Celebrity endorsed fad diets do more harm than good, with doctors saying they may actually be fuelling the current global obesity crisis.
A recent survey commissioned by the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSA) shows most dieters will try just about anything to lose weight - except follow a sensible eating and exercise plan.
Professor Chris Hawkey, president of the BSA, says that the promotion of unhealthy foods and diets has fostered unhealthy attitudes to food and dieting and may even lead to eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia and orthorexia where sufferers become obsessed with eating only "good" foods.
"We need to do away with quirky diets and get people to realise what will keep them healthy," Professor Hawkey explains.
"In the majority of cases, simply increasing physical activity levels and eating sensibly will prevent long-term conditions."
Some of the diets Professor Hawkey says can be harmful include the grapefruit diet, the "Hallelujah diet" - where dieters eat only fruits and seeds as per the Old Testament - and the Tiger - or raw food - diet.