With her upcoming Born This Way tour just weeks away, Lady Gaga has managed to outrage many of her fans by tweeting:
"Just killed back to back spin classes. Eating a salad dreaming of a cheeseburger #PopSingersDontEat #IWasBornThisWay"
One wrote: "@ladygaga pick a side... Do you want to promote beautiful and healthy kids, or anorexia?"
And the US's National Eating Disorders Association lambasted her too, writing: "Huh? This is the same person who recently implored girls to stop dieting?"
This all comes just months after she confessed to a roomful of young women that she'd struggled with severe bulimia, that had nearly wrecked her vocal chords.
"Weight is still a struggle. Every video I'm in, every magazine cover, they stretch you - they make you perfect," she said at a conference in Brentwood, California. "It's not real life."
She then urged them to reconsider the dangerous decision to self-starve.
Is Gaga sending an alarming message to her millions of fans?
Or has she stumbled onto a celebrity lifestyle plan that's actually healthy, and has lasting benefits?
I'm definitely not here to defend Lady Gaga, and clearly tweeting #PopSingersDontEat is at best, misjudged and ill conceived. Some might say profoundly stupid! I also believe that performing back to back spin classes is excessive.
That said, waiving a greasy cheeseburger, for say a healthy chicken salad, is a good thing! And there's certainly no harm in doing a spin class, or any other exercise for that matter, as long as it's in moderation.
So what celebrity diet is this pop superstar actually following, and is her new health regime a force for GOOD or EVIL amongst the millions of fans who idolise her?
Gaga is a devotee of Harley Pasternak, currently Hollywood's most influential trainer and creator of the 5-Factor diet and exercise programme. Pasternak knows a thing or two about getting his high profile clients into shape, and counts Alicia Keys, Kanye West and Rihanna amongst his illustrious stable.
I personally hate the word DIET, as it implies going without something. When this means skipping meals or avoiding whole food groups, I get slightly anxious. However, from what I've seen of the 5-Factor programme, it's actually more of a healthy eating plan, with regular sessions of cardiovascular exercise.
- Five Meals per day - three main meals plus two healthy snacks mean you never feel hungry
- Five Key components - lean protein, wholesome carbs, fibre, healthy fats and sugar-free drinks
- Five Workouts a week - 25 minutes of cardio in the comfort of your own home, or local park
- One Cheat day - Shock your metabolism and stop it becoming sluggish with some "naughty" foods
Although I think five days worth of cardio is a little over the top (I would prefer to include some strength training as well), on the whole Mr Pasternak's programme is perhaps the first bit of common sense to come out of Hollywood in quite some time!
Essentially he's promoting a balanced lifestyle, with sensible nutrition and exercise. These elements are the foundations of good health, and will encourage stable weight and longevity.
Message to Gaga!
Stay true to the five-Factor healthy eating plan and don't go overboard with the exercise!
Stop the silly tweets, and focus on promoting all the good stuff you do!
If we must know the contents of your dinner, please tell us about the iron in the spinach, or the "feel good" serotonins you release when you exercise.
Anorexia and bulimia are serious illnesses that blight many young lives, and with celebrity comes much responsibility.
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