Printable page in A4 size Dr Annika Dahlqvist
Best Practice - 2008
Experts in Court
I spoke earlier about researchers who's career ended when they tried to produce work that opposed the key ideas in the new paradigm. Medical doctors seemed in the past to have more freedom.
When 
Dr Robert Atkins was promoting his "Atkins Diet Revolution" He was hounded in the press, but he was never disqualified as a medical practitioner.
Dr Richard Bernstein, couldn't get his papers published, but he did get several books out, and his licence to practice was not revoked.
Dr Annika Dahlqvist is the first of a whole line of medical professionals and dietitians who have been legally challenged. Some have simply accepted "discipline." Others are currently facing battles in court.
Today, to stand against the paradigm is a decision that can still have serious consequences for the professionals involved. Right now Prof. Tim Noakes in South Africa is involved in a court case that's reaching into the third year. It's cost several million dollars, and it's not yet decided. (The case was resolved in 2017. The adjudicator of the court in South Africa will found Noakes had been professional, and that on each of ten counts he had no case to answer.)
In Tasmania, Dr Gary Fettke runs a very successful clinic for obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome.
Gary Fettke advocated a LCHF diet for diabetics, “so I can stop removing feet by surgical procedure.”
However his public criticism of the dietary guidelines and his comments about the dietary prevention of cancer caused the Australian Dietitians to complain about him. Gary Fettke was silenced by the Australian Health Practitioners Authority. He is not allowed to speak in public about nutrition, diabetes or cancer. Late in 2018 the Australian Health Practitioners Authority, withdrew the complaints and wrote a letter of apology to Dr Fettke.
Dr Annika Dahlqvist - Best Practice - 2008
Dahlqvist had her own weight and health problems. She adopted a ketogenic diet, and lost weight easily. In her own words:
"I'm a doctor, a specialist in general medicine. I live in Njurunda, Sundsvall.
"In autumn 2004, I discovered how low carbohydrate diet helped me both to obesity and ill health. I had been suffering from enteritis (IBS), gastritis and acid reflux, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, insomnia, snoring, irritable bladder were other health problems. All these ailments or illnesses disappeared pretty quickly once I reduced carbohydrates in my diet, and increased the natural fat."
She began to tell her patients about her success, they followed her recommendation and eventually this got into the press.
In 2005 two dietitians reported her to the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare, charging her with medical malpractice. In November 2006, her employer dismissed her, because her advice wasn't officially approved.
January 2008 a different answer came from the Swedish Experts Committee:
"…low carb diets can today be seen as compatible with scientific evidence, and is best practice for weight reduction, for patients who are overweight or with diabetes type 2.
… A number of studies have shown effect in the short term and no evidence of harm has emerged…"
Recommended Book
Low Carb High Fat Cooking for Healthy Aging: 70 Easy and Delicious Recipes to Promote Vitality and Longevity: with chef Birgitta Höglund, in English. The Customer reviews of this book are enthusiastic.
After that she became a celebrity: "I went around the country and kingdom and held lectures on LCHF." She has also written several books.
She believes that the standard nutritional model only survives because of financial support from the food industry and pharmaceutical industry. Both make money from it. Carbohydrates encourage us to eat too often and to eat too much. The illness this creates, diabetes, heart disease and some cancers, are the lifeblood of the pharmaceutical industry.
In autumn 2009 there was a second turning point in her professional career. She argued against the mass vaccination against swine flu that was then recommended. It started a strong media campaign against her, because the authorities believed that vaccination was vital. She was suspended from work on the Primary Victims of the Västernorrland County Council because she was, "considered a dangerous person." Her celebrity status declined.
Later it turned out that there was an over-reaction to swine flu. Millions of doses of vaccine were produced that were never used. There is still debate about the decision to act urgently, and how effective the vaccine was. Dr Dahlqvist claims that; "I was right in the case of mass vaccination." (Personally, I think that's still in dispute.)
