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Australian paradox


The Australian Paradox is a term coined in 2011 to describe what its proponents claim are diverging trends in sugar consumption and obesity rates in Australia. The term was first used in a 2011 study published in Nutrients by Jennie Brand-Miller, in which she and co-author Alan Barclay reported that, in Australia, "a substantial decline in refined sugars intake [occurred] over the same timeframe that obesity has increased." The "paradox" in its name refers to the fact that sugar consumption is often considered (for example by Robert Lustig) to be a significant contributor to rising obesity rates, and because ecological studies in the United States have found a positive relationship between sugar consumption and obesity prevalence.

Some other researchers have criticized Brand-Miller's 2011 study, such as Rory Robertson, who argued that "[Brand-Miller's study's] regular claim – "In Australia sugar consumption has dropped 23 per cent since 1980" – is woefully misleading, based as it is on a series that was abandoned by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) as unreliable a decade ago." Robertson has also argued that while the paper claims that consumption of sugary soft drinks in Australia declined by 10% between 1994 and 2006, it actually increased by 30%. He cites these and other data to support calling the research "a menace to public health". In February 2014, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) aired a program criticizing the 2011 study proposing the existence of the paradox, based in part on Robertson's research. The CEO of the Australian Beverages Council, Geoff Parker, has responded that his industry cites other studies besides Brand-Miller's 2011 study to support their view that sugar is not uniquely linked to obesity. In response to Robertson's allegations, Sydney University, Brand-Miller's employer, launched an investigation to determine if she is guilty of research misconduct. A spokesperson for the university said there were "...no substantiated claims against the work of any academic at the university, nor indeed has there been any finding that the complaints warrant any further investigation". In July 2014, Brand-Miller and Barclay were cleared of misconduct by a six-month investigation conducted by Robert Clark of the University of New South Wales. Following an investigation prompted by the Australian economist, two minor arithmetical errors were identified in the original manuscript of The Australian Paradox which were promptly corrected. This was the only allegation out of 8 others that was substantiated.


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