LET’S GET REAL

As somebody who works in the fitness industry, I have seen firsthand some of the contest preparation problems that competitors face. I am aware of the issues associated with poor coaching and poor dieting. In fact, I am in the process of concluding my research in what I consider to be the underlying disease process affecting these individuals and that  is not metabolic damage. As a doctor, I am concerned that the spread of the concept of metabolic damage is going to give people a false sense of ailment. Furthermore, I am concerned about the conduct of many fitness professionals who are essentially boosting their own businesses by regurgitating other people’s information without knowing the context of the words they are using, and who are creating a large-scale witchhunt. This is happening, and the level of hypocrisy is terrifying. The metabolism is too vast to generically claim damage, especially as the damage is apparently a result  of metabolic adaptation—that is, the slowing of the metabolism as a result of reduced energy intake. This is completely normal; in fact without this response humanity would not have evolved during the centuries when people had to get by on limited food. So, it’s incorrect to describe metabolic damage as the outcome of years of bad eating. I have no doubt poor eating over a period of time leads to metabolic diseases, a good example of this being how reduced levels of activity and poor nutrient intake leads to very early onset Type 2 or non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus in very young children. This was traditionally a disease only seen in adults, and it’s almost MILOS MARKOVIC unquestionable that the quality  and volume of food eaten plays a  part in this. However, it is caused  by a number of factors, not just diet. Work will progress in this field; there is a lot of research to come.  My personal interest revolves around fitness competitors, models and serious trainers and I hope in the  very near future I will be able to shed some factual light on the issues they are experiencing. Everybody who works in the fitness world has a responsibility to share good information, but claiming you can fix a disease that isn’t even recognised in the medical world is absurd. Don’t fall victim to sales  and marketing.