Is it safe to follow the 800 calorie diet in Channel 4 programme Lose a Stone in 21 Days?

Channel Four programme Lose a Stone in 21 Days with Michael Mosley claims that it can teach viewers how to lose a stone in just 21 days.

There has been a renewed focus on weight loss and diet recently, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson launching a “new obesity strategy” to urge members of the public to “lose weight to beat coronavirus and protect the NHS”.

Dr Mosley claims in the opening of the Channel Four programme that obesity can “massively increase your risk of becoming seriously ill should you get Covid-19”.

However, the programme has been criticised on social media for being harmful to those with eating disorders and promoting an “unhealthy relationship with food”.

But is the diet being suggested by Dr Mosley safe to follow?

What does the diet involve?

Dr Mosley asserts that people on a weight loss journey can lose a stone in 21 days by only consuming 800 calories per day.

While the ideal daily intake of calories can vary from person to person depending on factors such as age, metabolism and activity level, the NHS recommends that the average daily intake of calories is 2,000 for women and 2,500 for men.

On ITV’s This Morning, Dr Mosely told Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford that the methodology for the show is based on several recent “big randomised controlled trials”.

Dr Mosely added that he is also being assisted by his wife, GP Dr Clare Bailey, who recently ran a study where participants only consume 800 calories for eight weeks.

Participants on the show were provided with deliveries of healthy ingredients, meal replacement drinks and recipes from Dr Dailey to follow, which included meals like “mediterranean mozzarella chicken” and “portobello pizzas”.