A survey of 200 GPs showed they also thought that the amount of information now available about dieting, especially from fad diets endorsed by celebrities, was making people confused.

Doctor Andrea Bhermi, a GP, said: “I do not recommend that people go on any of the popular celebrity diets. The only diet I would recommend is to follow a healthy balanced diet.”

But 80% of GPs did support educational health conscious programmes such as Jamie Oliver’s School Dinners.

The survey follows the release last week of an 18 year long study of 2,957 overweight people in Finland, published in the Guardian newspaper, which found that those who succeeded in losing weight were more likely to die younger than those who stayed overweight.

More research needed

Nutritional science expert Lesley Hampton said: “More research needs to be done but there is still hard evidence that suggests being significantly overweight can cause a wide range of health problems such as diabetes and heart disease. It is a very complex issue and anyone who is concerned about their weight should speak to their doctor.”


Lesley Hampton
Nutritional science expert

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