Gary and Belinda Fettke Discuss The challenges they’ve faced spreading the word about low carb and their Participation in THE 2021 Virtual Boca Conference
Gary and Belinda Fettke recently confirmed their plans to participate in the LowCarbUSA® 2021 Virtual Boca Conference scheduled to take place January 15-17, 2021, so we took the opportunity to speak with them about the current state of affairs in the low carb world, some of the challenges they’ve faced, and their optimism for the future.
Gary Fettke is an orthopedic surgeon who was officially sanctioned in 2016 by the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) for low-carb dietary recommendations he made to patients. He was effectively silenced by the AHPRA after years of harassment, and he and his wife were forced to defend themselves despite the fact that no incident of patient harm nor patient complaint was ever identified.
“We couldn’t afford to lose,” said Dr. Fettke of the ordeal that threatened to destroy his vision of helping patients restore their health through therapeutic carbohydrate restriction.
“We couldn’t afford to lose, because if we did, then no other health professional would ever have a chance of fighting the regulations or the guidelines,” said Belinda, who spent nearly 20 years working as a professional photographer, before devoting her efforts to helping clear her husband’s name. She had started her career as a Registered Nurse, and is now fully immersed in healthcare again, advocating for the low carb lifestyle.
“We feel personally responsible for public health advocacy,” she said.
Dr. Fettke was finally notified in September 2018 that the AHPRA had dropped all charges and formally apologized in writing.
The Fettkes have documented the ordeal on their website, in an article headlined Breaking news … AHPRA drop all charges!
Belinda and Gary said they are enthusiastic to participate in the 2020 Virtual Boca Conference because of the opportunity it affords them to reach a large group of people from all over the world and continue to spread the word about the effects lifestyle changes can have on an individual’s health.
“Never underestimate what a small group of people can do, and the huge impact they can have,” said Belinda. “We’ve been told type 2 diabetes is a chronic progressive disease. And we medicate and provide Band Aids for people. I think it’s an act of courage to actually stand up to those beliefs and to challenge authority.”
Dr. Fettke currently acts as a mentor for groups in other countries such as India and Indonesia, and he appreciates any opportunity to scale his message.
“I can’t possibly go to India and solve this for a billion people, but these groups allow us to take that message a lot lot further. it’s about giving voices to others or giving support to others so they can continue that message, and it has to grow. LowCarbUSA® is now providing this forum for us to continue to speak out, and this will allow us to reach even more people.”
Belinda said she believes the virtual event will provide a platform for low-carb information to reach people across the globe. “The more we can encourage people to talk, the more courage we can give people to just start to question guidelines, many of which have been written or shaped by vested interests.”
The LowCarbUSA® 2021 Virtual Boca Conference will address obesity and metabolic health with a focus diet and lifestyle. Every LowCarbUSA® conference features a powerhouse lineup of expert speakers on the therapeutic benefits of carbohydrate restriction for metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, Type 2 Diabetes and many other chronic diseases. Other topics covered will include exercise, diabetes, heart health, mental health and food addiction.
The powerhouse lineup of speakers includes:
- Robert Cywes, MD, PhD
- Ben Bocchiccio, PhD
- Brian Lenzkes, MD
- Tro Kalayjian, DO
- Jen Unwin. BSc, MSc, DPsy, C Psychol, FBPsS
- David Unwin, FRCGP
- David Diamond, PhD
- Gary Fettke, MB, BS, FRACS, FAOrthA
- Belinda Fettke
- Adele Hite, PhD
- Mark Cucuzzella, MD, FAAFP
- Ben Bikman, PhD
- Ignácio Cuaranta, MD
- Vyvyane Loh, MD
- Joan Ifland, PhD, MBA
- Amber O’Hearn
The conference will be streamed live, as was the hugely successful San Diego that was held this past August.
UPDATE: Registrations for the 2021 Virtual Boca Conference recordings are still available. CME credits are also available for a small additional charge. Visit the 2021 Boca Conference Event page for more information.
