Celebrity diets that deceive us
Experts warn of ‘dangerous’ food fads
LOSING weight is often top of the list of New Year’s resolutions.
But experts have warned dieters to steer clear of certain celebrity food ‘fads’ in January – including those championed by Gwyneth Paltrow, the Duchess of York and Katie Price.
The British Dietetic Association has released a list of eating regimes, from ketogenic to Pioppi, that should be avoided.
Some of the trends were labelled ‘downright dangerous’ by the organisation, which warns there is no ‘magic bullet’ when it comes to losing weight healthily.
The raw vegan diet, favoured by Sting and Miss Paltrow, has been hailed as a cure for obesity and other diseases. But the BDA said vegan food often contains the same number of calories as non-vegan options and some produce, such as carrots, are more nutritious when cooked.
‘The human body can digest and be nourished by both raw and cooked foods so there’s no reason to believe raw is inherently better … It may not damage your health in the short term, but could in the long term if the diet isn’t balanced,’ a spokesman said.
Supporters of the alkaline diet claim eating less acidic foods can change the blood’s PH balance and reduce health risks. Despite the diet being popular with the Duchess of York and Kate Hudson, the BDA said it is ‘based on a basic misunderstanding of human physiology’.
The BDA claims Katie Price’s diet supplements are ‘not a healthy, advisable or sustainable’ way to lose weight. Ketogenic diets, favoured by Halle Berry and Kim Kardashian, also came under fire.
Sian Porter, BDA consultant dietitian, said: ‘We hear it all … from the good to the bad, and at times even the downright dangerous. When we see a celebrity looking fabulous … telling us they did so through the latest fad diet it can be very tempting to believe that it will be the magic bullet … In reality, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.’
‘Can be tempting to believe’