Rebel Wilson’s 600-calorie diet slammed by dietitian: ‘Dangerous’
A dietitian has hit out at Rebel Wilson’s claim that people can consume as little as 600 calories a day, describing the assertion as “dangerous” and “irresponsible.”
The “Pitch Perfect” star — who made headlines with her 80-pound weight loss in 2020 — dished details about her eating habits in an interview with the Daily Mail on Friday, but her remarks have alarmed experts.
“The truth is your body doesn’t need a lot of calories and I know that might sound crazy to some people, but if you eat right and you eat small portions, you’ll be just fine,” Wilson, 43, is quoted as telling the publication.
“I learned that you really only need about 600 calories a day — you don’t need 1,500 or 2,000.”
Wilson clarified that she would not advocate an ordinary person consume just 600 calories per day and insisted that the minimal number would be for “detox purposes and not intended for a daily routine.”
However, registered dietitian Jenna Werner is unhappy with Wilson’s message, telling The Post on Friday: “It is so frustrating to see someone with a large platform spread this dangerous advice.”
“Giving blanket advice to the masses is irresponsible,” Werner, who is the founder of Happy Strong Healthy, continued. “It is impossible to know who is going to read this and interpret it and what their medical needs really are.”
Meanwhile, Wilson further told the Daily Mail that people are consuming too many calories due to their sedentary lifestyles.
“The problem is that people are stuck at a desk or in their car and they tend to get hungry and they want to eat because that’s how they deal with stress or it’s a habit but the truth is you just don’t need all those calories,” the “Bridesmaids” star said.
Werner called that quote “problematic” and said it would have instead been insightful for Wilson to “remind the large audience she reaches that your body and brain still require fuel no matter what your day looks like.”
Elsewhere during her interview, Wilson stated that she is “happy” with how she looks but would still like to “lose more [weight].”
Last year, the actress and her wife-to-be, Ramona Agruma, welcomed daughter Royce via surrogate, with Wilson admitting that the arrival caused changes to her eating and exercise regime.
“I did gain weight once I had my baby because, although I didn’t give birth to her and I didn’t need to lose any baby weight, I had just gained weight from the lack of sleep and from the change in my lifestyle,” she stated. “For instance, now I can’t go to the gym as often as I used to. I’m just not working out as much, so that has slowed me down.”
Wilson also added that she is an “emotional eater” but practices self-discipline in order to limit her consumption of sweet treats.
“A lot of people think that I don’t eat carbs but I do eat carbs — I just eat them in small portions,” she insisted, before adding that her “cheat food” is ice cream.
“When I wasn’t watching my weight I would sit down and eat a pint of Ben & Jerry’s sometimes. It’s just what I did — it was a habit,” she stated. “But now I’m much more careful. I will have, like, a third of a pint and I’ll eat it slowly. I won’t eat the whole pint at all — that’s in my past.”
Werner praised Wilson for allowing herself to occasionally indulge in her favorite food, saying it was important for mental health and a sense of overall well-being.
“The healthiest diet is full of the foods that promote health in all ways — physical, emotional and mental — in the amounts that make you feel your best and are consumed free of stress, guilt and shame,” the dietitian declared.
Werner urged people not to listen to Wilson’s 600-calorie-per-day declaration, instead telling people to “eat from all food groups and all colors throughout the day.
“It is important to become a student of your body, and learning what feels best for you is part of the journey,” she concluded.