Clean-eating backlash boosts fight against ‘bogus’ nutrition

Three London students who have called for a ban on unqualified people using the term “nutritionist” say their campaign has been boosted by the backlash against clean eating.

King’s College London nutrition and dietetics students Elisabeth Cresta, 26, Caroline Day, 25, and Harriet Smith, 22, launched a Fight the Fads petition last year to stop “nonsense nutritionists” giving out bogus advice.

Ms Day said it was “encouraging” that many health gurus were now turning away from clean eating. Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley, the authors of Good + Simple and The Art of Eating Well, distanced themselves from the fad, telling the Standard: “It is a media-coined term. We have never, ever used the phrase ‘clean eating’.” Ella Mills, better known as Deliciously Ella, recently called the movement “dirty” before removing all uses of the words from her blog.

Critics say it advocates a restrictive eating plan and demonises certain foods such as gluten and dairy. A BBC Horizon documentary Clean Eating: The Dirty Truth also called into question the science behind the diet. Ms Day said: “Since the programme aired, we have had hundreds of signatures. It is very exciting to hear that there is a backlash growing.