Dieticians warn: not all diets endorsed by stars are healthy

Dec 8, 2014 15:00 GMT  ·  By
Celebrities who endorse certain diets don't have your best interest at heart, so take what they say with a grain of salt
5 photos
   Celebrities who endorse certain diets don't have your best interest at heart, so take what they say with a grain of salt

There’s still time to lose some weight and fit perfectly into that new dress or suit by Christmas or New Year’s, but perhaps the worst thing you can do right now is pick up one of those celebrity-endorsed diets.

The worst offenders this year, according to the British Dietetic Association, have been the famous Paleo or Caveman diet, eating clay, and the “vegan before 6” weight loss program, because they didn’t just promote unsustainable weight loss, but they did it at the expense of dieters’ health.

So think again before giving them a try, in the 11th hour.

Celebrities will endorse anything, it doesn’t mean it’s all good

Celebrities will often speak about X or Y diet as the “secret” to their famous good looks: some of them get paid for that, others have different benefits from endorsing one product or another.

No matter how famous the star or how much they talk about the product, there is no guarantee that it actually works the way they say it does, or for that matter, that it’s healthy for you.

The weight loss industry is one of the most successful right now, and most testimonials on the success of this or that product, especially from celebrities, is nothing but pure marketing. It has nothing to do with the rate of success and everything to do with image and branding.

Caught in the middle is the naïve customer who actually buys whatever those celebrities are selling.

2014’s most dangerous fads

This definitely applies to the 3 hottest diets this year, the BDA says in a statement to the Daily Mail. The hottest diet in 2014 was probably the so-called Caveman diet, or Paleo, which implies cutting out most “modern” foots like pasta, bread and dairy, and eating like a genuine caveman.

Not only is such a diet time-consuming and socially alienating because of it, but it’s also not sustainable in the long run, despite the fact that stars like Megan Fox and Matthew McConaughey swear by it. By cutting out dairy, it can also lead to calcium deficiencies, so it’s not healthy in the short run either.

Next up is the eating clay habit, which sees people consume about 1 teaspoon of it in a bid to detoxify the body and encourage weight loss. Shailene Woodley swears by this practice, saying it’s helping her remove all toxins from her body – and considering she leads a very healthy life, logic would dictate a regular person would benefit even more from it.

Not quite so, the BDA says, stressing that the clay can lead to serious constipation problems or even arsenic poisoning. Not to mention that ingesting clay is none too pleasant, no matter if you drink or eat it.

Last but not least is the “vegan before 6” diet, which celebrities like Beyonce favor, and which sees the dieter eat clean until 6, with the possibility to eat meat or a sweet treat past that hour.

Herein lies the risk of this diet, the BDA says: restricting yourself until the evening could force you to do the exact contrary of what you were hoping to achieve, so instead of eating healthier overall, you might end up starving until 6 and pigging out on unhealthy foods in the evening.

Moderation and exercise are key, not some magic bullet

There is no “magic bullet,” the same organization stresses. The only way in which you can lose weight the healthy way and maintain it is by eating healthy and working out.

So if you want to look your best for the upcoming holiday season, start making smarter choices about the food you put in your body: try to cut back on processed foods and sugary treats, eat plenty of veggies and fruit, and try to cook your own food as opposed to eating out or ordering in.

Just as important is the amount of exercise you’re getting. If you don’t have the time to go to a gym, make sure you at least walk for a total of 30 minutes at minimum a day. Make a habit of it and while you might not get to see results as quickly as with a fad diet, you will be the better of it because the weight loss you will achieve will be sustainable.

Celebrities who endorse fad diets (5 Images)

Celebrities who endorse certain diets don't have your best interest at heart, so take what they say with a grain of salt
Megan Fox says she stays in top shape with a combination of vigorous workouts and the Paleo dietShailene Woodley eats clay daily to detox her body and stay in shape
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