With two series of Doctor in the House and several appearances on the BBC Breakfast red sofa under his belt, Dr Rangan Chatterjee is a familiar face on our TV screens. He talked to Louise Wates about his approach to medicine and why he believes that addressing lifestyle factors is in keeping with the Hippocratic oath to do no harm
Despite his popularity on-screen, Dr Rangan Chatterjee from the BBC series Doctor in the House is swimming against a tide of medical convention. After series one in 2015, he was criticised by The British Dietetic Association for getting a patient with type 2 diabetes to remove from her diet foods (such as wheat) that are known to spike blood sugar quickly, and to focus on getting five vegetables per day for a short period of time. (The patient got better.) Shortly before our meeting, his name comes up in conversation with a dietitian who, again, criticises Rangan’s approach, even though it worked.
But Rangan isn’t alone; there are doctors around the world who are taking similar approaches to nutrition, some in the face of criticism. Yet he says there is increasing evidence to show how nutrition can influence health. Doctors, he says, are also “increasingly recognising that not everything they do is working”.
Last year, Rangan used the TED stage to present How to make diseases disappear in which he mentioned some diseases that are currently considered incurable.
“TED talks are about big ideas and big concepts,” he says. “I get the potential controversy, but I want to change the way that we look after our patients.
“Is it possible to make every disease disappear? No. Can we do better than we are already doing? Yes. Can we do a little bit better? No, we can do a lot better.”
Doing “a lot better”, he feels, will benefit patients and the NHS, which is buckling under the strain of lifestyle diseases. But he didn’t always see it that way; it was a family crisis that changed his perception of medical practice.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Summer Of
Summer is when we want to be out and about, as the warm embrace of the sofa on a cold winter’s night becomes a distant memory. So where do you go when the brain is willing but the body just can’t cut it at the same level of performance that it managed decades ago? Graeme Wilcockson reviews a few ways to satisfy those competitive weekend instincts that will tax both mind and body — yet leave you able to move on Monday morning
Common Kitchen Practices Making Us Sick
Every year, thousands of us fall sick from food poisoning because of how we have handled food. Louise Scodie and Louise Wates look at common ways in which we are going wrong
Could Antioxidants Save Our Bacan?
Nitrates and nitrites have long been linked to cancer. We look at how they are part of a chain reaction that may not always be harmful to human health... So what’s the case with bacon?
Eat For A Glow That Is More Than Skin Deep
Now that summer is here, it’s time to peel off the layers and make some vitamin D. But if your skin isn’t as peachy as you would like, or if you are worried about staying safe in the sun, find out how good nutrition may support your skin’s health. Maggie Charlesworth writes
Natural Beauty
If headlines about microbeads from cosmetics polluting our seas have got you wondering how you can do your bit for the environment, try using nature’s harvest to feed your skin. Hannah Maryse Robinson writes
A Summer Selection Of Goods And Goodies
Lazy Vegan frozen Chunky Pulled Peaz is a gluten-free, plant-based protein source suitable for vegans and — with a substantial texture — flexitarians.
Do Something Different
As many of us are concerned about keeping our brains active, Ellie Smith investigates whether trying something completely new could boost both our brain health and mental wellbeing
Lifting Weights, Lifting Confidence
When Bianca Mills was bullied at school she could not have dreamt that she would be able to speak in front of a group of women, let alone coach them in lifting free weights. She told Louise Wates why she believes buddying-up is just as important as physical strength for fostering confidence
Teaching Children How To Forage
Catherine Morgan finds out how foraging can teach children (and adults) about more than nature’s store cupboard, and can foster an understanding of and respect for the environment.
Keep Calm And Curry On
In August, India celebrates the anniversary of Indian Independence, yet the Anglo-Indian community, a legacy of the British Raj with its roots in European and Indian ancestry, still treads the cultural line between both communities. Jenny Mallin, author of A Grandmother’s Legacy, tells us about the fusion food in her family and recipes passed down through the generations
