The five worst celebrity diets to avoid this New Year
Our friends at The British Dietetic Association (BDA) have decided on the five most harmful celeb diets for the New Year. So whatever you do, make sure you avoid them!
The BDA (the nation’s largest organisation of food and nutrition professionals) has embarrassed the Dukan Diet for three years running, by claiming that it was the most harmful diet in the world. But this year, making a brand new entry, the Breatharian Diet snatches first place, followed by the Biotyping Diet, the Gluten-Free Diet, the Alcorexia Diet, and, in fifth place, that old favourite, the Dukan Diet.
Let’s take every diet in turn, starting with number five and working upwards, to see how truly awful they are.
Dukan Diet (number 1 in 2010, 2011 and 2012)
What’s it all about? This is a complicated high protein, no/low carb, four-phase diet that promotes rapid weight loss.
Celebrity link: The Duchess of Cambridge’s mum, Carole Middleton, and Jennifer Lopez have reportedly followed this diet.
BDA Verdict: Du-kan do so much better! The rigid Dukan Diet works by restricting food, and therefore restricting calories. Initial weight loss will be fluid. Even the creator of the diet, Pierre Dukan, who, in 2013 was banned from practising as a GP in France, has warned of associated issues with the diet. That is, diminishing energy, constipation (due to lack of fibre/cutting out food groups), the need for a vitamin and mineral supplement (due to lack of variety/cutting out food groups), and bad breath.
Alcorexia/Drunkorexia Diet (non-mover – last year number 4)
What’s it all about? It’s when people eat very few calories during the day/week, and ‘bank’ these ‘saved’ calories (kcals) in order to binge-drink alcohol over the weekend, usually. For example, if you favour a VLC diet (very low calorie) in order to follow this ‘diet’, you could be ‘banking’ around 1,500 kcals a day, which then gives you 10,500 kcals to drink during the week (based on the recommended female diet of 2,000 kcals per day). This amounts to:
45 pints of lager (based on a single pint being around 230 kcals). With a pint of lager being 2 units, this gives you a weekly alcohol intake of 90 units.
201 shots of spirits (based on a single shot being around 52 kcals). With a single shot of spirit being 1 unit, this gives you a weekly alcohol intake of 201 units.
131 glasses of red wine, or 26 bottles (based on a glass of red being around 80 kcals). With a single glass being 1 unit, this gives you a weekly alcohol intake of 131 units).
Context: The safe weekly alcohol unit intake is 28 units for men and 21 units for women.
Celebrity link: It is widely thought that many top models and others follow this ‘diet’.
BDA Verdict: Do not fall off the wagon! Following a VLC diet alone is madness in itself, as you will most certainly not be getting the calories, vitamins and nutrients your body needs to survive and function. Not only that, but by the end of the week when you are also tired and weak, you then subject your body to an onslaught of alcohol abuse. Alcohol has little nutrition other than calories. This is a worrying ‘diet’ that could end up causing immense damage to the body.
Gluten-Free Diet (new entry)
What’s it all about? Cutting out gluten – the protein found in wheat, barley rye, and oats.
Celebrity link: Gwyneth Paltrow allegedly advocates this.
BDA Verdict: Whilst important for those with coeliac disease or gluten sensitivity, there is no credible published research showing that a gluten-free diet per se leads to weight loss. Many foods that contain gluten, like breaded products, pastries, cakes and biscuits, are high in calories, so by avoiding them, many lose weight. Some believe, wrongly, that they can eat as much as they like of gluten-free substitutes like biscuits, sausages and beer. Gluten-free does not mean calorie-free.
Biotyping (new entry)
What’s it all about? The ‘BioSignature system’ relates to six different hormone types and fat accumulation in different body sites, and aims for ‘site’-specific body fat reduction, measured by skinfold calipers, through hormone balance. By choosing only certain foods, thus cutting out others, adding a training programme and taking supplements, the promise is that will ‘spot reduce’ fat.
Celebrity link: In 2013, singer Boy George reportedly cited this as attributing to his weight loss.
BDA Verdict: Bio-nonsense! This diet relies too heavily on supplements and pseudo-science, with only a selective grain of robust science (that hormones are involved in fat metabolism). It doesn’t even mention visceral fat (internal fatty tissue). Many people will lose weight on this type of approach because it restricts certain foods. It also restricts calorie intake and it involves physical activity.
And the worst diet in the world… The Breatharian Diet (new entry)
What’s it all about? Individuals who follow the Breatharian Diet are made to believe that they do not need to eat food or drink any liquids because they can achieve sustenance from air and/or sunlight alone.
Celebrity link: Actress Michelle Pfeiffer has reportedly revealed that she was involved in a cult that followed the Breatharian Diet. It’s similar to Madonna’s alleged Air Diet, when you pretend to eat the food on the plate in front of you and fill up by gulping air.
BDA Verdict: You seriously cannot live on fresh air alone! We cannot stress enough that people should not even consider following this diet. It doesn’t matter what anybody tries to tell us, the basic fact is that we all need food and liquid in our diet to live. There is nothing good we could ever say about the Breatharian Diet. You can be sure of weight loss if anyone attempted to ‘exist’ on this diet, but this would also be accompanied by dehydration, malnutrition, and risk of death.
The bottom line
Speaking about these and other fad diets, Sian Porter, consultant dietitian and Spokesperson for the BDA, said: “We hear it all when it comes to the latest way to shed those pounds! When people need medical advice, they go to their GP; and when people have a toothache, they go to their dentist. But some people will believe almost anything and anyone when it comes to nutrition, food and diet.
“The bottom line is, if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Also, if you have to pay out for a DVD or special book or product that will unlock the secrets of losing weight, this is a good indicator that the only pounds you will be losing will be out of your wallet.
“The simple fact is, there is no ‘wonder diet’. Maybe it’s not as exciting, but the truth is, if you do want to lose some weight, do it by eating a healthy balanced diet, watching your portion sizes, and being physically active.”
Save your money and access a whole raft of free BDA Food Fact Sheets, including one specifically about weight loss.
Are you planning to attempt a ‘super celeb diet’ this year? Or has this article put you off? Can you think of any better ways to lose weight? Talk to us in the comments box below.
You might also like
lovefood.com - Diet challenges
The top five craziest diets of 2012
Comments
Be the first to comment
Do you want to comment on this article? You need to be signed in for this feature