Best and Worst Celebrity Diets Named by Nutrition Expert

In an Oct. 29 press release, diet doctor and board-certified Physician Nutrition Specialist, Marc Lawrence M.D. names the best and worst celebrity diets for 2007. The list identifies which celebrities stand out as the best and worst role models for sustainable weight loss.

Lawrence is a Stanford and Harvard educated physician and diet doctor who has been reviewing celebrity diets and celebrity weight loss and gain. On his Celebrity Diet Doctor website, Lawrence says that after reviewing celebrities and their diets for a year, he decided to put together 2007's best and worst celebrity diets list. In doing so, he opines that celebrity diets prove the saying "you are what you eat."

The top four celebrities on Lawrence's best and worst celebrity diets list are Ricki Lake, Lenny Clarke, Andrea Baptiste and Jessica Simpson. For these celebrities, says Lawrence, "it's all about healthy lifestyle activities," including walking, hiking and biking.

Ricki Lake reached an all-time high of 250 pounds in 1991; in 2007 she weighs in at 123. During her weight loss journey, Lake hiked every day, ate limited calories by utilizing a food preparation and delivery service and frequently faced the scale.

Lenny Clark followed the Weight Watchers program, along with a diet of salads, fresh fruit and fish, to drop 144 pounds. His activities included swimming and biking.

Andrea Baptiste lost 56 pounds on The Biggest Loser. Since her participation on the program, she has continued to drop weight by walking and running, coupled with a low fat and low refined-carb diet.

Jessica Simpson is active in circuit and weight training. Her workout regimen, along with a 5 Factor diet of lean protein, healthy fats, fiber and "good carbs," has resulted in a 25-pound weight loss.

The five celebrities who hold the bottom four spots on Lawrence's list of the worst celebrity diets are Brittany Spears, Beyonce and Ashanti, Dr. Phil McGraw and Kirstie Alley.

Spears, Beyonce and Ashanti were known to use quick fix weight loss schemes, including diet pills and fasting "detox" diets. According to Lawrence, such weight loss tactics leave dieters with little more than false hope for permanent weight loss.

Dr. Phil McGraw was spotlighted at one time for both his book, "The Ultimate Weight Loss Solution: 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom," and his "Weight Loss Challenge" TV plan to help America lose weight. However, Lawrence says on his website that reports of McGraw's weight gain "show even self-help gurus have trouble following their own advice."

Kirstie Alley's significant weight loss has been featured on many a Jenny Craig ad. However, according to Lawrence, recent pictures of Kirstie indicate she's weighing in heavier than she claims. And her weight gain, says Lawrence, is "turning into a public relations disaster for Jenny Craig. Of course, her PR people are going to deny any weight gain." But, says Lawrence, "it's time for Kirstie to call Jenny collect. Processed sugars fuel cravings which may make her diet difficult to stick with."

The bottom line, according to Lawrence, is that "diets full of fruits and veggies, coupled with healthy lifestyle activities including walking, hiking and biking have fueled some of Hollywood's biggest makeovers." Anything else is likely to result in yo-yo dieting and little hope of long-term weight loss.

Sources:

Press release, The First Annual Best and Worst Celebrity Diet List of 2007 Names Ricki Lake and Lenny Clarke as Best -- Britney Spears, Beyonce and Ashanti Cited as Worst; http://www.prweb.com/releases/celebrity/weight/prweb562925.htm

Celebrity Diet Doctor; http://www.celebritydietdoctor.com/