled to over 3,300 members, composed of , composed of CNHC Registered Nutritional Therapy Practitioners and BANT Registered Nutritionists®. The profession......
Should we or should we not supplement hard training athletes with antioxidants, and in what form? Ian Craig, Registered Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and Founder of the Centre for Integrative Sports Nutrition, explores the evidence on dietary and supplementary antioxidants. The sales value of over-the-counter vitamins and minerals in Great Britain was over 431.5 million British pounds in 2019, an increase of 2.2% on the previous year (statistica.com). One key market for these dietary supplements is in athletes. Dietary supplements are widely used in the field of sports nutrition to support......
Let’s look at food waste differently, and eat our way to a healthy and sustainable future! 2021 was a year for bold statements when it came to climate change, food sustainability and global health targets. Interwoven amongst the many targets to address these issues is the often-overlooked issue of food waste. In the light of the COP26 agreement to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and the publication of the UK’s National Food Strategy (1) it is clear that climate change is at the forefront of policymakers’ minds. However,......
In July 2021 the publication of the UK’s National Food Strategy-The Plan shone the light once again on the ongoing costs of poor diets, defined as those high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) and the impact on population health and the NHS. One of the recommendations within the plan is the introduction of a sugar and salt reformulation tax prompting BANT to look at the current evidence once again on sugars and non-nutritive sweeteners. Excess dietary sugars have been associated with the development and sustained incidence of Metabolic Syndrome......
Who would have ever thought the words ‘happy’ and ‘menopause’ could go together? What was once considered a taboo subject has now ‘happily’ become a mainstream discussion for women, men, and indeed employers, the world over. Celebrated author and Registered Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Jackie Lynch, has an impressive list of female health and menopause credentials to her name with 3 leading titles: ‘The Right Bite’, ‘Va Va Voom – The 10 Day Energy Diet’ and her latest release ‘The Happy Menopause’, as well as her hugely popular podcast of the......
With the so-called curse of “Long-COVID” estimated to affect a third of people post-infection, the legacy of this virus is set to disrupt populations for years to come. It is still unclear as to why some people experience the virus more, or less, severely, and why prolonged symptoms linger in some but not in others. Inevitably there are still more questions than answers as the studies play catch-up with the reality of people living their lives blighted by persistent symptoms. Dubbed as ‘long-haulers’ these people are now seeking therapeutic strategies......
Addressing the rise in non-communicable disease, lifestyle choices and health inequalities The shift in prevalence from acute to chronic diseases is creating an unsustainable burden on healthcare systems. (1) Such diseases tend to be of longer duration, and there is a growing recognition that many of today’s chronic or non-communicable diseases are the result of complex and lifelong interactions between diet, environment, lifestyle, and genes. The majority are therefore, at least in part lifestyle-driven, and may be preventable or reduced through changes in modifiable risk factors. (2) Personalised Nutrition and......
BANT critically questions the strategy and merit of investing £100 million into the new NHS digital weight management program, launched 1st July 2021. This launch is the latest in a stream of government-led initiatives targeting obesity, following close on the heels of 2020’s Better Health campaign. Figures show that a staggering 63% of the British population is now classified as overweight or obese (1). Yet, as The Sunday Times journalist Isobel Thompson so eloquently put it in her recent feature article ‘Britain’s obesity crisis: how did we get so big’......
Nutrition and hydration are the pillars of a healthy diet and along with other lifestyle factors are at the centre of personalised nutrition and lifestyle medicine. The BANT Food for your Health campaign has a range of free resources available online to help you consider healthy switches to improve your diet to help you count nutrients & colours, not calories and to sip your way to better health and wellbeing. Hop over to our website for many more materials and to listen in to our BANT Registered Nutritionist podcast series......
BANT welcomes the British Journal of General Practice (BJGP) May 4th article on lifestyle medicine (1) and is encouraged by the acknowledgement of well-informed drivers validating this movement. “There are numerous drivers for lifestyle medicine. Our analysis does not aim to argue against the importance of these drivers as many of them are well informed”. Since its foundation in 1997, BANT, as a professional association, has been at the forefront of nutritional therapy (NT) and personalised nutrition in support of its nearly 3,500 members. This individualised approach to health and......
The time has come to recognise the folly of counting calories in favour of recognising the importance of food quality and nutrient diversity says BANT (British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine) in their new Food for your Health Campaign, launched 22nd February 2021. For too long, public health initiatives tackling obesity and chronic disease have focused on counting calories and the energetic values of foods. This misguidedly leads people to assess only one aspect of their food choices, whilst doing little to educate on the importance of fibre and......
Figures show that a staggering 63% of the British population is now classified as overweight or obese (1). And being overweight is just the tip of the iceberg. Once you scratch below the surface the number of related metabolic health conditions grows exponentially with 2 million adults at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes (2), 6 out of 10 adults living with high cholesterol (3) and 1 in 4 adults with high blood pressure (4). This adds up to a nation with increasingly poor health and at greater risk of......
BANT (British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine) has campaigned for improved nutrition initiatives for over twenty years but is now consolidating its knowledge and reputation with the launch on 22 February 2021 of its own long-term campaign entitled: Food for your Health. The campaign aims to engage political and healthcare leaders, alongside a call to action for the public to make healthy diet and lifestyle choices by adopting a food first approach. The underlying objective is to achieve greater recognition of the importance of personalised nutrition, as practised......
“Never before have our food choices been so important for our health and wellbeing” is the strapline of the new BANT campaign “Food for your Health” launching on the 22nd of February 2021. The campaign is being launched to address the worsening obesity crisis, with 62% of the UK population overweight and 1 in 4 people classified as obese (1). The current pandemic has further highlighted the demise of the health of the nation, listing several modifiable metabolic symptoms, including overweight and obesity, as risk factors for COVID-19. Food for......
Following the sustained pressure from the scientific community, including BANT’s call for extraordinary supplementation of Vitamins C & D as a preventative measure for COVID-19 (https://bant.org.uk/2020/10/20/bant-recommends-extraordinary-measure-of-vitamin-c-and-vitamin-d-supplementation/) the government has finally acted on Vitamin D. The Health Secretary Matt Hancock has decided to “act fast”, albeit well into this second national lockdown, and offer a four-month supply of Vitamin D supplements to millions of vulnerable people shielding at home and in care homes. This will include organ-transplant recipients, chemotherapy patients and those with severe respiratory conditions such as cystic fibrosis, severe asthma,......
BANT recommends ‘extraordinary measure’ of Vitamin C and Vitamin D supplementation for all adults as part of a wider prevention strategy for COVID-19. With the apparent second wave of COVID-19 worsening, BANT recommends all adults supplement 1000mg of Vitamin C and a minimum of 600-800 IU/d vitamin D3 daily, increasing to a higher therapeutic dose of 5000 IU/d should symptoms develop (1). An adequate intake of Vitamins C and D is vital for immune resilience. Food sources of both are imperative for maintenance but unlikely to provide adequate quantities in......
For too long nutrition has been dismissed by mainstream healthcare, despite clear evidence that diet and lifestyle choices either contribute to health or increased risk factors for chronic disease. The rising obesity epidemic is proof alone that a more decisive tactic is needed to combat the discord between public health and personalised lifestyle medicine, of which nutrition plays an integral part. As we enter the next wave of COVID-19 restrictions, is it now the time to consider the role nutrition can play in preventative healthcare? “Long-term failure to provide adequate......
Compelling Evidence on Vitamin D status and severity of COVID-19 symptoms prompt MP David Davis to speak out “A cheap way of tackling COVID-19 is being ignored” warns British MP and former cabinet minister David Davis in the face of mounting evidence that Vitamin D status reduces COVID-19 severity. BANT agrees that in the absence of an effective anti-viral therapy for COVID-19, a Vitamin D supplement regime should be extended to the general population, as a preventive measure to help mitigate the grave public health risks associated with COVID-19 infection.......
“We ignore obesity at our peril” was the comment made by Professor Jason Halford (1) on publication of a British study using data from 550,000 British patients. BANT wholeheartedly agrees with his comments and has continuously campaigned on this issue throughout the years. Professor Halford’s statement comes in response to new research, conducted by Novo Nordisk (2), which was shared at the European and International Congress on Obesity last week (3). Their findings highlight the significant health benefits of losing weight and reducing risk factors for developing chronic health conditions......
BANT (British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine) was pleased to announce its support for the recently announced Governmental obesity campaign, ‘Better Health’. The launch of the Government’s ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ with inclusion of ultra-processed food and drink offerings such as McDonald’s is, however, completely baffling and goes against any progress towards the Government’s aim to ease the burden on our over-stretched NHS. BANT absolutely supports initiatives that boost the economy and thus protect employment, however, including restaurants that serve ultra-processed food and drinks which are at the......
BANT (British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine) whole-heartedly supports any Governmental focus on improving the health of the British nation, a goal that BANT has, itself, been campaigning for over the past 20 years. The ‘Better Health’ campaign with its U-turn on policy relating to junk food advertising and its goals to restrict BOGOF (Buy One, Get One Free) deals relating to foods that are ultra-processed, high in salt, fat and sugar and their availability at check-outs, is the first step in the right direction. It will set the......
The country may be focused on the COVID-19 pandemic but as BANT members know, another epidemic of growing proportions is afflicting the nation, Type 2 Diabetes ...
BANT has campaigned long and hard for the Government and policy makers to put improving the nation’s health at the centre of their health manifesto and welcomes the Prime Minister’s acknowledgement that his own recent health crisis has made him aware that a libertarian approach to the epidemic that is both obesity and metabolic conditions, is not only risking the lives of many of the most at risk communities, but adding to the burden placed on our precious NHS. BANT, since its foundation in 1997, has continuously called out for......
BANT has continuously called out for a different approach to the UK’s health with a focus on how diet and lifestyle can influence health and promotion by Government Agencies of the consumption of healthy ingredients and foods that are not ultra-processed. Lowering British food standards goes against everything BANT stands for and we urge all our followers to sign the NFU petition now to protect our food standards and our health. Sign here...
The British Government has started to relax the COVID-19 confinement rules and this means that face-to-face consultations can now take place once more with right protective measures in place. BANT is aware that slightly different guidance is being issued in different countries, including Scotland, Wales, and Guernsey, and strongly urges both, members of the public and Registered Nutritional Therapists, to follow their local Government guidance. Please note that the Government continues to recommend working remotely from home where possible and therefore Registered Nutritional Therapists will continue to provide online consultations......
Multiple articles from a myriad of sources are being published almost hourly on how to protect your health from the COVID-19 pandemic. BANT would like to take this opportunity to remind people that there is no scientific evidence currently regarding dietary or supplement recommendations that would prevent a person from catching COVID-19. BANT is aware that some clinical trials, including intravenous vitamin C for treatment of severe COVID-19 respiratory symptoms, are being undertaken globally but reiterates that not only are these trials incomplete but they are not in any way......
The British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) supports the call by Southampton University, Exeter University and Southampton Hospital (published in the BMJ https://www.bmj.com/content/367/bmj.l5688) for individuals choosing to undertake genetic testing to be accompanied by trained health professionals. Personalised healthcare is at the beginning of a genetic revolution with the decoding of the wealth of information that lives within us. Nutrigenetics, nutrigenomics and epigenetics are emerging sciences that are already having an enormous impact on all our lives and have a fundamental effect on the way BANT Registered Nutrition......
Ultra-processed foods and drinks (UPFD) are constantly in the media nowadays. A series of recent scientific studies have highlighted how bad they are for human health and we at BANT repeatedly recommend that this category of foods and drinks is avoided as much as possible. In a world where the scientific community and the media, contradicts itself from one day to the next, what is the truth about UPFDs? What are they? Are they really that bad for your health? BANT explains: Ultra-Processed Foods and Drinks – the Official Definition In......
BANT (British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine) is shocked but unsurprised that Public Health England’s (PHE) ‘Commercial Infant and Baby Food and Drink: Evidence Review’found that food manufacturers of ultra-processed foods and drinks (UPFDs) are aggressively targeting the infant and baby food and drink market. A recent article, published by BANT, quoted studies that showed that the greatest growth in UPFD consumption can be seen in the early-year age-groups. A study investigating early year consumption of UPFDs found that 40.3% of total energy intake of Brazilian 6-year old’s was......
BANT (British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine) welcomes the initial findings from the Predict 1 Study that individualised nutrition and lifestyle recommendations are key to human health. BANT members have been working with their clients offering personalised recommendations for the past 22 years, since BANT’s foundation in 1997, and were proud to have been selected to work with Professor Spector, the lead researcher on this study, on the precursor project to this study, ‘Map My Gut’. The Predict 1 study confirms the nutrition ethos that BANT has been practising......
The media is widely reporting a study published today in The Lancet, Health Effects of Dietary Risks in 195 Countries, 1990-2017: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. BANT (British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine) absolutely concurs with the premise that poor nutrition is a leading cause of death globally....
A study published on 15thMarch showed associations of dietary cholesterol or egg consumption with higher incidences of mortality and cardiovascular disease. BANT would like to take the opportunity to comment on the research since the consumption of eggs and links to heart disease have been controversial for decades. BANT would like to advise the public that the study in question only shows an association, rather than a cause and effect and therefore cannot conclude links between eggs, cholesterol and mortality. Furthermore, it should be pointed out that: There are other......
Dr Deanna Minich previews the 2-part talk she will be giving at the BANT Conference “Kindergarten to Healthy Adulthood – Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine Across Lifespan” – London 23/03/19 – Open to ALL Healthcare Professionals. Last few tickets remaining. Book here: https://tinyurl.com/ycax4dqq...
Today in Parliament, the possibility of free school meals is going back on the Parliamentary agenda thanks to Lord Bassam. Whilst the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) supports the idea that children who live in poverty should be helped and nourished, the organisation notes a sound of warning that the infiltration of ultra-processed, industrial foods into school canteens, is actively harming the health of the next generation and costing the British economy billions. Complaints about school food have always existed and the memory of paper-thin slices of......
BANT (British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine) was interested to read ‘Our Food in the Anthropocene: Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems’, by The EAT-Lancet Commission. Whilst BANT fully supports considerations that contribute to the urgent environmental debate, it feels obliged to sound a note of caution on some of the specific nutrient recommendations made. As BANT has reiterated many times in the past, its practitioners do not suggest ‘one-size-fits-all’ advice but take into account individuality that enables personalisation of dietary advice based on the most up-to-date research available. ......
Following press reports of NHS England offering Diabetic patients an 800-calorie diet to reverse Type 2 Diabetes, BANT (British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine) would like to comment. Following a trial last year, which helped half of participants living with Type 2 Diabetes, the NHS is now rolling out the low-calorie programme. The treatment consists of 800-calories per day using liquid meals and shake for 3 months. BANT would like to express concern around the lack of education given to the patients around diet and lifestyle factors that mediate......
With one in 20 prescriptions now related to diabetes treatment according to Diabetes UK and the annual cost in prescriptions reaching over £1 billion, the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) and its over 2,500 members, calls for a complete review of current public policy guidelines that are so clearly failing both diabetics and those at risk of diabetes. Numerous studies have now established that Type 2 Diabetes is, in the main, a lifestyle condition and that it may not only be prevented with simple nutrition and lifestyle......
Following publication of research by the University of Hertfordshire, highlighting the possible risks of combining prescription medication with food and herbal supplements, BANT (British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine) confirms that supplementation of vitamins, minerals and herbal remedies should only be taken following a consultation with a health professional, who has been trained specifically in this area. BANT Registered Nutritional Therapists are specifically trained to recommend quality supplements to individuals where indicated, only after thorough assessment of case history, prescription medications and any relevant test results. BANT Nutrition Practitioners......
We are delighted that Tom Watson, MP is calling for a consultation on how to better approach the growing obesity and Type 2 Diabetes crisis and BANT (British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine) will actively participate in any actions that will improve our nation’s health. BANT and its over 2,500 members are saddened but not surprised that Britain has ranked 3rd in the European obesity rankings. Public Health England’s (PHE) Sugar Reduction Progress Report shows a 2% reduction in free sugars but bizarrely no reduction in calories from those......
BANT (British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine) would like to offer their support to the government in tackling childhood obesity. The Local Government Association analysed Public Health England figures and found 1 in 25 children are classed as severely obese. Whilst there are initiatives by the government to tackle childhood obesity are in place, such as the sugar tax on sugary soft drinks, more can be done such as banning junk food adverts and educating children in primary school of the importance of a healthy diet. Our children are growing up......
In our continued support of our members in being GDPR compliant, we have developed a section of the BANT website that includes all the information we issued via the BANT GDPR Eblast Series, including the BANT GDPR templates for a typical NT business and the Professional Practice webinar on GDPR. Please click here to access this page. A link from the Home Page of the website is also available. We will also shortly be adding to this an FAQ document. If you have any questions related in GDPR please reference......
BANT (British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine) is saddened that the obesity epidemic has grown to such proportions that today (18th May), has been designated as the European Obesity Day. The organisation and its 2,500 nutrition practitioner members have continually called for the UK’s healthy eating strategy to be modified so that it reflects today’s scientific evidence and not the objectives of business and politics. Since its inception in 1997, BANT has repeatedly called for a change in the UK’s national obesity strategy, including participating in the Commons Health......
BANT (British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine) fully supports Jamie Oliver’s Childhood Obesity Manifesto. BANT has long called for a different approach to the obesity crisis and indeed it reflects what was called for by the House of Commons Health Select Committee in their Childhood Obesity inquiry. BANT admires Jamie Oliver’s tenacity as a parent, celebrity chef, restauranteur and healthy eating ambassador, in campaigning for the greater good: the fundamental right of good health for British children. Earlier this year, BANT highlighted its delight on hearing the news that......
BANT (British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy) is delighted by the news that the Government is planning a u-turn in policy relating to banning junk food advertising and two for one promotions. Just yesterday BANT called out for a different approach to the obesity crisis following the baffling decision by Public Health England to launch a campaign focusing on the outdated nutrition science of calorie counting, coupled with quotes from senior PHE members highlighting how processed food offerings can be selected to fall within the calorie limits and......
BANT (British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy) is baffled by Public Health England’s new ‘One You’ campaign focusing on the scientifically old-fashioned notion of calories. It is well established that calorie counting is difficult to manage in supporting people looking to lower their risk of obesity. Calorie counting takes little to no account of the nutritional values of different foods and their relation to health and is problematic for those at risk of eating disorders. Not for the first time BANT is asking “why promote a campaign that......
For nutrition-based professionals: Free CPD training on 3 March The premier free-to-attend allergy training event for is not-to-be missed by any health professionals with a focus on nutrition. Lead by Prof Jürgen Schwarze, University of Edinburgh, this masterclass features prominent speakers covering topics including: Cow’s milk protein allergy management, Anaphylaxis management, allergic rhinitis to asthma treatments and allergy prevention in infancy. Where // The Allergy & Free From Show Scotland 2018 sponsored by Schär When // Saturday 3 March 2018 Venue // SEC, Glasgow Times // 09:15 – 13:20 Applicable......
QUESTION: Does making an omelette or grilling a piece of fish or meat take longer than re-heating a pizza in the oven? ANSWER: An emphatic NO. Following news reports this morning that Public Health England is launching a campaign to cap the number of calories in fast-food items, the British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT) finds it very difficult to understand why Government Agencies are promoting the consumption of industrialised foods over real food. To combat this topsy-turvey governmental advice, BANT continues to promote its Wellbeing Guidelines......
The British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT) is interested to note the British Dietetics Association’s release of the list of diets that should be avoided. BANT concurs with the idea that following faddy diets, promoted by celebrities with little-to-no training in evidence-based nutrition and clinical practice, should be discouraged. BANT was, however, surprised that scientifically supported regimes, including the ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting, were completely dismissed out of hand, despite the evidence that for some people – and we reiterate the word some, these methods can......
The British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT) was interested to note the publication of a report describing General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) in Medical News Today, this morning (https://tinyurl.com/ycnbzhh5). Read More >...
A recent feature in The Guardian highlights the importance of gut health for a balanced mood and mental wellbeing. A link to the article can be found: here...Read More >...
A new systematic review published by the Cochrane Collaboration has found that there is insufficient evidence from randomised controlled trials to date to recommend consumption of whole grain diets to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, lower blood cholesterol or blood pressure. Cochrane Systematic Reviews are recognised as representing an international gold standard for high quality, trusted information. BANT Chair Miguel Toribio-Mateas welcomed the publication of this review as it confirms the conclusion arrived at by the WHOLEheart research project, a randomised controlled trial funded by the UK Foods Standards Agency and published in......
The British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT) was interested to see the news reports relating to the article published online in The Lancet on 29 August 2017 relating to the PURE (Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology) study, conducted over 10 years and encompassing 135,335 individuals within 18 countries, which found that higher carbohydrate intake was associated with higher risk of total mortality, whereas total fat and individual types of fat were related to lower total mortality. Whilst BANT was delighted to note that Professor Jeremy Pearson of the......
The British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT) welcomes Public Health England’s plans to engage in further work with food manufacturers to cut sugar in cakes, biscuits and chocolate by 20 per cent by 2020. Public Health officials said they will now work with the food industry to agree plans to tackle “excess calorie consumption” in a host of savoury foods – especially those regularly consumed by children. BANT Chair Miguel Toribio-Mateas said “As a leading non-governmental organisation with over 2,300 members accredited by the Professional Standards Authority to deliver nutrition......
Following an intensive instruction in the functional medicine model of practice Rick brings with him a breadth of experience from years as a Dietitian working in both the NHS, private practice and elite sports performance. “I am delighted to join BANT Council and look forward to bringing my experiences to the rest of the council, helping to progress lifestyle medicine and dietetics to the benefit of individuals and public at large. In particular, tackling the huge challenges of obesity, type 2 diabetes, dementia and heart disease where diet and lifestyle have......
BANT is excited to announce the launch of the Nutrition Evidence Database. Nutrition Evidence is a platform of high quality nutritional science and functional medicine research, designed to support nutrition practitioners’ clinical decisions that enable their delivering effective, individualised evidence-based recommendations. Current key features include: Almost 95,000 (as of June 2017) high quality research papers relevant to all practitioners in the areas of functional nutrition, dietetics, and lifestyle medicine. Papers have been selected to provide the best evidence available for clinical interventions on humans, ideally randomised controlled trials and systematic......
BANT has noted the adjudication published on 4 May by the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland on a complaint against Patricia Daly, a BANT member, brought by the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute and the Irish Cancer Society. BANT has had detailed consultations with lawyers and other stakeholders about the case. BANT is unable to comment on the evidence in support of the Irish Food Pyramid as a proven diet for use with cancer patients. BANT experts are clear that there is now a weight and trajectory of evidence that ketone......
Today’s Daily Mail (Tuesday, 25th April 2017) featured an article entitled ‘Could going low-carb help you fight off diabetes?’. The article highlights the changing nutrition recommendations being made by a growing number medical and health practitioners from the Public Health England (PHE) Eatwell guide recommendations of starchy carbohydrates for sufferers of Type 2 Diabetes, to a very low carbohydrate regime. The British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT) would like to highlight that, whilst it is still early days, recent scientific evidence does support this change in dietary......
BANT was interested to see today’s news about eating 10 pieces of fruit or veg everyday, and how most people would find it difficult to fit this recommendation into their diet. Whilst this may be true for some, it is clear that the “5-a-day” government-issued guidelines are out of date. The 2015 BANT ‘Wellbeing Guidelines’ provided the recommendation that seven portions of vegetables and fruit should be eaten daily to support health. They were designed to generally encourage people to eat more fruit and vegetables. According to a review of......
BANT welcomes the publication of the study by Martineau et al., which concluded that taking “Vitamin D supplementation was safe and it protected against acute respiratory tract infection overall. Patients who were very vitamin D deficient and those not receiving bolus doses experienced the most benefit”. (http://www.bmj.com/content/356/bmj.i6583) BANT was disappointed by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition’s (SACN) recommendation to Public Health England (PHE) that vitamin D supplementation could only be recommended for bone and muscle health, despite all the scientific evidence to the contrary. Did SACN not find any......
BANT Council encourages any members who have not yet already done so to sign the Fight the Fads petition for protection of title ‘Nutritionist’. The public deserve to know that practitioners are properly regulated and protection of title is one way to ensure that. Previously the Health & Care Professions Council have encouraged Nutrition Society, BDA and BANT to work together to protect the public. To sign the petition, click on the link here: https://fightthefads.com/government-petition/ – Ends – Click here to download the PDF version of this response. FOR FURTHER......
As highlighted in today’s Daily Mail, the British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT) is proud that its registered practitioners have been chosen to work with Professor Tim Spector and his team as part of the “Map My Gut” gut microbiome sequencing service. Unlike other nutrition based professions, BANT registered practitioners have functional testing as part of their core curriculum clinical training and are, therefore, ideally placed to assess the Map My Gut test results and provide individualised recommendations to optimise a client’s health. Map My Gut is......
The British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT) will be watching tonight’s Horizon: Clean Eating — the Dirty Truth (BBC Two at 9pm) programme with interest. BANT has previously highlighted its concern about the growing number of ‘insta-nutritionists’ who have done short online courses, healthy eating bloggers, YouTubers and healthy eating recipe book writers, who advocate radical ‘one-size fits all’ eating regimes which are not evidence based. Whilst pretty pictures of colourful foods are a lot of fun, ultimately nutrition health advice is something you should only trust......
Detoxification, the January BUZZ word! In January people are turning their minds to improving their health after the many indulgences of the festive season. Detoxification is a biochemical process that takes place within every cell in our body on a continual basis, not just during the quick-fix detox diets that detoxification is commonly associated with. The British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT) experts have crafted a ‘Detox 4 Life’ infographic, based on the latest science and research in the field of nutrition that summarises the detoxification approach......
Explore the Practitioner Toolkits that include practical and visual tools for BANT Practitioners to communicate a variety of nutritional and lifestyle topics. General Health Toolkit is also available to public with BANT Wellbeing Guidelines and Why do we need to eat? infographic, while the...Read More > ...
The British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT) is proud to be working with Oxford Biotech company GlycanAge®, King’s College London and Croatian National Centre of Excellence in Personalised Healthcare in the ‘Effects of Lifestyle Interventions on Changes in Biological Age’ research study. GlycanAge® is a pioneering new blood test, developed by an international team of scientific researchers who have published over 100 peer-reviewed publications in the fields of glycobiology and ageing in the last 20 years. A simple blood draw is needed to provide the sample that......
BANT read with interest the widely publicised study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, that found that “caesarean delivery can increase a child’s risk of obesity into adulthood, compared to their siblings who were born naturally”. The hypothesis put forward by the study’s authors is that the higher risk of obesity observed may be due to the difference in exposure of beneficial gut bacteria (gastrointestinal microbiota) experienced by babies born by c-section versus those born via the birth canal. Tim Spector, Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College London and a consultant......
BANT welcomes the news that the lead researchers of an independent review by the Cochrane research body (the absolute gold standard) have announced that taking Vitamin D supplements in addition to asthma medication appears to cut the risk of severe asthma attacks and cut the rates of steroid treatment. BANT was disappointed by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition’s (SACN) recent recommendation to Public Health England (PHE) that vitamin D supplementation could only be recommended for bone and muscle health, despite all of the scientific evidence to the contrary. Did......
Taking place at Olympia London, later this month on 24-25 September, camexpo’s dedicated Nutrition Theatre (sponsored by Wiley’s Finest) will run 17 CPD-accredited sessions across two days. Confirmed speakers include leading nutritional experts like BANT’s Miguel Toribio-Mateas, Dr Marilyn Glenville, Gudrun Jonsson, Dr Robert Verkerk, Antony Haynes, Umahro Cadogan, Dr. Armin Schwarzbach, and Nadia Brydon. Digestive health, vitamin K2 deficiencies, superfoods, childhood obesity, brain health, natural alternatives to sugar, and the benefits of the Mediterranean diet are just some of the hot topics under discussion for 2016. Dr Sarah Brewer,......
Welcome to the August issue of BANT ENews, despite the summer holidays, we once again have a very full and informative issue this month. Our theme for August is eye health, with a particular focus via our Featured Article on Macular Degeneration. Satu Jackson provides us with an update from the BANT Council’s Quarterly Meeting in Director’s Corner and we have an update from our recent Regional Branch Meeting in Leeds. Access the BANT news here....
BANT welcomes the Government's plans for tackling Childhood Obesity and in particular the proposal for a levy on sugar for producers/importers. Obesity is a complex issue and the Government's proposals will set the background for establishing the changes needed to engender ...Read More >...
With so much information about different types of diets and their effects available to everyone from a range of ‘experts’, from qualified healthcare professionals to celebrities with a large following, it is not surprising that there is much confusion about gluten free diets, why they are popular, what they do and whether you may benefit from them or not. BANT (British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy) has been carefully monitoring reports of the varying degrees of sensitivity to gluten experienced by thousands of people in the UK and......
BANT welcomes Public Health England’s (PHE) recommendations that everyone should take vitamin D supplements during autumn and winter. This is advice that BANT members, known as Registered Nutritional Therapists, have been issuing to their clients since BANT’s inception in 1997. BANT is however concerned that PHE’s recommended dose of 10μg (400IU) might not be enough for everyone. PHE focuses on vitamin D as “the sun vitamin” but it fails to highlight the fact that vitamin D deficiency is associated with systemic inflammation. BANT Registered Nutritional Therapists report that most of......
With growing numbers of ‘insta-nutritionists’ who have done short online courses, healthy eating bloggers, YouTubers and healthy eating recipe book writers, how can you be sure that you are getting safe nutritional advice? Whilst pretty pictures of colourful foods are a lot of fun, ultimately nutrition health advice is something you should only trust real professionals with. BANT, The British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy, recommends that you choose a Registered Nutritional Therapist who has undertaken training at an accredited course thereby ensuring necessary training to understand the......
The Obesity Health Alliance has recently published a report ‘Tipping the Scales, Why Preventing Obesity makes Economic Sense’ which is supported by a number of health and well-being organisations and which was discussed on BBC Breakfast this morning, with Dr Chatterjee as guest speaker. The report highlighted that almost three in four (72%) of the UK adult population would be predicted to be overweight or obese by 2035 and that over the next 20 years rising levels of obesity could lead to around an additional 4.62 million cases of type......
The British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy welcomes the BBC Breakfast piece, featuring Dr Chatterjee, regarding a new blood test targeting depression. The study in question, published in the International Journal of Neuropsycopharmacology1, showed that patients with high levels of chronic inflammatory markers (macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and Interleukin-1beta (IL6 beta) specifically) were less likely to respond to antidepressant treatment. As Dr Chatterjee mentioned, acute inflammation is an essential part of the body’s immune system in dealing with infections and injury, however, chronic long-term inflammation can result......
The British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy is disappointed that a prime-time opportunity for sharing healthy eating messages was not exploited to its full potential and was, in places, misleading with use of simplistic tests that told part, but not all, of the picture. Whilst some of the information was helpful, pointing out that you do not need to always buy the most expensive ingredients to have a healthy diet, the comparisons were poor and not representative of health benefits available in many of the foods used. Specifically......
BANT cautions against a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution of bariatric surgery as standard option for treatment of type 2 diabetes in obese patients. Obesity and diabetes are complex issues which require interventions at multiple levels to achieve both effective prevention and successful treatment of existing problems and where necessary, bariatric surgery may be one of the solutions. However, diabetes does not happen overnight. It happens over years of chronically raised blood sugar and insulin levels stemming from excessive refined carbohydrate intake, increased stress levels, systemic inflammation and lack of exercise. BANT recommends......
BANT (British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy) was very interested to see the coverage relating to the Public Obesity Forum’s announcement. BANT recognises the need for an overhaul of public guidelines and supports urgent action on key issues affecting the health of the nation. BANT’s experts have carefully developed a set of Wellbeing Guidelines based on the latest science and research in the field of nutrition for optimum health. The BANT Wellbeing Guidelines (The Wellness Solution and Fight the Fat/Beat the Bloat) present the most current and well-researched......
A CPD opportunity bringing BANT members and the public together to explore the cutting edge topic ‘Nutrigenomics’ and the various tests available. We will also be hearing about nutrition and healthy ageing from the Chair of Council for BANT Miguel Toribio-Mateas, as well as some new and exciting information regarding his supplement range. Monica Wilde – Director of Napier’s in Edinburgh and expert on seaweed will be telling us all about its use in supporting thyroid health. Thank you to the event sponsor, Cytoplan. The Power of Nutrition – Promoting......
BANT provides a response to Mars’ announcement that they will differentiate their foods into ‘every day’ and ‘occasional’. “This could be good for the consumer depending on the selection criteria chosen by Mars” commented Daniel O’Shaughnessy, Director of Communications. Click here to access the full press release....
BANT support the introduction of the “Sugar Tax” but highlight the dangers of hidden sugars in processed food and fruit juices. BANT would therefore also like to see the introduction of the tax to fruit juices and smoothies. Click here to read the press release....
Public Health England have today launched the new Eat Well Guide. In response to this, BANT have re-released the Wellbeing Guidelines originally launched in September 2015. The aim is to draw a direct comparison and ...Read More >...
On 24 of November 2015, BANT launched a full public consultation on its curriculum framework for functional dietetic practice to meet the registration standards of the Health & Care Professions Council. The consultation ran for three months to 24 February 2016. We would like to thank all who responded and we will collate the responses and publish the results in due course. BANT Dietetic Curriculum Framework Functional Dietetics Curriculum Framework FAQ Understanding the Differences Poster ...
What do chronic diseases – heart disease, diabetes, depression, autoimmune disease and so on all have in common? They are all related to modern living: nutrient deficiencies, poor diet, perception of stress, lack of exercise, lack of sleep, too much sitting and environmental toxins can all contribute to imbalances which lead to your set of symptoms. Disease symptoms take you to the doctor, and it is important to have them investigated. Once you have a diagnosis and treatment plan, there is more you can do for yourself than just taking......
We have a new registration of a pharmacy group in the Doncaster area. They are looking for a self-starting BANT Registered Nutritional Therapist to lead a Face to Face Wellbeing Centres Scheme from 3 of their branches. This pharmacy group serves 350,000 patients across 11 branches and carries out 10,000 deliveries a week. If you are interested in this opportunity, send a resume and your contact details to: [email protected]...
NICE is currently reviewing its guideline for improving supportive and palliative care in adults’. The draft scope proposes removing complementary therapies from the NICE guideline (at line 109 of the draft scope). Given the contribution that complementary therapies make to improving the wellbeing of people using these services, this represents a retrograde step. CNHC will be responding to challenge this proposal and we will feedback any further info we receive from the CNHC. You can find details at the following link: http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/GID-CGWAVE0799/consultation/html-content...
Happy New Year & welcome to the first 2016 edition of BANT News. January is a busy month for Nutritional Therapy with so many people starting their New Year regimes and hopefully resulting in many new client enquiries for you all. January is also the month for membership renewals so please remember to renew your membership by 31st January. On behalf of everyone at BANT, we look forward to welcoming you back in 2016. Access the BANT news here....
Penny Brohn UK and AXA/PPP are working together to form a Living Well service for cancer patients. BANT is now in a position to confirm the dates for the first “immersion day” training in Penny Brohn UK’s “Bristol Whole Life Approach”. This is currently only for BANT Registered Nutritional Therapists and it will take place at the Penny Brohn UK National Centre near Bristol on Friday 19th February. Click here to find out more...
The BANT 2016 online membership renewal process is now open and you have until 31st January 2016 to renew your membership. a) Once you have logged on, you will be on your personalised homepage. b) At the top right hand corner of the page your will see a link called RENEW MEMBERSHIP. c) Click this link and follow the steps. Click here to renew your membership...
Welcome to the December issue of the BANT News. Our main focus for this issue is around the BANT Consultation on Functional Dietetics. It has everything you need to know about the process and understanding the differences between Functional Dietetics & NHS Dietetics. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from all of BANT. Access the BANT news here....
The British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT) have announced their Wellbeing Guidelines based on the latest science and research in the field of nutrition for optimal health. These guidelines are extremely well-researched and informative, providing current and up to date information for the public. The aim is to provide detailed guidance in a simple format to help people make the best choices in both nutrition and other aspects of a healthy lifestyle. Whether the goal is weight loss or optimal health, the BANT Wellbeing Guidelines are designed......
We are delighted to inform you that BANT’s Annual General Meeting will take place on Saturday March 19th 2016 at the Cavendish Conference Centre, 22 Duchess Mews, London W1G 9DT from 9.30am. We have a packed agenda reporting on some exciting developments over the year and plans to further promote the standing of Registered Nutritional Therapists in 2016. Click here for more information and to book your place....
Today’s Health Select Committee’s report highlights key actions which the government and industry should act on to help get to grips with a problem that is robbing individuals and society of future health and economic security. Influencing the current environment of obesity will not deliver the desired economic and social results if it is not accompanied by lasting behaviour change. This needs to be addressed at all levels of society. Obesity is complex and needs interventions at multiple levels to achieve both effective prevention and successful treatment of existing problems.......
BANT is today launching a full public consultation on its curriculum framework for functional dietetic practice to meet the registration standards of the Health & Care Professions Council. The consultation will run for three months to 24 February 2016. There are no directed questions. All comments and contributions are welcome. Please send these to [email protected]. BANT Dietetic Curriculum Framework Functional Dietetics Curriculum Framework FAQ Understanding the Differences Poster ...
BANT experts are clear that fructose, and not just calories, poses a problem that promotes a progressive loss of metabolic function. An elevated total fructose load, combined with an excessive caloric intake and an increasingly sedentary lifestyle contribute to the rise in childhood obesity and diabetes. Click the link to access our infographic on Modern Childhood Obesity and Diabetes...
Today, the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer has released a report warning that bacon, ham and sausages are as big a cancer threat as cigarettes. Experts at the Agency have ranked cured and processed meats amongst the top 5 most carcinogenic substances to humans as alcohol, asbestos, arsenic and cigarettes. The Director of Communications for BANT – Daniel O’Shaughnessy said: “The British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT) position on cured and processed meats is clear: They should be consumed only occasionally, and as part of a diet that includes a......
BANT has been asked to join All Party Parliamentary Group for Diabetes (APPGD), a group of Members of Parliament and Peers with a special interest in the issue of diabetes. The APPGD is one of the most active parliamentary groups in engaging with stakeholders, sharing information with Members and holding high profile events in the Houses of Parliament. With a large number of stakeholders, the Group holds regular events during parliamentary business periods, draft reports, produces a monthly newsletter and hold special meetings with relevant Ministers and organisations. BANT’s Chair......
The long anticipated BANT Wellbeing Guidelines are finally here. Based on the latest nutritional research and subjected to a public consultation, the BANT Wellbeing Guidelines are the most up-to-date guidelines in the UK today to provide dietary and lifestyle information for healthy longevity. While we are all individuals and personalised recommendations for diet and lifestyle would provide the optimal solution, it is not an option for all. These guidelines will give a basis for a healthy diet and lifestyle for general wellness and for those wishing to lose some weight.......
We are excited to announce that on 14th September, BANT is opening up its membership to include an Affiliate Membership category. This new category is open to all those who are members/registrants of an association that is listed on the Statutory Regulations Directory, such as the Health and Care Professions Council, and those members/registrants of associations listed on any Accredited Register under the Professional Standards Association. Listings of all these registers can be found on the Professional Standards website. Click here for more detailed information on how you can apply.......
Volunteers are pivotal to the future of BANT and its goal to develop the Nutritional Therapy profession. The Volunteering Manager will be responsible for developing and managing the volunteer community under the strategic guidance of the Volunteering Director. This role is responsible for developing and implementing frameworks and plans to support volunteers to actively and effectively contribute through the Regional meetings, as part of the committees, in strategic workstreams or as directors in Council, and to embed a culture of volunteering that is inspirational, fun, motivating and a learning experience.......
Defining a ‘nutrient’ better fit for purpose in the age of genomics and metabolomics is now a priority. We need a fuller biological description so that we can ask more questions, for example are there are other substances which should be classified as nutrients or is the concept of a ‘daily allowance’ suitable for all nutrients? Click here to have your say....
The British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy says a tax on all unhealthy food would disincentivise consumption and ‘provide tax receipts towards health care expenditure’. The British Medical Association wants a 20% tax on sugary drinks. We now know that excess sugar can damage teeth, promote obesity, type 2 diabetes and also perhaps Alzheimer’s diesease (as type 3 diabetes). In a statement published earlier today Miguel Toribio-Mateas, Chairman of the British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT) said “All unhealthy foods should carry VAT. This would be possible if the EU Nutrient Profiles,......
The mission of The Diabetes World Summit is to change lives. This incredible, online event has the potential to improve the health of tens of thousands with diabetes or pre-diabetes! Dr. Brian Mowll, The Diabetes Coach™, created The Diabetes World Summit to share the expertise of the world’s leaders in natural diabetes care to help you regain blood sugar control, live the highest quality life and even reverse type 2 and pre-diabetes. The 40 powerful, expert sessions at The Diabetes World Summit will benefit anyone with type 1 or type......
camexpo’s Early Bird Offer expires on 20th July and by registering today and quoting priority code CMXP499 you will be able to visit for £6.50 (£20 on the door). Serving the complementary and natural health industry for over a decade, this event is not to be missed. Click here to access your Early Bird Offer. Join thousands of practitioners, therapists and healthcare professionals and students across two days for product sourcing, sampling and education. You can take a look at the Workshop Timetable here before you book your tickets and take a look......
The BANT Supervision Scheme is going from strength to strength. We now have 6 accredited BANT Supervisors, who have been through rigorous training and ongoing supervision themselves, who run sessions that are taking place at a number of locations across the country. These groups are enabling Registered Nutritional Therapists (RNTs) to make a real step change in how they approach and resolve the dilemmas and challenges that they face as a daily part of their nutritional practice. As RNTs we face unique challenges that vary from practitioner to practitioner. The......
Digestion is everything! Learn about your gut and the microbiome, the fascinating world within you PLUS much more. 70 million people suffer in the United States suffer from digestive diseases… millions more worldwide! These 32 talks will show how digestive health is linked to your immune, endocrine, circulatory and central nervous systems… impacting physical, mental and emotional wellbeing! Transform your health! Top experts provide cutting-edge information and simple science you can use right away. Click here to purchase access to the event...
In February 2015 BANT opened up applications for Fellow Members in order to recognise those members who had made a significant contribution to the Nutritional Therapy profession or had advanced the practice of Nutritional Therapy. BANT was looking to award the title of Fellow to members who had gone far and beyond the call of duty in their work for BANT as a volunteer and in doing so had made a significant contribution to BANT, supporting BANT in its vision and enabling BANT to achieve its Strategic Objectives in moving the profession forward. Or,......
Welcome to April’s issue of the BANT News. Every page is packed with exciting offers and updates. We’ve also included a great follow-up report for you on last month’s AGM outlining our key achievements in 2014 and our exciting plans for 2015, so we hope you enjoy it! Access the BANT news here...
Following the announcement in March by the Professional Standards Authority that traditional health professionals should look beyond the confines of the health and care system to engage with Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) registered practitioners like Nutritional Therapists, there has been another significant boost for our profession. The General Medical Council (GMC) has amended referrals guidance to doctors such that they can now refer patients wanting complementary therapies to CNHC registered practitioners including Nutritional Therapists. Miguel Toribio-Mateas, Chairman of BANT said: “Following the recent Professional Standards Authority report, the......
Today the Professional Standards Authority published a report entitled “Accredited Registers – Ensuring that health and care practitioners are competent and safe report.” This document emphasises the fact that the traditional healthcare system is a the cusp of a dramatic change, and that practitioners of newer and/or complementary professions such as Nutritional Therapy are as competent as other traditional healthcare providers, and that they can make a difference by working together with them as part of multidisciplinary teams under NHS commissioning. In today’s report, Mr Cayton says that “the NHS......
Written evidence submitted by British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT) to the Health Select Committee of the House of Lords following public consultation on the Healthy Eating Puzzle plates has been published today as part of the Select Committee’s current enquiry into the effects of physical exercise and diet on health. Chair of BANT Miguel Toribio-Mateas said: “the costs of obesity and diet-related disease (cardiovascular disease, some cancers, osteoporosis, mental health), both social and financial, demand that those working in the nutrition profession are up-to-date and appropriately qualified. Dietary intervention based on knowledge of nutritional requirement, nutritional status,......
Do you need to lose a few pounds and get healthy for 2015? BANT is delighted to announce the first in a series of Twitter Q&As for 2015. Follow us @BANTonline to join in the discussion all about weight management on Wednesday February 4th at 7pm. Join top Nutritional Therapist and BANT Director Daniel O’Shaughnessy answering your questions on anything you like about weight loss or weight gain – how to lose weight safely, what works and what doesn’t, and how nutritional therapy can help. You can submit your questions......
Don’t forget your personal tax returns are due to be submitted to HMRC by the end of January 2015 and BANT members can claim back their membership fees against tax. HMRC approved our application for income tax relief for BANT’s professional fees back in July and we have been added to the approved list at HMRC. It takes several months for BANT to appear on the official list, so members who are completing their tax returns before the list is updated, should inform staff at HMRC that BANT is newly......
Deputy Chair of BANT, Sarah Green, says low carbohydrate diets should be the first treatment recommendation for diabetics. Registered Nutritional Therapists recommend lower carbohydrate diets. Just as we have “good fats and bad fats” we have good carbohydrates and bad carbohydrates. Green leafy and non starchy, colourful vegetables are good carbohydrates. But starchy vegetables, grains and wholegrains (found in bread, pasta, cereal, cakes etc) are bad carbohydrates if you are overweight or obese. As our food becomes ever more processed and modified and our lives become more stressful and sedentary,......
BANT (The British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy) comments on Fruit Juice as part of the 5 a day. BANT supports the recommendation that fruit juice and smoothies should not be included as one of your five a day. Registered Nutritional Therapists have long advocated that extracted fruit juices and processed, concentrated fruit bars, should not be included in the 5 day. The five a day message came from the World Health Organisation’s report that increasing fruit and vegetable intake reduces the risk of chronic diseases like cancer......
BANT has today officially launched its new range of nutritional therapy posters. The materials are designed to support our Nutritional Therapists in their clinics. There are two posters – Underpinning Principles of Nutritional Therapy and The Nutritional Therapy Process. Posters for Nutritional Therapy Framework and the Food Reaction Connectome will be published shortly. You can view, download and print the posters at the following link: https://bant.org.uk/about-nutritional-therapy/nutritional-therapy-practice-posters/...
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the consultation. All comments will now be considered and the final versions of both plates, with an accompanying explanatory guide, will be published in due course. To view and/or comment on the plates, click here: https://bant.org.uk/about-nutritional-therapy/consultations/healthy-eating-plates/...
BANT has secured free tickets for BANT members and their friends, family and clients to this year’s Allergy & Free From Show North. The show will take place at Liverpool’s BT Convention Centre on 25 and 26 October – www.allergyshow.co.uk/liverpool. Members can access unlimited free tickets for themselves, their friends, family and colleagues here....
**STOP PRESS** BANT sets the agenda on updating healthy eating advice as Public Health England asks the Association for Nutrition to lead a group to revise the Eatwell Plate and 5 A Day guidelines....
Nutrition is the focus of the 11th Anti-Ageing Conference, which takes place in London in October. More than 20 world renowned speakers will be presenting at the event. For more details about the programme and a special anti-ageing training for BANT members click here....
BANT member Amanda Hamilton was featured on Steve Wright’s Radio 2 programme talking about how to eat healthily – getting a good balance of carbs and protein. Amanda is a Registered Nutritional Therapist and a Senior Associate of the Royal Society of Medicine. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p024m35g...
Obesity has been linked to development of 10 of the most common causes of cancer, a research study has shown. Scientists have revealed that a study of five million people in the UK has shown a link between being overweight or obese and more than 12,000 cancer cases in the UK population every year. The study, reported in the Lancet this week, was led by scientists from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine over a seven year period. They found each 13-16kg (2-2.5 stone) of extra weight an......
BANT is backing a FREE eight day online summit in September featuring world leading speakers.The summit, which has been set up to accommodate doctors, health professionals and patients / clients will explore new techniques used by 30 health innovators who are setting a vision for a more empowered, proactive and patient-value focused healthcare system. The summit will run from September 8th to 15th with seminars with more than 30 leading doctors, nutrition experts and health gurus as speakers, the summit is ideal for the education of nutritional therapists and our......
BANT is delighted to announce a new partnership that will see Nutritional Therapy recognised by thousands of doctors as the preferred approach to nutrition as part of Lifestyle Medicine interventions. BANT has joined forces with the European Society of Lifestyle Medicine (ESLM) to promote a comprehensive approach to healthcare that integrates all levels of biology, medicine and lifestyle, where Nutritional Therapy plays a key role, both in the prevention and co-management of chronic disease alongside medical professionals. The ESLM aims to prevent lifestyle-related chronic diseases, improve the management of people......
BANT has secured free tickets for BANT members and their friends, family and clients to this year’s Allergy & Free From Show. The show, sponsored by Udi’s Gluten Free, will take place in the Grand Hall at Olympia in London from 4-6 July. To access unlimited free tickets for you, your friends, family and colleagues, click here. cheap air max 2017...
BANT today issued its full support for Action on Sugar’s seven-point plan to control sugar in foods and soft drinks in a bid to tackle childhood obesity. BANT Chair Miguel Toribio-Mateas said: “BANT is fully behind Action on Sugar’s recommendations to cut down the level of sugar in foods. Research shows sugar can be addictive and hugely detrimental to health and that is not limited to obesity. “Registered Nutritional Therapists are armed with tools to help individuals reduce the amount of sugar they consume and as a result improve their health......
BANT today issued its full support for Action on Sugar’s seven-point plan to control sugar in foods and soft drinks in a bid to tackle childhood obesity. BANT Chair Miguel Toribio-Mateas said: “BANT is fully behind Action on Sugar’s recommendations to cut down the level of sugar in foods. Research shows sugar can be addictive and hugely detrimental to health and that is not limited to obesity. “Registered Nutritional Therapists are armed with tools to help individuals reduce the amount of sugar they consume and as a result improve their health......
BANT has this week appointed four new directors and one non-executive director to its Council – Barbara Powell, Graham Botfield, Anne Pemberton, Daniel O’Shaughnessy and Sue McGinty were inducted at BANT Council last week. Barbara Powell has been appointed as Membership Director, Graham Botfield as Business Development Director, Anne Pemberton as Centre of Excellence Director and Daniel O’Shaughnessy as External Communications Director. Sue McGinty is the non-executive Director of Policy. BANT also said a fond farewell to Jane Nodder, Deborah Colson and Catharine Trustram Eve at the end of May.......
BANT is delighted to announce that it has partnered with YorkTest, the leading provider of food intolerance testing in Europe, to provide special deals exclusively for members. The company has also committed to only offering consultations from BANT Registered Nutritional Therapists for its clients. BANT Chair Miguel Toribio-Mateas said: “We are very excited about this new partnership with YorkTest. It will offer huge benefits to our members and will really set them aside from other nutrition practitioners.” Dr Gill Hart, Scientific Director at York Test, said: “BANT Registered Nutritional Therapists......
BANT continues its work to raise the profile of Nutritional Therapy in the mainstream healthcare arena with a feature on the profession in Primary Care Today this month. The Summer edition of the publication profiles Nutritional Therapy, how it fits alongside the work of GPs and its benefits to the public. You can read the full article here....
BANT is delighted to announce that it has forged an exciting new partnership with the British Society for Anti-Aging Medicine (BSAAM). BANT is currently working with the BSAAM to develop the first ever Certification Programme in Anti-Ageing Nutrition, which will be launched worldwide. BANT has also negotiated a 30% (35% for BANT student members) discount on tickets for its Registered Nutritional Therapists to attend the annual Anti-Ageing Conference London in October, where full attendance will give members 20 hours of registered CPD. The partnership will be officially announced at the......
BANT today welcomed the new guidelines for NHS England that advises people to lose weight and keep it off for life. But BANT Chair Miguel Toribio-Mateas called on Registered Nutritional Therapists working in their local communities to be a key part of the solution. The week the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) revealed it wants overweight people sent to slimming classes with the aim of a 3% weight loss. NICE said even such a small loss – probably of just a few pounds – would cut blood......
BANT has welcomed Tesco’s decision to remove sweets and confectionary from the checkouts of their stores nationwide. The company has pledged to move confectionary from checkouts after research among customers revealed that nearly two-thirds of shoppers said it would help them make healthier choices. BANT Chair Miguel Toribio-Mateas said: “Sugar plays a huge part in the development of serious health conditions like obesity, diabetes, arthritis and cancer and what children eat at an early age will have an impact on their health into teens and adulthood. Limiting the exposure of......
BANT is backing an exciting new project with high street independent pharmacies, aligning Nutritional Therapy with mainstream healthcare services. The Face to Face Wellbeing Scheme, in conjunction with media company JHN and BANT member Babi Chana, is currently being piloted nationwide. The project aims to bring together independent pharmacies and BANT Registered Nutritional Therapists to help meet NHS contractual obligations to provide healthy lifestyle and public health advice to people with diabetes, those who are at risk of heart disease, are overweight or who just need professional support to lead......
BANT would like to thank Biocare and Dr Sarah Myhill for their generosity in providing Dr Myhill’s 2012 conference presentation for the use of BANT members. This presentation follows on from the theme from the last mitochondria presentation. It is an essential presentation for anyone dealing with clients with ME, Chronic Fatigue or fibromyalgia. Access this and other free webinars here....
BANT seeks legal opinion for members on the status of the ASA and Trading standards. Download the report here....
BANT has developed a fantastic package of benefits for its student members, but being a BANT member in 2014 as the Nutritional Therapy landscape undergoes dramatic changes is not just about tangible benefits. BANT has cut through the detail and developed an at a glance guide to why Nutritional Therapy students should be BANT student members and continue on to become full members once they have qualified. Core Tangible Student Benefits Access to the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Databases and the Natural Standard Database – worth $299 per person Discounted membership......
BANT is calling on all members who are CNHC official to address themselves as Registered Nutritional Therapists. The call comes in a bid to bring all BANT members together under one recognised title so that we can work on their behalf to raise their profile and the credibility of Nutritional Therapy across the country. BANT Chair Miguel Toribio-Mateas said: “Earlier this year BANT requested that members register with our regulator, the CNHC, which now enjoys Assured Voluntary Register status under the Professional Standards Authority. In the current regulatory climate, this......
Visitors to the Selfridges beauty hall in London will be able to find out about the benefits of eating for optimum health – and for beauty – during a month-long Beauty and the Feast promotion. A Meet the Nutritional Therapist stand is being run by natural food company inSpiral, and is manned by BANT members and Registered Nutritional Therapists. The event will be held in the Selfridges Food Hall on Fridays and Saturdays in May and June from 12 – 6....
The latest National Diet and Nutrition Survey results were released today and show that, as a nation, we are still eating too much salt and sugar and not enough fruit and vegetables and oily fish. Interestingly, it also shows the prevalence of low vitamin D and iron in certain populations Find your local Registered Nutritional Therapist in our online directory for advice about changing the way you eat to improve your health. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-national-diet-and-nutrition-survey-shows-uk-population-is-eating-too-much-sugar-saturated-fat-and-salt...
BANT is delighted to announce the launch of its new look website which has been completely overhauled and updated as part of BANT’s continued drive to improve standards and raise the public profile of nutritional therapy. The site has been redesigned to better support members through the much improved members area, easier searching and integrated social media and news feeds. The biggest change however is the public facing element of the site that can be used by the media, health professionals and the general public who want to find out......
BANT today urged mums-to-be to see a Registered Nutritional Therapist to help them prepare for pregnancy. The call comes as a study suggests that the food mums-to-be eat could permanently influence their baby’s DNA. Scientists from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine carried out the study. Lead scientist Dr Branwen Hennig said it was the first demonstration in humans that a mother’s nutrition at the time of conception can change how her child’s genes will be interpreted for life. BANT Chair Miguel Toribio-Mateas said: “The details of this......
BANT helps members of the public find Registered Nutritional Therapists with its online directory. The new search facility on this website will enable people to find the Registered Nutritional Therapist closest to them by just typing in their postcode. BANT Chair Miguel Toribio-Mateas said: “Small changes to your diet may lead to big changes in your health. Work with your local Nutritional Therapist to devise the plan that works for you. “Have you seen your GP, who has run all of the appropriate tests and informed you that the results......
Renowned activist and author Michael Pollan argues that cooking is one of the simplest and most important steps people can take to improve their family’s health, build communities, fix our broken food system, and break our growing dependence on corporations. The event was chaired by Tim Lang, Professor of Food Policy at City University, London....
Veggie shy Brits are still not meeting the 5-a-day message more than 10 years since the campaign was launched, a survey of more than 2,000 people has revealed. Only 10% of those surveyed were tucking into five portions of vegetables or more on an average day and a shocking 6% were eating no vegetables at all, the British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT) has discovered. BANT says that the results of the survey are extremely concerning as a healthy intake of vegetables should be closer to 7-a-day......
The British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT) today put forward its members as key players in the fight against the nation’s obesity crisis. The move comes after the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) released the UK’s obesity statistics today. The HSCIC’s report shows the proportion of adults with a normal Body Mass Index (BMI) decreased between 1993 and 2012 from 41.0 per cent to 32.1 per cent among men and from 49.5 per cent to 40.6 per cent among women. There was a marked increase......
