Fitness experts have dished up their own ways to lose weight after a Sunderland chef’s TV appearance on a dieting show.
Roker-born Stacie Stewart is currently serving up a variety of meals on Channel 4’s How to Lose Weight Well.
The programme aims to help six dieters tackle the most hyped and written about diets on the market today.
And with many challenging themselves to lose weight for their New Year’s resolution, the diets shown on television could be a tempting proposition.
However, health and fitness experts have expressed doubts that the diets trialled in How to Lose Weight Well are long-term solutions.
Barry Latimer, a gym assistant at CitySpace in Chester Road, Sunderland, believes that diets such as the Master Cleanse are not sustainable.
He said: “Weight loss should be a gradual and steady process.
“The diets that you read about in magazines or see on television may provide short-term results, but I don’t believe that they are sustainable.
“The hardest part of losing weight is to keep it off after the initial period. That’s why I think small lifestyle changes should be made so that the process is easier to manage and maintain.”
Jacqui Clark, a Weight Watchers team leader from South Shields, supports this advice.
He said: “We encourage our members to make little changes to their eating habits.
“You don’t have to be extreme when it comes to losing weight. It should be fun and rewarding. Starving yourself is not beneficial for the body.”
Sunderland is considered to be one of the worst areas for obesity, with the city’s Royal Hospital dealing with more than 900 referrals in 2014. The work of the hospital’s dietetics department has been the subject of ITV and Channel 5 documentaries.
Eighteen per cent of adults in Sunderland are classed as obese, and Mr Latimer has words of encouragement for those trying to lose weight.
“It can be daunting for somebody to step in to a gym or fitness facility for the first time,” he said.
“But with the support of educated staff, losing weight can be an enjoyable and highly rewarding experience.
“There’s a misconception that you have to eat nothing but vegetables and boring food, but that isn’t the case at all. It’s all about eating hearty, clean and tasty food.”
How to Lose Weight Well is available to view on All 4 now.