Professor Regan’s Diet Clinic -BBC2 9.00pm 16th April 2009 – My Twitter Commentary

I tweeted my thoughts on this telly programme live when it was broadcast. If you are in the UK you can watch Professor Regan’s Diet Clinic here for 28 days from the date of this post.

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But if you don’t want to watch a professional high standard piece of documentary making and you would rather read my random off the cuff tweets with some of my Twitter friends chipping in I have reproduced them below edited very slightly for clarity.


The take home message of the programme was pills and most diets don’t work. Steadily decrease your calorie intake and get more exercise and you will lose weight. They haven’t found a better alternative yet.  The content of the programme was interesting, informative and well researched, but the thing that really appealed to me about it was Professor Regan’s approach to the subject.  She was open minded but rigorous.  At one stage she was in a room with vitamin supplement manufacturers and some sceptics, but avoided the obvious but not staging a stand up row.  Although an argument would probably have been better telly by simply letting everyone put their points the viewer was able to form their own conclusion.

I like the notion that what matters is what can be actually proved as well.  Lots of products are sold with little behind them more than dreams.  I know from personal experience that some of these products are launched by people who are motivated by nothing more than a desire to make some cash.  But it is also true that some people genuinely believe in their products but have simply not done the work to show that they are effective.  In either case we need more people asking the simple question – can you show that this works?

You can follow the actual thread on Twitter by searching on #dietclinic and feel free to follow me on Twitter http:twitter/beautyscientist

You might also be interested in the review of the first episode of Make Your Own Drugs I posted a few weeks ago.

Twittercommentary

beautyscientist: I am going to watch Prof Regan’s diet clinic on BBC2 tonight – will tweet anything interesting as it comes up #dietclinic

Lawrence Aaron@beautyscientist Can you explain what Prof Regan’s diet clinic is? What time is it on BBC2 tonight? Thanks!

faeriemade@beautyscientist what works for me has been a sensible diet and exercise.(in reply to beautyscientist)

LadyFate@beautyscientist I want 10lbs per week & allows unlimited cookies. Inventor will be given a blank check & my first born.(in reply to beautyscientist)

beautyscientist: Looking for a diet that loses 10lb a year – doesn’t sound very ambitious. #dietclinic

beautyscientist: Getting 17 people to try diet pills. Why not placebo controlled I wonder?

thejoggler@beautyscientist wonder how they would’ve done on a placebo(in reply to beautyscientist)

beautyscientist: Ah, the diet pills didn’t have any active. But 77% of the triallists lost weight.

beautyscientist: The power of suggestion really is amazing isn’t it.

beautyscientist: Zotrim is a herbal treatment for weight loss, with data that has been published.

beautyscientist: Zotrim does have some unpublished stats as well. Can’t think why they didn’t publish them.

beautyscientist: But no placebo controlled trial for Zotrim.

beautyscientist: So even this doesn’t meet the Prof’s standards.

beautyscientist: She is on to diet books now.

beautyscientist: You don’t need any qualifications to call yourself a nutritionist. I didn’t know that!

beautyscientist: We are talking calories now

beautyscientist: Trying Beyonce’s maple syrup diet now.

Mountain Girl420thoughts@beautyscientist dude, that is not healthy. you’ll lose 3-7 lbs., gain it all back in 2 wks & be worse off health-wise for it. not worth it.(in reply to beautyscientist)

beautyscientist: Fat on the trunk produces hormones that cause heart disease and diabetes

beautyscientist: The pretty but plump girl on the maple syrup diet is very fed up (not literally of course)

beautyscientist: Crash diets are not maintained in the long run

beautyscientist: Advocating regular exercise and reduced calorie intake instead of a crash diet

beautyscientist: Cooking a massive sea bass now. That’s my kind of diet!

beautyscientist: @420thoughts That is exactly what the programme concluded 420

Mountain Girl420thoughts@beautyscientist haha. good to know! :~) good luck!(in reply to beautyscientist)

beautyscientist: Looking a low fat mayonnaise formulations now

beautyscientist: Advocating low fat products now, but make sure that they have low calories too

Mountain Girl420thoughts@beautyscientist I love sea bass. I’m gonna make some fish tonight I think. that sounds delicious.(in reply to beautyscientist)

beautyscientist: Looking a raw food now

beautyscientist: They are chewing carrots for an experiment now

beautyscientist: More beta carotene absorbed from processed carrot than raw carrot

beautyscientist: But other vitamins are higher in raw food

AmyTuggle@beautyscientist: Doesn’t have to be 100% raw food but greatly increase your intake of raw fruits, veggies & especially leafy greens (in reply to beautyscientist)

beautyscientist: Advocated mixing raw and cooked foods, but with low salt and sugar

beautyscientist: Talking to people who take a lot of vitamin supplements now

beautyscientist: Some suggestions that high doses of vitamins might be risky

beautyscientist: Well that was interesting. It was well put together and quite entertaining. Exercise and low calorie only things that work

1 thought on “Professor Regan’s Diet Clinic -BBC2 9.00pm 16th April 2009 – My Twitter Commentary”

  1. I’ve got no time for individuals that eat like pigs and then look for magic pills, diets and programs. By eating too much, you will end up fat no mater what. And i’m not particularly slim but I do jog and feel healthy, without feeling hungry constantly. Get a grip folks!

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