In response to recent comments in BMJ by Leandro M.T.Garcia, I would like to refer to four conclusions from my forty years of research.
In 1975 it was generally thought that sedentary workers didn’t do anything physical so their illnesses must be due to such factors as stress.
However I identified that repeatedly leaning forward to read and write was compressing the chest and abdomen, and while considering those aspects I eventually developed The Posture Theory in 1980.
In 1976 I had a lot of problems with fatigue so I enrolled in an exercise class at a medical research organisation in North Adelaide.
The standard method of improving fitness was to gradually increase the level of exercise each week but when I tried to do that the symptoms became worse so I slowed down and continued at my own pace.
Six years later the head of that organisation asked me to design a project to help other patients, and I was able to scientifically prove and reprove the effectiveness of the method between 1982 and 1983.
That method is now widely recommended and used under the name of PACING.
In 1994 I began experimenting with writing onto pages after placing them on benches on top of desks, and on tall platforms and lecterns, and I eventually invented the Standing Computer Posture in 1998, with the screen just below eye height, and the keyboard at elbow height, and I have been producing essays like that ever since.
In 1997 I modified and simplified the Pritikin Diet to treat angina caused by coronary artery disease.
It is salts, sugars, and fats which caused the problems, and which are added during food processing methods and included in packaging such as bottles, cans, and boxes which have complicated lists of ingredients on the back, so I discarded all such items from my cupboards and refrigerator and began eating fresh fruits and vegetables.
It is the diet that humans would have eaten before civilisation evolved so I called it the Tribeman's Diet.
The pain ceased to be a problem after six months.
I have recently published more detailed accounts of those ideas in the BMJ, and have included the essays as references.
References
1. Garcia Leonardo M.T. 2015 (February 5th), Recommendations for physical activity: moving beyond minutes and dose-response, BMJ 2015;350:h23, Actual page of response is http://www.bmj.com/content/350/bmj.h23/rr-0
2. Banfield M.A. 2014 (March 30th), The Posture Theory as an explanation for many previously unexplainable symptoms, BMJ 2008;336:1124, (Online Rapid Responses), Actual page of response for 30-3-14 is http://www.bmj.com/content/336/7653/1124/rr/692354
3. Banfield M.A. 2014 (April 6th), The biomechanics of writing, typing, and computing, and it’s relation to recurring abdominal pain, The British Medical Journal (Online Rapid Responses), BMJ 2008;336:1124, Actual page of response is http://www.bmj.com/content/336/7653/1124/rr/693338
5. Banfield M.A. 2014 (June 25th), The value of population studies in determining the cause and treatment of disease, BMJ 2014;348:g3617,(Online Rapid Responses), Actual page of response is http://www.bmj.com/content/348/bmj.g3617/rr/703395
Competing interests:
No competing interests
08 February 2015
Max Allan Banfield
Publisher
None
Unit 6, No.6 Hartman Ave., Modbury, South Australia 5092
Rapid Response:
In response to recent comments in BMJ by Leandro M.T.Garcia, I would like to refer to four conclusions from my forty years of research.
In 1975 it was generally thought that sedentary workers didn’t do anything physical so their illnesses must be due to such factors as stress.
However I identified that repeatedly leaning forward to read and write was compressing the chest and abdomen, and while considering those aspects I eventually developed The Posture Theory in 1980.
In 1976 I had a lot of problems with fatigue so I enrolled in an exercise class at a medical research organisation in North Adelaide.
The standard method of improving fitness was to gradually increase the level of exercise each week but when I tried to do that the symptoms became worse so I slowed down and continued at my own pace.
Six years later the head of that organisation asked me to design a project to help other patients, and I was able to scientifically prove and reprove the effectiveness of the method between 1982 and 1983.
That method is now widely recommended and used under the name of PACING.
In 1994 I began experimenting with writing onto pages after placing them on benches on top of desks, and on tall platforms and lecterns, and I eventually invented the Standing Computer Posture in 1998, with the screen just below eye height, and the keyboard at elbow height, and I have been producing essays like that ever since.
In 1997 I modified and simplified the Pritikin Diet to treat angina caused by coronary artery disease.
It is salts, sugars, and fats which caused the problems, and which are added during food processing methods and included in packaging such as bottles, cans, and boxes which have complicated lists of ingredients on the back, so I discarded all such items from my cupboards and refrigerator and began eating fresh fruits and vegetables.
It is the diet that humans would have eaten before civilisation evolved so I called it the Tribeman's Diet.
The pain ceased to be a problem after six months.
I have recently published more detailed accounts of those ideas in the BMJ, and have included the essays as references.
References
1. Garcia Leonardo M.T. 2015 (February 5th), Recommendations for physical activity: moving beyond minutes and dose-response, BMJ 2015;350:h23, Actual page of response is http://www.bmj.com/content/350/bmj.h23/rr-0
2. Banfield M.A. 2014 (March 30th), The Posture Theory as an explanation for many previously unexplainable symptoms, BMJ 2008;336:1124, (Online Rapid Responses), Actual page of response for 30-3-14 is http://www.bmj.com/content/336/7653/1124/rr/692354
3. Banfield M.A. 2014 (April 6th), The biomechanics of writing, typing, and computing, and it’s relation to recurring abdominal pain, The British Medical Journal (Online Rapid Responses), BMJ 2008;336:1124, Actual page of response is http://www.bmj.com/content/336/7653/1124/rr/693338
4. Banfield M.A. 2014 (January 8th), A 1982-3 research paper on the effects of regular exercise on chronic fatigue, BMJ 2013;347:f5731, (Online Rapid Responses),http://www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f5731/rr/680738
The attachment which contains the PDF for the paper is here
http://static.www.bmj.com/sites/default/files/response_attachments/2014/...
5. Banfield M.A. 2014 (June 25th), The value of population studies in determining the cause and treatment of disease, BMJ 2014;348:g3617,(Online Rapid Responses), Actual page of response is http://www.bmj.com/content/348/bmj.g3617/rr/703395
Competing interests: No competing interests