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Home » Diets that Work » The Big Problem With Oprah And Other Celebs Who Tout Diets – WBUR

wbur Commentary

March 01, 2017

By Jean Fain

Ive been trying to bite my tongue about Oprahs new cookbook, I really have. Who am I to judge one of Americas wealthiest women for sharing her weight-loss secrets and her favorite Weight Watchers-friendly recipes? Who am I to question if one of the most famous "yo-yo" dieters in dieting history has made peace with food or has simply managed to call a truce?

Actually, who I am a psychotherapist specializing in eating disorders is exactly why Ive got a problem with Oprah and every other celebrity who celebrates dieting. Because of who I am, Im painfully aware of the downside of doing as celebrity diet proponents say, but not necessarily as they do.

Which isnt to say I dont understand the appeal of celebrity diets. I do. Flipping through the pages of the new star-studded and fabulously adorned diet books, I found renewed inspiration to eat greens and grains. I also enjoyed sampling favorite recipes of various stars; some are as dull and diet-y as expected, but many are remarkably delicious and nutritious. Oprahs unfried chicken is yummy. Gwyneths detox truffles, heavenly!

When I say celebrity diet, I mean any structured eating plan endorsed by-- or in actress-turned-entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrows parlance, "curated by"-- a celebrity. Whether its a tailor-made plan that facilitates weight loss, like Paltrows organic, whole-food, sugar-free diet, or a more established program that a celebrity is endorsing, such as Oprahs own Weight Watchers, a diet by any other name is still a diet. However, one unusual food choice, like Kim Kardashians penchant for placenta, does not a celebrity diet make.

With their intoxicating blend of impossible expectations, misguided authority and restrictive guidelines, celebrity diets are predestined to fail spectacularly.

From where I sit, clean eating, lifestyle plans, weight management programs, juice cleanses, support systems... theyre all diets, and theyre all bound to fail. But with their intoxicating blend of impossible expectations, misguided authority and restrictive guidelines, celebrity diets are predestined to fail spectacularly.

So, while I see the appeal of celebrity diets, Ive also seen the disheartening and dangerous aftermath, and it aint pretty. Which is why Ive decided to damn the consequences and tell the ugly truth.

Here are my three main problems with celebrity diets:

1. Celebrities Dont Look Like They Do Because Of Their Diets

Stars look like stars because theyre either genetically blessed with high metabolisms and lean bodies, driven to perfection, or both. Whats more, actresses, models, celebrity yoga instructors and the like get paid the big bucks to look fantastic. And a good thing, because it costs a pretty penny to employ an entourage of experts to keep up appearances.

People with eating issues tend to believe their problem is limited resources. If they had enough time, money and a personal chef, theyd be all set. But the fundamental problem isnt inadequate resources, but unspectacular genes and wishful thinking. If only they could transfer meal planning and cooking to an expert, or so the thinking goes, theyll live slimly ever after. Somehow, they forget Oprah has had her pick of personal chefs, trainers and medical experts for decades now, and yet she still struggles with her weight.

2. Diets Dont Work

Diets reliably promote weight gain, not loss, thereby increasing the very weight-related health risks they aim to decrease. Its cruel but statistically true: A five-year study of 2,500 teens showed dieting is an important predictor of both obesity and new eating disorders.

The reasons why diets dont work are complex and intertwined, but suffice it to say the body couldn't care less about fitting into skinny jeans when it's protecting you from starvation, which is your bodys experience of dieting. It slows down your metabolism, ramps up hunger, activates stress hormones, and is hellbent on eating every last Dorito until it safely returns you to your enduring, higher weight.

3. Celebrity Diets Are Even Less Likely to Work

Celebrity diets backfire big-time for all the same reasons and more. Diets of the rich and famous tend to be expensive, costing dieters time and money they dont necessarily have. Some go to wacky extremes, eliminating such an idiosyncratic list of foods that social occasions become stressful events. Whats a restaurant-goer to order on Gwyneths 10-day detox, which excludes gluten, soy, dairy, alcohol, caffeine, red meat, white rice, shellfish, raw fish, peanuts, tomatoes, eggplant, strawberries, corn... ?

Celebrity diets are beyond doomed because of the toxic mix of negative comparisons, shame and self-criticism they inspire. As inspiring as it might be to watch your favorite celebrities diet down to size, the airbrushed photos of celebrity dieters looking like theyre doing better than you tend to make you feel worse and exacerbate the very eating issues their diets are meant to alleviate.

When youre self-compassionate, theres no need to count points or calories or carbs. Thats because you generally appreciate your body and the food you feed it.

Interestingly, Oprah and a few other celebrities do recommend, among many other things, the antidote to that whole toxic mix and the missing ingredient in most celebrity diets: self-compassion. But, as with her diet, O doesnt exactly practice what she preaches. She waxes poetic about loving her body, but also waxes euphoric about counting Weight Watchers points. Its a mixed message at best, and a misguided one.

Self-compassion means treating yourself like a beloved child with love and kindness. When your stomach cries out in hunger, you dont ignore its cries; you feed yourself. And when your stomachs full, you dont go back for seconds and thirds; you put down your fork.

Self-compassion also means never going on a diet. When youre self-compassionate, theres no need to count points or calories or carbs. Thats because you generally appreciate your body and the food you feed it. You naturally eat less and weigh less without dieting.

So whatll it be have what Oprah or Gwyneth or Snooki are having or have a little self-compassion? You really cant have both.

Jean Fain is a Harvard Medical School-affiliated psychotherapist and the author of The Self-Compassion Diet.

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The Big Problem With Oprah And Other Celebs Who Tout Diets - WBUR

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