CHANNEL 4’s controversial diet show How To Lose A Stone in 21 Days is facing an investigation from TV watchdog Ofcom.
The Sun Online can reveal the broadcaster could be probed over the show after viewers branded it “dangerous” and “irresponsible”.
The programme aired last night, with host Michael Mosley promoting an 800-calorie diet to help volunteers who’d piled on the pounds during lockdown lose the extra weight.
Telly Watchdog Ofcom confirmed there were 28 complaints about the episode this morning from outraged viewers, after people at home complained on Twitter that the show “encourages eating disorders”
Mosley, who qualified as a doctor but works as a journalist and documentary-maker, has claimed that he reversed his Type 2 diabetes by sticking to a 5:2 diet that sees him dramatically reduce his calorie intake for two days a week.
Following advice that coronavirus is more dangerous for people who are overweight, Michael explained to viewers that eating only 800 calories a day for eight weeks will help them lost an average of 20 pounds.
This is less than half of the recommended calorie intake, which is 2,500 for men and 2,000 for women.
Viewers were horrified by Mosley’s advice in the programme, and flocked to social media to slam the Channel 4 show.
One wrote: “800 calories a day is a starvation diet and should NOT be advocated in a television programme.”
Another agreed: “@Channel4 #HowToLoseAStoneIn21Days may well have blood on its hands after tonight’s show. C4 openly promoting 800 calorie a day crash dieting.
“This ‘expert advice’ directly contradicts NHS healthy weight loss guidance and will only fuel eating disorders. Absolute disgrace.”
A third raged: “The programme that aired, ‘how to lose a stone in 21 days’ said to eat 800 calories a day? 800?
“SCIENTISTS and DOCTORS will tell you NEVER to go below 1200 because that’s the absolute smallest amount you can eat safely, anything lower is ED [eating disorder] territory.”
One more slammed: “Not that I want to draw attention to it but I think we need to call out seriously irresponsible programming by @Channel4 last night- creating shame around gaining weight in lockdown in the midst of a global pandemic, putting people on 800 calorie diets.”
https://twitter.com/bbqgrillfinger/status/1291149626662363136Earlier this week, This Morning was slammed after Mosley appeared on the daytime show to promote How To Lose A Stone In 21 Days.
He even left hosts Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford stunned as he appeared via a video link from his Buckinghamshire home to explain the low-calorie diet.
Eamonn asked: “How can you possibly be happy on 800 calories per day?”
But Mosley argued that participants’ mood improved on the diet, as did their sleep, adding: “It’s pretty tough to begin with but, what most people report, within about three or four days their stomachs shrink and they go into fat burning mode.”
