Intended for healthcare professionals

Rapid response to:

Feature Essay

What if sugar is worse than just empty calories? An essay by Gary Taubes

BMJ 2018; 360 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.j5808 (Published 04 January 2018) Cite this as: BMJ 2018;360:j5808

Rapid Response:

Re: What if sugar is worse than just empty calories? An essay by Gary Taubes

Although excessive sugar is considered unhealthy, this article does not make the case that sugar is the only major etiological dietary factor for type 2 diabetes or ischemic heart disease. Neither is the case made that saturated fat and a high fat intake do not play a major role in these diseases. Perhaps a more scientific article would be better received or at least we could hear the arguments from the other side of the debate. This article is very one sided and lacks any convincing evidence.

"What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence" to quote Christopher Hitchens.

Competing interests: No competing interests

27 January 2018
Joseph Braga
General Practitioner
Margate, Kent