Celebrity Unhealthy Diets


Celebrity Dieting Gone Too Far

By Jennifer Fields

We can't argue with the fact that many celebs are underweight or that some of them use extreme diets to drop pounds. We can, however, argue that a recent story on unhealthy stars used few facts and questionable connections to make its point. 'The Daily News' attempted to expose Hollywood's so-called "dirty diet secrets" using Gunnar Peterson and other trainers-to-the-stars as sources. What they came up with was a few scary diet tales mixed with a lot of dicey correlations. Here, we take a look at the article and what you can learn from celebrity diet extremes.

      Unhealthy Celeb Diets

        It's no surprise that skipping meals is one extreme way some celebs lose weight. But the article claims that Paris Hilton starves herself because she was once spotted in a Manhattan restaurant drinking Red Bull and water instead of ordering a meal. We'd love to see Paris gain some weight, but skipping a meal does not equal a pattern of starvation. Bottom line: Extreme calorie-cutting may work in the short-term but sending your body into starvation mode usually means overeating (and weight gain) is just around the corner.

        John Parra, WireImage.com

        Britney Spears gets called out for taking Adderall, a drug used in treating attention-deficit disorder. Adderall abuse is certainly on the rise and one reason is its side effect, loss of appetite. Because the drug can act as an appetite suppressant and Britney takes it, the article concluded she uses it as a diet aid. Bottom line: Take prescription drugs as directed by your doctor. Why? Adderall's other side effects include addiction, depression and psychosis.

        Toby Canham, Getty Images

        Mary-Kate Olsen gets a smackdown for her coffee-habit. The article claims Hollywood is in the grips of a trend where stars drink the caffeinated stuff to boost metabolism and suppress appetite. while Mary-Kate is often photographed with coffee, we're not sure how much she consumes or how it figures into her weight control. Peterson's scary story about a starving star who drinks coffee instead of eating has nothing to do with Mary-Kate. Bottom line: While drinking coffee can result in a slight metabolism increase, you'd get a better boost (and fewer jitters) from exercising more and cutting a few calories from your diet.

        Marcel Thomas, FilmMagic.com

        Once photographed jogging with weights in both hands, Teri Hatcher is labeled an overexerciser. We're in total agreement that this TV star is borderline skeletal and that running with weights is a no-no, but the since we didn't talk to her (and neither did their reporter), we can't comment on whether her exercise routine is unhealthy or not. We do know that we'd like her to put on a few pounds. Bottom line: Exercise is key for weight control and overall health, but when it rises to the level of obsession -- an increasing problem -- it's time to seek professional help.

        Eric Charbonneau, WireImage.com

        Jared Leto is on the list for using the Master Cleanse to lose the weight he gained to play Mark Chapman in the new film "Chapter 27." Peterson tells a horror story about a client (not Leto) who got sick using the juice fast. We don't disagree that the diet is sketchy; if used for more than a few days, it can be outright dangerous. Bottom line: Liquid diets should only be used when under a doctor's care.

        Steve Granitz, WireImage.com

        Marcia Cross has been very honest about the pressure in Hollywood to be thin, and was recently quoted saying, "It's like they pay me not to eat." Maybe that's why she was spotted by an "insider" drinking juice in a restaurant while her husband ate a full meal. Bottom line: Many celebrities may feel their jobs rest on how they look, but a lot of stars aren't going to diet extremes. Need inspiration? Look to the celebs losing weight the right way.

        Charley Galla, WireImage.com

        The fact that Lindsay Lohan was found in possession of cocaine doesn't mean she's thin because of drug use as the 'Daily News' would like you to think. We certainly can't make a case for Lohan being a responsible person with good judgment considering her recent trouble with the law but we won't jump to conclusions about how she maintains her weight. Bottom line: Using drugs won't necessarily make you thin. It's never a good idea to use any illegal substances.

        Tony Barson, WireImage.com

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            Yusemitsam 11:46:11 PM May 07 2009

            2 good tips while you are losing weight is to try a yummie tummie and fitflops. They are both fabulous - the yummie tummies slim you down and don't ride up and take care of the awful muffin top. The fitflops work your legs while you wear them. You can get them at http://www.tomkshoes.com or http://stores.shop.ebay.com/tomkshoes

            MunchkinEatinChu 01:41:43 PM Mar 13 2009

            Seriously. leave these poor girls alone. Everyones comments are so blown out of portion and rude on here. Skinny or chubby, obese or anorexic, everybody needs love. Just shut up for once. If someone is happy being fat, let them be happy. They deserve the happiness. If someone is happy being anorexic, and thats what they want to do, let it be. Theres no need to pick on anyone and no need to push anyone to do something they dont want to do.

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