YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
You Are What You Eat is a dieting programme aired in various forms between 2004 and 2007 on British broadcasting company Channel 4, and presented by Gillian McKeith. The fourth series was called You Are What You Eat: Gillian Moves In.
Methods
The show often uses shock tactics to get the participants to lose
weight. In each episode all food eaten in one week by the person(s)
taking part is placed on a table to highlight problem areas of their diet. Another technique is the analysis of the participant's faeces
by McKeith to detect certain problems and make them known to the person
involved. This aspect of the show gained McKeith the nickname "The
Awful Poo Lady".
Emphasising the possibility of the participant's death is sometimes
used, with references to children they might not see growing up or a
mock grave being prepared. Generally, editions would have these scenes
in the first part followed by the participant's attempts to follow
McKeith's diet and exercise regimes in the second. The fourth series was
expanded from half to one hour programmes, with the contestants moving
to McKeith's London house and being visited overnight at their homes for
inspection.
Spin-off series
Localized versions of You Are What You Eat were produced by Viasat
and aired in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Hungary and the Czech Republic.
Viasat was the first company in the world to adapt the format locally. MTV3
also produced a local version of the show in Finland. The show was a
success and it was the frequently most viewed show in Finland when it
was aired.
Weight Loss Effectiveness
Weight loss by participants was often significant, with some examples as follows:
- Series 1. Episode 1. Yvonne Grant: Lost 28 lbs. Average 3.5 lbs per week. 11.4% of body weight lost.
- Series 1. Episode 5. Dean Mills: Lost 42 lbs. Average 5.3 lbs per week. 12.5% of body weight lost.
- Series 1. Episode 8. Nicholas Hughes: Lost 56 lbs. Average 7.0 lbs per week. 20.5% of body weight lost.
- Series 2. Episode 7. Joseph Heyburn: Lost 31.5 lbs. Average 3.9 lbs per week. 10.5% of body weight lost.
- Series 2. Episode 13. Geraldine Mawson: Lost 42 lbs. Average 5.3 lbs per week. 16.2% of bodyweight lost.
- Series 3. Episode 1. Irene Shingfield: Lost 38 lbs. Average 4.8 lbs per week. 15.5% of bodyweight lost.
- Series 3. Episode 2. John Harrison: Lost 56 lbs. Average 7.0 lbs per week. 14.8% of bodyweight lost.
Based on the results of 34 participants in the series the subjects
all recorded significant weight loss with an average loss of 4.3 lbs per
week and an average 12.7% of body weight lost over the 8 weeks. This
compares to recommendations by the British Dietetic Association that weight loss be in the region of 2lb or 1kg per week or 5-10% over six months,
although participants were following the regimen under consultation
with their doctors and generally starting from a high weight and a very
poor diet.
Controversy
In the first series of the show, McKeith was sometimes referred to as
"Doctor", and she has continued to use the title in some media,
although the later series referred to her as a "holistic nutritionist",
using the title "Ms. Gillian McKeith" at some points. It emerged in
December 2005 that Gillian McKeith has no accredited doctorate. McKeith
received her PhD via a distance learning programme from the American Holistic College of Nutrition, Alabama, which later became the Clayton College of Natural Health before closing in 2011.
The Clayton College of Natural Health stated that it was "accredited by
the American Association of Drugless Practitioners and the American
Naturopathic Medical Accreditation Board". However, this accreditation was never recognised by the U.S. Secretary of Education.
McKeith is also a member of the American Association of Nutritional Consultants,
a controversial organisation which seeks to enhance the reputation of
Nutritional and Dietary Consultants by consolidating them into a
professional organisation. It offers examination and certification, or
association membership which does not require an examination but
requires the payment of the $60 membership fee.
Website
An official tie-in website was created in support of the show
enabling viewers to complete an online questionnaire and receive a
personalized nutrition suggestions.
Books
There are books that have been published to accompany the series. The following are written by Gillian McKeith:
- "If You Eat You Will Get Fat"
- You Are What You Eat Cookbook
Nutritionist Carina Norris has written a number of official You Are What You Eat books
- You Are What You Eat Mealplanner
- You Are What You Eat Total Health Overhaul
There is also one book written by Michelle McManus from her appearance on the show.
- You Are What You Eat: Michelle's Diary
Supersize vs Superskinny is a British television programme on Channel 4 that features information about dieting and extreme eating lifestyles. One of the main show features is a weekly comparison between an overweight person, and an underweight person. The two are brought to a feeding clinic, and live together for five days, swapping diets all supervised by Dr Christian Jessen.
The show also featured Anna Richardson
in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd series, who examined new methods to lose weight
by trying diets she finds on the Internet, some of which have shocking
side effects. For example, Anna attempted Laser lipolysis, which went drastically wrong and resulted in severe bruising. Also, she discovered Diabulimia and spoke to Isabelle Caro, a French actress, renowned for her underweight figure and anorexia campaign.
During the first series in 2008, one feature involved Gillian McKeith,
who tried to find a way to "ban big bums" in the UK. She tested out
different exercises to tone bums on different groups of ladies, and made
a leader board for the most effective.
The show started its first series on 22 January and it concluded on
11 March 2008. The second series began on 20 January and concluded in
March 2009. The 3rd series ran from 23 March to 18 May 2010. The 4th
series began on 29 March 2011 and ended on 17 May 2011. On the 4th
episode of the 4th series for the first time ever the diet swap was
between two supersizers and two superskinnies.
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