NEWS 3
ausdoc. com. au 22 AUGUST 2025
NEWS 3
Dr Muecke slams diabetes handbook
The RACGP handbook downplays low-carb diets, the ophthalmologist says.
AAP
Ciara Seccombe THE 2020 Australian of the Year has opened fire at the RACGP, claiming its Management of Type 2 Diabetes handbook is biased against low-carbohydrate diets. Dr James Muecke, an ophthalmologist, told the AMA National Conference in Adelaide this month that the handbook favoured low-calorie, ultra-processed meal replacements; medications; and bariatric surgery ahead of carbohydrate reduction.
RACGP leaders were“ riddled” with conflicts of interest, and most of the handbook’ s contributors had received payments from pharmaceutical companies, including makers of weight loss drugs, he claimed.
“ Can we trust this influential team to have applied an independent lens to such a far-reaching document?” he asked.
‘ Promoting real food rather than medications or ultra-processed concoctions should be first line.’ Dr James Muecke.
He said the handbook contained“ a few |
a sustainable approach to weight loss or |
RACGP guidance on managing conflicts of |
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a comprehensive approach to managing |
brief mentions of therapeutic carbohy- |
remission of type 2 diabetes and only ben- |
interest and were“ required to disclose any |
type 2 diabetes,” the college said. |
drate reduction, but amounting to roughly |
efit the companies that produce and sell |
potential conflicts or sources of bias, which |
It said the handbook, last updated in |
half a page, and much of it dismissive of |
them and the researchers and institutions |
are carefully managed throughout the |
2024, acknowledged low-carb diets but that |
the approach, using cherry-picked data”. |
who are funded by them,” he said. |
guidelines’ preparation”. |
the recommendations relating to low-calorie |
“ This contrasts to the 20 pages dedi- |
“ Promoting real food rather than med- |
The RACGP said external experts and |
diets reflected“ the evidence and expert |
cated to the pharmaceutical management |
ications or ultra-processed concoctions |
organisations had reviewed the handbook’ s |
consensus at the time of publication”. |
of type 2 diabetes.” |
should be first-line management for any |
content. |
“ The growing interest in therapeutic |
He also attacked the handbook’ s sec- |
metabolic disorder.” |
“ The diabetes handbook aims to pro- |
carbohydrate reduction was recognised in |
tions on meal-replacement products. |
In response, RACGP president Dr |
vide GPs with a range of evidence-based |
the handbook, and we are committed to |
“ Ultra-processed substances are not |
Michael Wright said contributors followed |
options and highlights the importance of |
regularly reviewing emerging evidence.” |
Dr Jereth Kok guilty of online abuse
Dr Jereth Kok.
FROM PAGE 1 other posts that were demeaning towards the LGBTQI + community related to Dr Kok’ s opposition to Victorian legislation to ban conversion therapy.
For example, in one post, Dr Kok described it as“ cruel” to deny people from receiving help for“ unwanted passions, sexual brokenness or a confused sense of self”.
In his defence, Dr Kok said no patient had asked for his help in relation to their sexual orientation but, if they did, he would advise it was not a medical matter, and recommend they consult a minister of religion.
“ I regard same-sex attraction as a‘ disorder’ in the sense of being contrary to God’ s design for the world and for humanity, but I recognise that it is no longer seen as a disorder in psychiatric or medical terms,” he told the tribunal.
“ Hence, I have never described homosexuality as a‘ disorder’ in a clinical setting.”
He said he had cared for many gay or lesbian patients without disclosing his personal views, including one patient who had experienced significant stress
‘ I have never described homosexuality as a disorder in a clinical setting.’
during the 2017 same-sex marriage plebiscite.
Overall, Dr Kok argued that if the tribunal decided he had a case to answer, it should be a finding of unprofessional conduct regarding a small number of posts.
However, the tribunal found him guilty of professional misconduct.
“ Some posts show Dr Kok not respecting or acting professionally and courteously to other medical practitioners,” the tribunal concluded.“ Some posts do not respect diverse cultures, beliefs, gender identity or sexualities of people.
“ A large number of the posts are inconsistent with the code of conduct applying at the time of the post.”
The 31 posts over which the tribunal cleared Dr Kok included one where he said it was valid to ask for“ the scientific, historic or empirical evidence that the greater the racial, ethnic, cultural and religious diversity of a nation, the stronger it becomes”.
The tribunal found this was a political statement and not derogatory towards any racial group.
However, in another instance, Dr Kok had shared a meme that said:“ Instead of traditional warfare, Chinese military will now be trained to shout wrong pronouns at American troops.”
The tribunal found this post was derogatory to the LGBTQI + community.
Doctors tussle with bare-knuckle‘ dog fighting’
AAP
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Ciara Seccombe ANTHONY Mundine wants to stage a bare-knuckle boxing fight in front of 4000 spectators in September despite AMA WA calling the activity“ the human equivalent of dog fighting”.
A fight failed to go ahead in Perth after the Combat Sports Commission blocked the planned event.
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However, the former rugby league player and boxer has set his sights on Brisbane as a host city, setting up a showdown with AMA Queensland.
“ If you look at the stats, man, it’ s probably safer than [ traditional ] boxing. I mean, because the weight cuts aren’ t as bad and... [ they are ] a lot healthier and the sponge on the brain is way better,” he said last month.
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“ Obviously, it’ s going to be bloodier because it’ s bare knuckle and the skin can split quite easily.
“ It’ s going to look more scary, but it actually isn’ t.
“ We’ re doing it at a professional level, where the fighters train for this type of fight.”
AMA Queensland director Professor Paul Griffin said:“ In a
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worst-case scenario, someone could suffer a traumatic brain injury, particularly with repeated exposure to knockout blows.”
He said allowing a bare-knuckle boxing event made no sense when so much had been achieved to reduce coward punch attacks and most sports were taking head knocks more seriously than ever.
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Anthony Mundine. |