On Sunday June 9, it was announced that a body had been found in the search for Dr Michael Mosley, after he went missing in Greece while on holiday.
A search has been conducted for the doctor for the past few days in Symi, after his wife Dr Clare Bailey raised the alarm that her husband had disappeared, when he didn’t return from a walk.
One element of his work that Dr Mosley has become best-known for is a diet known as the Fast 800.
From keto to intermittent fasting, diets have long held a tricky place in society: some people swear by them, whereas others worry about the risk of fads and experiments.
Mosley has said of his diet: ‘Whether you have a lot of weight to lose rapidly, or your health goals are to lose a little, get fitter and supercharge your health, The Fast 800 is flexible enough to suit most people.’
But just what is the fast 800 diet, and how does it work?
What is the fast 800 diet?
Developed by Dr Mosley, the Fast 800 diet makes some bold claims, including supposedly cutting your risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer and, because the first stage is a very low-calorie diet (VLCD), possibly reverse type 2 diabetes.
Dr Michael Mosley, famous for BBC’s Trust Me, I’m a Doctor, designed the diet based on the research performed by Professor Roy Taylor of Newcastle University including the DiRECT study, funded by Diabetes UK.
The diet is a key component of the new show Lose a Stone in 21 Days with Michael Mosley.
What does the fast 800 diet involve?
The Fast 800 diet combines principles of Michael Mosley’s previous books including the 5:2 diet and the Blood Sugar Diet with newer insight.
The Fast 800 is structured in stages and starts with a rapid weight loss phase, which lasts for a minimum of two weeks and a maximum of 12.
During the first stage, people follow a daily eating plan where they consume a maximum of 800 calories – either by using a VLCD meal replacement product which supplies 600 calories (normally equivalent to three shakes) combined with 200 calories of vegetables; or someone can choose to eat lean protein sources and vegetables.
Stage one is designed to switch the body from burning sugar to burning fat by prompting mild ketosis.
The second stage of the plan involves intermittent fasting, restricting calories to 800 a day for two days of the week, then eating a healthy, low carb Mediterranean diet for the other five days.
Once someone reaches their ‘goal weight’, they enter the maintenance phase, where they continue with the Mediterranean style of eating, following a low sugar diet with limited amounts of starchy carbs, with a weekly fast day, if they choose to do that.
Is the fast 800 diet healthy?
The diet aims to help those with potential health risks posed by excess stored fat, such as diabetes.
However, any diet can become unhealthy when not followed properly, and such rapid weight loss claims caused many to question how sustainable or healthy the diet is.
After Channel 4 aired a documentary about the diet in 2020, a leading UK eating disorder charity posted a message of support for those who could struggle from such content.
A tweet from eating disorder charity Beat said: ‘In response to a lockdown diet programme on Channel 4 tomorrow night (Wednesday 5th), our services will be open until 11pm for anyone who needs to chat #EDsupport#eatingdisorders’
Furthermore, the NHS advises that people should generally consume more than 800 calories.
The site states: ‘For most men, this means sticking to a calorie limit of no more than 1,900kcal a day, and 1,400kcal for most women.’
BEAT
If you suspect you, a family member or friend has an eating disorder, contact Beat on 0808 801 0677 or at [email protected], for information and advice on the best way to get appropriate treatment
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