Why do we eat what we do?
Why is there so much conflict around the subject of food?
How can we reach a better understanding of food and nutrition and make the right choices for us and our families?
In today’s episode, I am speaking with Zoe Harcombe who is a public health researcher, author and speaker on matters of public health and nutrition.
We discuss:
• Some of the conflicts that shape our choices and how to take back control
• Why we should question everything, and especially nutritional guidelines influenced by the food industry
• How to enjoy good food without becoming obsessed
More about Zoe Harcombe
Dr. Zoë Harcombe is a Cambridge University graduate with a BA and MA in economics/maths and a long-term member of Mensa (the high IQ society). Zoë enjoyed a successful career in blue chip organisations before leaving corporate life in 2008 to pursue her passion – diet and health. Her early career involved international roles in management consultancy, manufacturing and marketing in global organisations – from FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) to telecoms – before specialising in Human Resources. She has worked for big food (Mars Inc.) and big pharma (GSK) and so knows these industries from within. At the peak of her career, Zoë was Vice President for Human Resources for Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Three of Zoë’s books were published while she was ‘Head of People.’ These were Why do you overeat?(2004), Stop Counting Calories & Start Losing Weight (2008), and a real food recipe book (2008). At the end of 2008, Zoë left employment to research obesity full time. This culminated in the publication in 2010 of The Obesity Epidemic: What caused it? How can we stop it? (in full here). This was followed by The Harcombe Diet for men in 2011 – a short read for those who don’t like diet books.
Zoë returned to full time education in 2012 to complete a PhD in public health nutrition (awarded March 2016). Her thesis was a systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence for the introduction of dietary fat restrictions. The full document is available to site members here. She has over 20 peer-reviewed publications challenging government dietary guidelines (listed here). The first paper from her PhD was the 64th most impactful paper in any discipline in 2015.
Hodder & Stoughton published The Harcombe Diet: 3-step plan in 2014 and Short Books published The Diet Fix in 2019. Several real food recipe books have been published along the way.
Zoë was an independent board member for Cardiff Metropolitan University between 2006 and 2012. She was also an independent board member for the Welsh National Health Service between 2009 and 2012.
Zoë has appeared regularly on radio and TV, featuring on Sky News; Steve Wright in the Afternoon; Radio 4’s The Food Programme; ITV Tonight and BBC Newsnight, as well as Fox News in the US. She has spoken at conferences worldwide, from Norway to South Africa and from California to Saudi Arabia. She has also written for numerous magazines and most national newspapers.
For over 15 years, Zoë has been writing a weekly diet and health blog. This dissects an academic article, busting myths about red meat, fibre, fruit, calories, cholesterol and fat etc. This ‘Monday note’ has also exposed many conflicts of interest in the public health arena.
Dr Zoë Harcombe, PhD
https://www.zoeharcombe.com
https://twitter.com/zoeharcombe
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