Ian Macdonald
Ian Macdonald is currently Professor of Metabolic Physiology at the University of Nottingham and Head of the newly formed School of Life Sciences in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Career
Macdonald is a registered nutritionist who has previously worked as an advisor to large food corporations Coca-Cola and Mars.
He is also currently joint editor of the International Journal of Obesity, a member of the UK Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, a Fellow of the Society of Biology and an Honorary Fellow of the Association for Nutrition. [1]
Controversy
In March 2014 controversy was triggered when the British Government stated that they won't act on advice given by the World Health Organisation (WHO) about peoples sugar intake. The WHO recommended the need to cut people's sugar intake by half amid increasing concern from scientists that high sugar intake is fuelling obesity and tooth decay. [2]
The UK expert panel chose to ignore the advice from the WHO and instead decided to follow guidance from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition which is lead by Macdonald. Macdonald is among five of the eight members of a UK expert panel who chose to reject this advice from the WHO. These members of the panel have been accused by anti-sugar campaigners of having “worryingly close” ties with the fast food and confectionary industry. [2]
Government officials confirmed that their advice will come from SACN, although they said the committee was expected to carefully consider the evidence which led WHO to make its recommendations. [2]
The controversy was further fuelled by the fact that Macdonald previously worked for confectionary giants Coca Cola and Mars. Macdonald however, stepped down from both Mars and Coca Cola's European advisory boards for the duration of the inquiry into carbohydrates, including sugar in people's diet, by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition for the UK Government. [3]
Notes
- ↑ Ian Macdonald www.nutritionsociety.org, accessed 24 February 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Britain 'will not act' on sugar advice The Telegraph, 9 March 2014, accessed 24 February 2015
- ↑ Sugar intake must come down, says WHO – but UK likely to resist The Guardian, 7 September 2013, accessed 24 February 2015
