Belfast - Barely a day goes by when we are not bombarded with glossy images of celebrities showing off their stunning figures.
What better way to achieve the same results than to follow the very diet that helped them look so good?
According to experts, following the latest fad diet is unlikely to lead to long-term weight loss, and will actually do more damage than good.
The British Dietetic Association (BDA) has revealed the five worst celebrity diets to avoid when trying to shed the pounds - the baby food diet, raw food diet, blood group diet, alcorexia diet and Dukan diet.
Gillian Killiner, member of the BDA in Northern Ireland, said: “All of these diets are bad for you for different reasons.
“They will produce results in the short-term as they cut out calories and high fat foods, but they are not something that can be maintained in the long- term.
“It's self explanatory; if you decide to go on a baby food diet it isn't something you are going to sustain for the rest of your life.
“There are a number of issues with these diets because you put the weight back on when you stop, and there are health implications because you are not getting all the nutrients your body needs.
“It is also important to remember that many of the photographs of celebrities have been airbrushed and they also have teams of people making sure they look their best at all times.
“It is all very boring, but the best way to lose weight is to follow a sensible and balanced diet. If there is one particular food that is a problem, try and work out how much you eat in a week.
“So, if you have a chocolate bar a couple of times a day that works out to 14 in a week. The first week, try to cut that down to 10 and the following week to seven, so it becomes part of your lifestyle over a period of time.
“This is much easier to sustain and a lot healthier in the long run.”
How the diets stacked up
The baby food diet
Celebrity fans:
Lady Gaga, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Aniston are reportedly fans of this diet.
What's it all about?
This diet calls for eating up to 14 jars of pureed food or baby food every day, or mostly pureed food and one adult meal, or pureed food or baby food instead of snacks.
BDA Verdict: Gaga... should be for babies only. This diet works on portion control and restricted calories as a jar of baby food has very few. Although fruit and veg are included they are pureed so have much less fibre and texture. Chewing food is associated with feelings of fullness, so reach for an apple rather than a jar.
The raw food diet
Celebrity fans:
Demi Moore, Natalie Portman and Woody Harrelson are reportedly fans of this diet.
What's it all about?
It is the practice of eating raw, uncooked food and non-pasteurised or non-homogenised dairy products. This diet can be used by vegans and meat eaters.
BDA Verdict: A raw diet can be low in fat and calories but can also be low in calcium, vitamin D, iron, zinc, and protein. Many foods can only be eaten cooked, like rice, pasta, bread, potatoes, beans and pulses, so these are excluded. The diet is unsuitable for pregnant women, children and other at-risk groups. It is time-consuming, socially isolating and you will have a lot of chewing to do. Those who use meat in a raw diet put themselves at risk of food poisoning and gastroenteritis.
The blood group diet
Celebrity Fans: Cheryl Cole and Sir Cliff Richard are reportedly fans of this diet.
What's it all about?
This diet is completely based on pseudo-science. It claims nutrients are broken down differently based on your blood type.
* Blood Group A - no dairy products allowed and a vegetarian-based diet.
* Blood Group B - a more varied food intake and the only group able to 'manage' dairy.
* Blood Group AB - combination of diets A and B.
* Blood Group O - high meat intake, no dairy, no wheat, no grains (think Atkins).
BDA Verdict: Cutting out food groups is never a good idea - unless medically advised to do so. This could lead to significant deficiencies, such as calcium.
Alcorexia/drunkorexia diet
Celebrity fans:
It is widely thought that many top models and other celebrities are fans of this diet.
What's it all about?
It's when people eat very few calories during the day and think that they can use the calories they have not eaten to binge drink alcohol. Followers can bank about 1,500 calories a day, which then gives them 10,500 calories to absorb through alcohol each week.
BDA Verdict: You must be blind drunk. You will feel weak, have no energy and will become very irritable. Alcohol has little nutritional value other than calories. Banking calories to use on alcohol is pure madness and could result in alcohol poisoning.
The Dukan diet
Celebrity fans:
The Duchess of Cambridge, her mother Carole Middleton, Jennifer Lopez and Gisele Bundchen are reportedly fans.
What's it all about?
A complicated four-phase diet that starts off with a protein only approach that promotes weight loss of around 7lb per week.
BDA Verdict: The Dukan't diet is offal. There is absolutely no solid science behind this at all. It works on restricting foods, calories and portion control. Once again, cutting out food groups is not advisable. This diet is confusing, very rigid, full of very French foods like rabbit and offal, and even Dr Dukan himself warns of the associated problems, like lack of energy, constipation and bad breath. -
Belfast Telegraph