three meals a day is a food industry conspiracy

Controversial paleo chef Pete Evans has claimed eating three meals a day is unhealthy and a “multinational food industry” invention to boost business.

Evans hit out at diet recommendations in social media posts spruiking his 10-week meal plan, which now incorporates intermittent fasting. He said he now only eats once or twice a day for “cheaper and quicker” weight loss.

“The whole notion of three small meals throughout the day and snacking in between (recommendation of the Dietitians Association of Australia) is not based on evolutionary science but created to help the multinational food industry stay in business by keeping the population craving carbs and not being able to maintain a healthy weight or to stay healthy,” he said.

“These days I generally eat two good meals a day and sometimes just one depending on how I feel − I eat when I am hungry.”

Accredited nutritionist Tracie Connor said there was some evidence to back-up intermittent fasting as a healthy approach to dieting.

But Ms Connor said his “one-size fits all” approach was “false advertising” and potentially dangerous.

“He’s claiming that a one-size fits all is going to fit everyone, which it never ever does.”

Ms Connor rejected the claim the health and food industry was in cahoots to trick Australians to eat three meals a day. She said three meals a day was merely a generalised recommendation.

“I personally, as a nutritionist, would never ever recommend everyone has three meals a day. It is really individual how much someone needs to eat and how often they need to eat,” she said.

“The fact that he’s claiming everyone should do what he feels he’s had success with, which is intermittent fasting, is somewhat dangerous really.

“It’s not appropriate. It just won’t work for everyone.”

She agreed the diet could benefit some people, but not everyone.

Evans, who appeared on television show My Kitchen Rules, has been criticised in the past for outlandish claims, including that sunscreen causes cancer.

In his documentary The Magic Pill, he claimed a paleo diet could cure alzheimers, autism, epilepsy, asthma and kidney disease. He has a wide social media following, with more than 1.5 million likes on Facebook.

The New Daily has contacted Pete Evans, Dietitians Association of Australia and the Australian Medical Association.

A portion of one of Evans’s Facebook posts is pictured. Photo: Facebook

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thenewdaily.com.au