This morning (29 August 2006) on Stephen Nolan's BBC Radio 5 phone-in

This morning (29 August 2006) on BBC Radio 5 there was a phone-in about obesity. A listener rang in and described himself as 5' 4" tall and weighing 15 stone (ie 210 pounds). He asked for help/advice about how to lose weight, saying that he had porridge made with Buxton Water for breakfast and a sandwich for lunch and that he took a LOT of exercise, even though he is 65 years old. He stressed the exercise and that he does not overeat, yet he is clearly obese and is puzzled why he is obese.

The presenter of the programme, Stephen Nolan, immediately assumed that the caller was lying about the amount of food he eats, and accused the caller of eating too much or drinking a lot, and simply refused to accept that the man was telling the truth. The nutrition expert who was in the studio congratulated the caller on his healthy lifestyle and seemed a little non-plussed when the caller pressed him as to why he is so overweight, then suggested that the caller would lose a little weight if he swapped his main meal of the day from the evening to the midday lunchtime.

None of this can have been much help to the caller, whose problem is clearly sodium and water retention!

I rang the programme's number, 0500 909693, and explained that some people gain weight because of sensitivity to salt. I asked the young man who answered the phone to bring up my website on his screen so that he knew that what I said was genuine and not motivated by commercial considerations, and he did so, and agreed. He said that if the producer of the programme decided to include me in the phone-in I would be rung back. (I had given my phone number.) - I knew that I would not be rung back. - This scenario has been played out so many times before. I've rung this sort of phone-in on Radio 5 many times over a period of 6 or 7 years now but I've never been able to get on to explain the true cause of obesity (salt sensitivity) and to suggest that people like the caller should abandon the calorie restriction and excess of exercise they are vainly using to try to lose weight, and instead lose weight rapidly, safely and easily simply by cutting down on salt.

I wasn't called back though there was ample time for me to be on the programme. - What a shame! - That caller's life could have been transformed, and so could the lives of many others of the listeners to the programme. - As it was, most of the contributions from listeners seemed to be on the predictable lines of insulting fat people and explaining how simple it would be for them to lose weight if they would only stop eating such a lot and get off their fat backsides and do some exercise...)o: - Therapy by insult, you might say... - But it is 'therapy' that does not work and that adds to the difficulties and suffering of obese people.

My help is free, effective and safe, but I don't seem to be able to get onto radio programmes to give it. - If you know that guy who rang in with his problem, tell him about my blog and my website, or if you know anyone else who is desperate to lose weight and has been unsuccessful with the usual 'slimming' advice, tell them. - PLEASE!