Blogger Threatened to be Jailed For Writing About How Paleo Diet Helped His Diabieties
By JULIE - 3:54:00 PM
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| Steve Cooksey Before Paleo Diet and After Photo |
Steve Cooksey is a blogger who advocates a paleothic diet ( a diet based on foods only available to early humans with no grains, potatoes, beans, or refined sugars), to help with diabetes. He had diabetes and after going on a paleo diet he no longer needs any diabetes drugs or insulin. The problem? The North Carolina Board of Dietetics/Nutrition feels he has violated the state law in chapter 90, Article 25 of the North Carolina General Statutes makes it a misdemeanor to “practice dietetics or nutrition” without a license. According to the law, “practicing” nutrition includes “assessing the nutritional needs of individuals and groups” and “providing nutrition counseling.” Despite having the following disclaimer at the bottom of every page on his website diabetes-warrior.net : “I am not a doctor, dietitian, nor nutritionist … in fact I have no medical training of any kind.” they claim that he was still presenting himself as an expert despite his lack of medical training.
How did this all start? Steve said in the audio interview below that he was attending a nutritional seminar that he felt was giving dangerous advice to diabetics and voiced his concerns at the seminar. Someone at the seminar looked up his website and brought his website to the North Carolina Board of Dietetics/Nutrition attention. Upon looking at the boards notes on his website it looks like he was offering diabetes support packages for a fee. Should that matter or not? What do you think?
The Atlantic had an interesting take on this story. Megan Garber proposed the idea that since the case is that despite his clear notice that he has no medical background that the board believes him still coming across as an expert from his experience not credentials which threatens the system that values degrees and professional experience. I think there might be something to that. Steve also had a good point in the interview posted below (the video of an audio interview) is that big pharma and food control the
American Diabetes Association.
Unless Cooksey completely rewrites his blog, he could be sued by the licensing board. If he loses the lawsuit and refuses to take down the blog, he could face up to 120 days in jail. According to Mike Adams editor of Natural News, nearly a decade ago, several U.S. Senators got together and tried to push a bill that would make it a federal crime to offer health advice on the internet. That effort failed, and we never heard anything more about it." This case raises questions such as could this censorship insanity spread to other states? Might such censorship be pursued at a federal level?
So not only can you go to jail for planting a garden in your front yard, but you can go to jail for blogging about how you are able to improve your health? There have also been raids on the Amish for selling raw milk and on a farm to fork dinner because they served food without labels and without receipts among many other odd reasons. There was also charges placed on a high school teacher using his property as a way to teach inner city youth about urban homesteading. And recently a man died as a result of a battle between local government trying to take his property on account of him having chickens legally (more to come on that soon it's a CRAZY story). Glad to know such evil citizens are being taken care of. I mean farmers, the Amish, bloggers, gardeners and urban homesteaders are all what's wrong with this country, definitely a good use of tax payer funds. Is this still the land of the free? It doesn't sound like America to me.
Interview with Steve Cooksey
You can read more about his story:
The Carolina Journal News Reports.
The Atlantic
Natural News
Check out the PDF file of Steve Cooksey's website that they had problems with the board's red pen notes about what they had problems with.
Robert Scott Bell recently interviewed Paleo blogger Steve Cooksey. Find the April 25, 2012 show at:http://naturalnewsradio.com/Archive-RobertScottBell.asp
Steve Cooksey's website http://www.diabetes-warrior.net
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