Tuesday 18 December 2012

Athletes 'healthier' than TV chefs

From the BBC:

Prominent TV chefs are less healthy than footballers and Olympians, Newcastle University researchers say.

Jamie Oliver, Lorraine Pascale, Nigella Lawson and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall were compared to Premier League players and members of Team GB. The TV chefs' bodies contained more calories, fat, saturated fat and sugar - but less muscle.

The researchers said this was not about "bashing" chefs as many campaigned to tackle obesity. The team said it was widely agreed that cooking from scratch was healthier than buying prepared meals, but nowhere as good as pounding the track or pumping iron for up to ten hours a day, however, they said there was a lack of scientific testing of the claim.

In the study, published in the British Medical Journal, they compared 100 TV chefs, who had books at the top of the bestseller charts, to 100 top sports personalities. These were then compared to fitness guidelines set by the World Health Organization...

Prof Martin White, from the Institute of Health and Society at the university, told the BBC: "Both athletes and TV chefs are not as healthy as they could be. We're not bashing TV chefs, and some younger male members of the team were even of the opinion that Lorraine Pascale is in fact fitter than her opposite number, Jessica Ennis."

6 comments:

Jonathan Bagley said...

I think we need a picture of Professor White in his underwear. I find it amusing that Bradley Wiggins, if not drunk when he received his award, certainly was at 5am the next morning when he consumed a Big Mac. Following his Olympic victory he was photographed smoking a cigarette. The 30 million pounds in sponsorship he is predicted to earn over the coming years should make him feel a little better about "not being as healthy as he could be."

Anonymous said...

Even if this piece of worthless research is true, so what! This academic parasite is wasting taxpayers' money on nonsense. If (very big "if") the coalition was serious about the (non)cuts, the place to start - I would humbly suggest - is the Institute of Health and Society at Newcastle University.

I note, by the way, that the Newcastle University Chancellor is one Professor Sir Liam Donaldson - well known incompetent and panic-inducer in chief (retired) at the Department of Health. I suppose Newcastle (like the rest of the North East) needs subsidies from the rest of us but giving money to these excreta even insults the benefiterati.

At least, the benefiterati - although they form the backbone of Labour support - don't (always) patronise those who support them. Donaldson and White, however, live high on the hog created by those who work for a living and patronise them to boot. I'd (almost) rather see the funds diverted to international aid!!

Mark Wadsworth said...

JB, indeed.

U, agreed.

Bayard said...

Never trust a thin cook.

Mark Wadsworth said...

B, but what about La Pascale?

James Higham said...

And the sun also rises in the east.