Food for thought: celebrity dieting

The obsession with quick weight loss is continuously dominating media headlines. But what is of concern is the endorsement of dieting by celebrities. The vocalization of celebrities on their dieting is questionable considering the roles that celebrities have managed to acquire in society. Should celebrities be vocal about their strange dieting habits?

The infamous, dangerously in love singer, Beyoncé Knowles is known for her performance in Dreamgirls. For her role she lost 1 ½  stone in two weeks. Her diet: the Maple Syrup. What is the maple syrup diet? It is a detox drink consisting of maple syrup mixed with water, lemon juice and cayenne pepper. On average people who partake in the maple syrup diet drink six to nine glasses daily.

Celebrities now play a significant part of media life; we are constantly updated with what they are wearing, what they are eating and what they are doing. Many celebrities, such as Beyoncé, are role models in society. And whether you believe it or not, they are very influential people. Body image in society today is a sensitive topic, we all know someone who has had an eating disorder. So when we are bombarded with news headlines about our favourite celebrities dieting and losing weight quickly, there is a sort of temptation and attraction to try it out.  Because of this, celebrities should not be spreading their quick weight loss tricks to the media. Diets are usually justified on the basis that our favourite celebrity tried it out and in our eyes they can do no wrong.

Dieting is not the best way to healthily lose weight and maintain it. What we do know is that we love our celebrities regardless. But more thought should be placed on revealing such dieting tips to the media as they do set an example.

Food for thought.