Efficacy and Risks of CSIRO's Total Wellbeing Diet Continue to be Debated. (April 13, 2006)

    Alastair Robertson, Group Executive, Agribusiness, CSIRO wrote on February 23 to the journal  Nature defending the Organisation's Total Wellbeing Diet under the title "Diet's healthy blend of science and practicality".

    Prior to that on December 22 the journal had published an editorial taking CSIRO to task for the claims it was making for its diet. And on December 31, 2005 TFW in a Viewpoint, "CSIRO's Total Wellbeing Diet Stirs Unwelcome and Unnecessary Controversy", reported that the claims being made by the diet's authors, Drs Manny Noakes and Peter Clifton in the popular media were not substantiated by their own scientific papers which they were citing in support.

Now in the April 13 issue of Nature Rosemary Stanton of the University of New South Wales and Tim Crowe of  School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Victoria question and counter Dr Robertson's statements and refer to possible risks if the diet were to be followed rigorously for prolonged periods.

On March 13 The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Dr Noakes had confirmed a sequel to the The CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet is in the pipeline.

Below are copies of Robertson's letter and that of Stanton and Crowe.