Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle website Goop has faced some interesting criticism over the years for endorsing things like bee sting facials, animal bone broth, and “moon dust” smoothies – there was even a lawsuit over selling jade “vaginal eggs” for $66 with promises of balancing hormones, helping with bladder control, and regulating the menstrual cycle. And now, a scientist from Cambridge University is slamming some “irresponsible” advice on the website that told readers to set the goal of reaching their “leanest livable weight.”
According to The Daily Mail, scientists are concerned about an article on the Goop website titled “Busting Diet Myths,” with the tagline “supported by science” that features an interview with psychologist Dr. Traci Mann. In the article, Dr. Mann talks about a genetically-determined weight range that a healthy person sticks to, and she encourages people to aim for the lowest end of their “set range.”
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Dr. Mann told readers to focus on their “leanest livable weight,” but critics say she is encouraging eating disorders and glorifying “skinniness.”
According to Dr. Giles Yeo, a geneticist from Cambridge University, the “low end” advice from Dr. Mann is a “dangerous suggestion,” and he believes “many people will take it to mean they should be as thin as possible.”
Giles, who has hosted BBC’s Horizon and Trust Me, I’m a Doctor, said at the New Scientist Live event in London over the weekend that websites like Goop are creating a “fear of food” and promoting fad diets. He says this is a “silly idea because there is no clear way to determine what your leanest livable weight is.”
“It is therefore nigh-on impossible to find a target to stick to. People should not be afraid of food, and ‘diet’ should not have become such a loaded term. Goop is part of the reason that people have become afraid of eating. We need to love our food, just eat less of it,” said Dr. Giles.
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He believes the advice is dangerous and irresponsible because it is so open to interpretation, and young girls might take it the wrong way, thinking they should be “as skinny as possible.” Dr. Giles added that Goop’s recommendations are not based on science, but pseudoscience.
In response, Dr. Mann said that she is clearly opposed to strict dieting. She added that the article is specifically about “not dieting,” not doing anything unhealthy or extreme, and not trying to lose too much weight.
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“The phrase ‘leanest livable weight’ refers to the leanest weight you can be without doing any strict dieting or unhealthy behavior,” claimed Dr. Mann.
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