TV

Lose A Stone In 21 Days branded ‘dangerous’ by Channel 4 viewers

Some fear it's unsafe

Lose A Stone In 21 Days was branded “dangerous nonsense” as it continued on Channel 4 last night.

The controversial documentary series sees TV doctor Michael Mosley put five volunteers on a very low-calorie diet he created – which he claims can help those who follow it drop a staggering 14lbs in just three weeks.

It’s hoped the findings of the experiment will help Brits get healthy again, as the sale of products like biscuits and alcohol have skyrocketed during the lockdown.

Lose A Stone in 21 Days dangerous
Some viewers fear the advice on Lose A Stone In 21 Days is “dangerous” (Credit: Channel 4)

What happened on Lose A Stone In 21 Days and why do viewers think it’s dangerous?

This week’s episode, the second of three, looked at healthy exercise, with Michael and the team taking the volunteers  through high-intensity workouts and yoga.

But food remained the focus and at one point in the programme, it advised against eating bananas on some low-calorie diets. It also warned those who are diabetic or have prediabetes, due to the amount of sugar they contain.

Read more: This Morning viewers slam interview about ‘dangerously low-calorie’ diet

Michael said: “You think a banana is super healthy, but it’s got a surprising amount of sugar in.

Michael Mosley and Claire Mosley
It stars Dr Michael Mosley and his wife, Claire (Credit: Channel 4)

“Bananas contain fibre and a number of healthy minerals and vitamins. But the reason the ripe ones are so sweet is because they contain a lot of natural sugars.

“For our volunteers I wouldn’t be suggesting banana.”

Lose A Stone in 21 Days
They advised against eating bananas for those on low-calorie diets, or those with certain health issues (Credit: Channel 4)

What did viewers say?

Reacting to the programme on Twitter, one viewer said: “Yet another [bleepy] sensational dieting show from @Channel4, facilitating unhealthy relationships with food. Encouraging a diet of 800 calories a day is dangerous and I dare you to argue otherwise #loseastonein21days.”

Another said: “#loseastonein21days Seriously dangerous ‘advice’ for most folk. My tracker won’t encourage me unless I eat a minimum of 1200 cals a day. I’ve been that person who starved themselves. And also hugely overweight. Gentle reduction is safest.”

Dangerous nonsense.

A third tweeted: “#loseastonein21days is dangerous nonsense. Eating 800 calories a day isn’t sustainable and could encourage bad eating habits. If you want to lose weight, speak to your GP or a health professional. I did and they helped me work out the best route. Almost 2.5 stone lost since Feb.”

Someone else wrote: “#loseastonein21days is just dangerous. Lose weight in a sensible, sustainable, safe way.”

https://twitter.com/Hayleystevens/status/1293664747930423296

Channel 4’s response to criticism

Michael Mosley faced a backlash when he appeared on This Morning earlier this month, with viewers fearing his diet could be unsafe.

Channel 4 responded: “Dr Michael Mosley is an independent and award-winning science journalist, who along with Dr Clare Bailey is globally renowned for achieving healthy, long-term results with restricted calorie diets.

Read more: Mum opens up about licking her daughter awake every morning ‘like a puppy’

“Research has found a short-term 800-1000 calorie diet has the potential to reverse a range of health problems including Type-2 Diabetes.

“This diet is inspired by a recent Oxford University study and all episodes clearly state it’s only suitable for people whose BMI puts them in the overweight or obese categories and that it should be done with proper medical supervision.”

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Nancy Brown
Associate Editor

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