Dr C: “Don’t fall for dodgy diet advice!”
TV presenter Jameela Jamil has called out celebs for promoting detox teas to young followers. Dr C supports her wholeheartedly
Presenter and P body-positive activist Jameela Jamil is telling young women not to listen to health advice from celebs who don’t know what they’re talking about and who are often being paid to sell diet products. Good on her.
TRY NOT TO COMPARE
Celebs like Cardi B and Khloé Kardashian have enough money, they don’t need more from promoting damaging products to vulnerable fans. One in four young women has a mental illness, from anxiety to depression to body image issues. If someone is feeling unhappy, they often compare themselves to others on social media. If they see people they admire giving diet advice, they’re vulnerable to it.
QUESTION #ADS
Rapper Cardi B said she’d lost her baby weight with a detox tea, and Jameela was furious. She said she hoped all the celebs recommending these products “s**t their pants in public, the way the women who buy this rubbish upon their recommendation do.” How refreshing to see someone using social media to call out this damaging nonsense. Rapper Iggy Azalea has also said meal replacement shakes gave her “more definition in my tummy without losing my ass”. Yet her “ass” is the result of cosmetic surgery. It’s shocking. If you want to get healthy, you would be better off talking to a GP. If you want to get fitter, contact a personal trainer.
These detox teas contain laxatives, which GPS prescribe for constipation – not weight loss – and only for a week or so, not for weeks on end, like these teas. The laxatives flush out everything, so if you’re on medications, they may not work – including the Pill. If you take them long-term they can cause dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and rebound constipation. Using laxatives for weight loss is the first step to an eating disorder. People see “detox” and think “healthy”, but laxatives will also stop you absorbing nutrients from food. Healthy weight loss is all about portion control and exercise – anything that seems too good to be true usually is.
IGNORE THE NONSENSE
Companies are grooming a generation of young people to dislike their bodies, so they can make money out of providing the supposed solutions. I hope people listen to Jameela, not this toxic junk.