New year, same celebrity diet books

You can tell when the year changes in many ways: the days are getting longer (or shorter), calendars are all 50% off, organizing and cleaning items are on sale, and celebrity diet books appear in bookstores. While these cookbooks may inspire some people, Anthony Warner is one person who remains unimpressed. He provides scathing reviews of five celebrity diet cookbooks in his column in The Guardian.

Warner’s gripes with these books is that not only that restrictive diets are ineffective, but they actually may lead to weight gain in the long run. In addition, many times these well-intentioned tomes leave one feeling worse about themselves than before. Of Lisa Riley’s Honesty Diet, Warner notes that the author “seems to think that all you need is self-belief, determination and a recipe for Mexican scrambled eggs. She is also at pains to point out that you need to be honest with yourself. You must realise that being fat is your fault, and start feeling guilty.” Ouch.

Even esteemed chef Gordon Ramsay isn’t safe from Warner’s wrath. While the chef’s book Gordon Ramsay: Ultimate Fit Food is a notch above others in the genre, it’s still lacking. Warner thinks that “the inclusion of chia seed pudding and quinoa porridge is baffling. If [Ramsay] finds these so delicious, I would challenge him to include them on one of his restaurant menus. Or publically eat some without gagging.” 

Warner would rather see books that promote healthy eating instead of concentrating on weight loss. Keeping the joy and conviviality of eating well in the company of good people would be welcome, too. Says Warner, “All I want to see is a book about eating well, getting some variety, and making food that warms the soul. Where nothing is demonised, there are no strict rules, and there is no need for guilt and shame.”