Celebs & Diets: Are 'Stars' Like Kim Kardashian Good Role Models?

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I know this may sound shocking to some but I used to work for a tabloid newspaper. At the Sun, we weren't all that concerned with celebrities, but because we were a sister paper to the celeb-smearing Globe, we got to see all the trashy stories and photos before they went to print.

The photos of stars who were either deemed too fat or too skinny seemed to draw the most attention. What is it about our insatiable appetite for images like this?

While tawdry tales of Tiger Woods may be grabbing most of the headlines these days there remains plenty of room for celebrity weight loss stories.

The Kardashian Quandry

Take Kim Kardashian... please. Maybe it's just me, but I am tired of hearing about or seeing stories on this overexposed woman who rose to "fame" status basically because of a homemade porn tape and the fact she was a friend of Paris Hilton.

Now she's making headlines because her famous ample backside is not as ample as it used to be. According to web reports, Kim has tamed her curves and dropped substantial weight.

"I really feel like I have reached my fitness goal and now I am toned, fit and at a healthy weight and I just need to keep it up!" she notes on her personal website.

Questions for You

Mr. Bad Food, a legend in his own mind, wants to know: Should we really care about the minute-to-minute dealings of so-called celebrities?

And should we try to emulate their actions where slimming down and shaping up are concerned?

Apparently Kim and her sister Khloe are losing weight with a product called QuickTrim. I don't know much about the product but anything that promises quick results immediately raises a red flag.

I've been covering the diet world since January of 2000 -- and I've been dieting on and off since 1980! I've learned a lot over the years.

A few good rules of thumb:

1. You didn't gain the weight fast so you shouldn't expect to lose it fast.
2. Celebrities are paid to look good; they have the greenbacks to get back in shape with personal trainers or paid endorsements from diet companies and fitness centers.
3. The best way to lose weight and keep it off is to cut calories and boost activity.

Notice that pills and potions are not part of the proven plan for attaining a healthy weight?

So what do you think about celebrities and dieting? Would you plunk down your money for a plan just because Valerie Bertinelli or Marie Osmond says it helped them lose weight?

Please remember: For every Valerie Bertinelli and Marie Osmond there's a Kirstie Ally and Oprah.

In other words, celebrity slimmers who gained back the weight they so famously lost.

My advice is to do it right and do it for life. Eat better and eat less. But please don't starve yourself or curb your appetite with drugs.

Author: John McGran

Archived posts 2009

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