Christopher Scarfe is a DipION nutritionist practising in Cornwall, who previously claimed to have been a Director of the Institute for Optimum Nutrition (ION). However, we found that some of the biographical information on Scarfe’s website was inaccurate and asked him for more information about this and about his role in the early history of the ION.
We wrote very politely to ask Scarfe some quick questions, and he replied with an unwarranted barrage of unpleasantries – insulting us, our blog, blogs in general, and our lolcats. We’d rather not publish the full correspondence – we don’t think it looks very stylish, and there’s already more than enough ill-framed discourtesy available on the Internet – but if Scarfe wishes to question our account of this correspondence in any way then we will very happily put the whole exchange online. Anyway, while I can take a rude e-mail or two, Scarfe went too far when he criticised the looks of our lolcats: how can you see the cute ickle kitty cat above and say that it looks like it needs omega 3…?
Scarfe’s website – where potential clients could learn about his experience and qualifications (the site also gives details of fees, contact info, etc) – used to claim that “In 1986 Christopher Scarfe graduated from The Institute for Optimum Nutrition (ION)…He then became a co-owner and director of ION between 1986 and 1991.” That sounded very impressive – becoming Director of your alma mater so soon after graduation, even if the school in question was the ION. However, we triple-checked the Companies House Records for the ION: Scarfe was not listed as a Director. Obviously, accuracy is important to us – so we contacted Scarfe to ask why his Directorship was not registered with Companies House. Aside for the aforementioned insults to Emo Kitty, Scarfe did eventually correct his website – when we pointed out that Companies House records are at variance with the claims on his website – and thank us for pointing the inaccuracies on his site. The new site states that Scarfe “became a partner and co-owner of ION between 1987 and 1990.” This does appear to be consistent with the Companies House records: during ION’s 1987 liquidation, it realised three payments of £383.33 from Holford and Scarfe, attributed to sale of assets (interestingly, the records also list disbursements of £314.99 and £25 to Holford and Scarfe, attributed to settlements of insurance claims).
In other words, Scarfe’s role at the ION was different from how he described it on his website – until he was corrected by Holford Watch – and took place over a shorter period. Aside from the aforementioned gratuitous insults to Emo Kitty, we do feel that it is important to be accurate about these things and we’re therefore pleased to see that Scarfe has corrected the inaccuracies on his website.
We know this might seem excessively detailed, but it’s very interesting how complex accounts of the history of the prestigious ION – alma mater of most of the ‘qualified’ UK nutritionists, and of Patrick Holford – can become. Because this, and Scarfe’s rudeness to our lolcats, we’ll keep a note of these inaccuracies up here for the record.
At the top of this post, I can almost see Emo Kitty smiling.
LeeT – I’m a humble follower of the dietetic way. Raworth looks pretty scary, but they all do to me (seems to be run by teachers and nurses but no-one with any real training in nutrition as usual). Makes some pretty steep claims concerning involvement in education, government and industry. Looks as if the best thing to do with your Dip. ION is to set up a college and teach! Dip. Red Hot…. just Dippy.
Check this one out:
http://www.bcnh.co.uk/about/about1_2.html
does the name Dr Culp ring any bells?
halfabrain – I think nurses working in general practice have to know a bit about nutrition. One of the reasons for the ASA’s 2003 adjudication against Patrick Holford was that he claimed “A trainee GP spends less than 12 hours studying nutrition, compared to thousands of hours studying pharmacology” so I would not want to make the same mistake with nurses. Does anyone know the amount of nutritional training nurses have? Given how few dieticians there are perhaps given them more training in nutrition might lessen the “need” for nutritional therapists.
Thanks for the link to the BCNH which I enjoyed reading. I particularly liked
“Following graduation at BCNH, X was invited to become a Tutor at the college”. However, my favourite has be this strangely worded sentence “Apart from science-based evidence, we believe in working with the medical profession, not against them”. Finally, could Bedfordshire police tell us why they did not use a dietician or nurse to help with their health programme? (See http://www.bcnh.co.uk/practitioners.html)
I think I can trump you with an even crankier website: http://www.nutritionalmed.co.uk/htm/about.htm “Self-taught and formally trained therapists can join the Register as Full Members and work up the ladder of educational courses to attain the level at which they choose to work”
LeeT – Yup, I’m truly trumped.
You’re right to take me up on a comment that could be taken to imply that the nursing profession in general knows little about nutrition. Certainly not what I meant to imply, and yes, from my experience nurses spend a good deal of time updating their knowledge in nutrition relating to their practice (with training often provided by dieticians). My main issue is with the teaching of a subject supposedly to be practised at a professional level without a formal qualification specifically in that subject.
I’m not sure there is a shortage of dietitians, but rather funding for posts …..
This is a great site, keeps me sane and makes me laugh. Thanks.
I hope you get a response from the Bedfordshire police ….
My question to Bedfordshire police was rhetorical. I don’t really have the courage to take on the forces of law and order!
Regarding training for nutritional therapists I think they should all be working towards a BSc level qualifications, unless they have a relevant first degree such as biochemistry or food science.
Who is Dr Culp?
This is a great site, keeps me sane and makes me laugh. Thanks.
Thank you :) We’ll soon be launching the holfordwatch Chair in Nutrition and Mental Health, to further explore the benefits of blogging in the context of maintaining sanity ;)
There are around 6-10 hours of dietetic teaching on undergraduate nursing courses, and for post-grad courses usually 2-4h per course, occasionally a bit more for community nurse courses.
Most nurses acquire a clinical knowledge of diet from working with dietitians as part of the multidisciplinary team. Likewise, dietitians pick up lots of tips about the screening and management of patients from the nurses expertise. I have a great respect for the knowledge and people skills of the nurses I work with, and I for one would not be capable of their ‘hands-on’ profession of caring for a patient from life to death, and dealing with the stress of managing the patient and the relatives…. I salute them.
Of major concern is the graduate nurse who quickly moves out into private practice, or takes a nutritional course that supposedly builds on their clinical knowledge. I have come across several in my career, usually ION trained, who are completely oblivious that their useless – not to say harmful – advice to clients with serious health problems creates more health issues than they manage.
The major concern is that the RGN qualification affords them a degree of respectability for the client seeking nutritional guidance. That they are unconciously incompetent in the subject is a greater worry than being aware of their limitations.
For any readers of this column, especially in the Surrey/ Sussex/ Kent area I would strongly advise checking that your ‘RGN Nutritionist’ is either registered with the Nutrition Society, or the Health Professions Council. If they are ‘registered’ with any other supposed ‘Nutritional Body’ – stay well clear.
Caveat emptor.
UK Dietician – Do you of anyone describing him/herself as an “RGN Nutritionist”? That certainly sounds a bit misleading. I have seen a number of website of ION diplomates who mention nursing careers.
I wonder if the Nursing and Midwifery Council has any guidelines as to how registered nurses should market their services when operating outside the NHS?
for skeptic’s circle 73
organic food and farming
at
http://www.skepdic.com/organic.html
Actually I think Christopher Scarfe the good guy, he advocates eating good nutritious food, not popping pills for profit. I can’t see what the kitten has to do with anything….but it is not a cute or pretty thing.
As a former leading figure in ION he was probably heavily involved in the training of people who were involved in the promotion of supplements – whatever his current stance.
If you had read the item or its associated piece then you would understand the reference to the kitten.