Prince Charles: may I humbly suggest a research project?

Prince Charles’ views on health have repeatedly taken centre stage on this blog. And rightly so; they are often weird and wonderful. In 2013, for instance, I quoted them extensively:

Charles stands for…”the kind of care that integrates the best of new technology and current knowledge with ancient wisdom. More specifically, perhaps, it is an approach to care of the patient which includes mind, body and spirit and which maximizes the potential of conventional, lifestyle and complementary approaches in the process of healing”. Charles believes that conventional medicine aims “to treat the symptoms of disease” his vision of a post-modern medicine therefore is “actively to create health and to put the patient at the heart of this process by incorporating those core human elements of mind, body and spirit…This whole area of work – what I can only describe as an ‘integrated approach’ in the UK, or ‘integrative’ in the USA – takes what we know about appropriate conventional, lifestyle and complementary approaches and applies them to patients. I cannot help feeling that we need to be prepared to offer the patient the ‘best of all worlds’ according to a patient’s wishes, beliefs and needs“. Charles also points out that “health inequalities have lowered life-expectancy” in parts of the UK and suggests, if we “tackle some of these admittedly deep-seated problems, not only do you begin to witness improvements in health and other inequalities, but this can lead to improvements in the overall cost-efficiency and effectiveness of local services.“

Sounds alright? Well – at least it is touching to see how he is concerned about inequalities in the UK!

But the royal and no doubt well-intended views need to be followed by royal actions. If not, such words might degenerate into royal BS. If Charles is so keen on giving us all THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS, he should stop promoting outright quackery such as homeopathic remedies. They contain nothing but sugar! But that is one substance Charles seems to be rather fond of, regardless of the harm it can do in high doses to public health.

Recently, Prince Charles has been criticised by health campaigners for the high sugar content of his Duchy Organic ice cream. The Duchy Organic vanilla ice cream contains 14.5g of sugar per 100g, almost double the amount of Asda’s ‘smart price’ vanilla ice cream which has 7.9g sugar per 100g.  If that wasn’t enough of a blow to the Prince’s brand, the Asda ice cream is also much more affordable at 85p for two litres – compared with £3.49 for every 750ml tub of the Duchy Organic product. Charles’ Dutchy Originals products are sold by Waitrose, and a spokesman of the retailer said: “Waitrose Duchy Organic vanilla ice cream is an indulgent product which is not aimed at children.”

Indulgent like in ‘expensive’? So much for inequalities, Charles.

But let’s not go there; let’s be constructive; after all, the man is full of good will, isn’t he?

I recommend the R&D department of Dutchy Originals put their profits and Charles convictions to good use. Specifically, I suggest they start a research programme on the homeopathic cure for sugar-induced obesity. If Charles is correct, and LIKE CURES LIKE, the obesity epidemic in the UK should be treatable with the very cause of excess body weight. It follows that potentised sugar ought to be a cure for obesity.

I can see it now: DUTCHY ORIGINALS – ‘SUGAR C30’, £15.99 per 10g.