Mental Cure Lambasted

Mental health groups are outraged at claims by a British nutritionist that schizophrenia can be cured.

TV presenter and author Patrick Holford, who is visiting Melbourne next week, claims the psychotic disorder affecting 45,000 Victorians can be cured in most people by simple changes to diet.

The Mental Illness Fellowship warned the "misguided and irresponsible" advice could convince people with schizophrenia to stop taking medication, with disastrous results.

"Because it's a rotten illness, people of course want simple answers and some are likely to try this solution and go without medication," chief executive Liz Crowther said. "People (can then) become very, very unwell."

Ms Crowther said Mr Holford's theory centred on the belief that intolerances to some foods caused schizophrenia, and by adding and deleting some foods from the diet, the illness could be cured.

The organizer of Mr Hilford's seminar in Melbourne next week, Catherine Walker, said critics should listen to his ideas before judging him.

Mr Holford, founder of the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in Britain, could not be contacted yesterday.
Jen Kelly, medical reporter
Melbourne Herald, 17th May 2003