Community
Print
Stacey Dooley’s new TV show, Clickbait Clinic, tackles the carnivore diet.
The six-part documentary series follows Dooley, Dr Nighat Arif, and Dr Alex George as they investigate and discuss some of the internet’s biggest viral wellness trends, including the carnivore diet, which has skyrocketed in popularity over the last decade.
Read more: Most Health Professionals Think Key Plant Foods Underrepresented In Dietary Guidelines
In the second episode of the new show, Dooley, Arif, and George explore the carnivore diet, which the BBC has described as being popularized by figures like Joe Rogan, Elon Musk, and Jordan Peterson, the father of Mikhaila Peterson.
Dooley speaks with bodybuilder and self-styled influencer Eddie Abbew, a man who previously described tofu as “not food,” Eddie’s daughter, Selena, and Shawn Baker, a doctor who began writing about and advocating for the diet around 2018.
Dooley also attends a carnivore “meat up” where Robert Kiltz, another medical doctor and longtime proponent of the diet, is in attendance.
‘Carbohydrates, these are really important for our health’
After summarizing the purported benefits of eating carnivore, Dooley debriefs with Arif and George. Both doctors say that they could not recommend the carnivore diet, and they highlight several potential issues with a study referenced by Baker.
“It’s really lovely to hear that Eddie and Selina do feel better, and it’s not unsurprising,” Arif says. “The carnivore diet is, by the very essence, an elimination diet. You’re taking out stuff that you could have been intolerant to, or allergic to. Say, gluten, that’s wheat, rye, and barley; by cutting that out of their diet, they actually get better.”
George also notes that a carnivore diet relies on “removing everything.” He says, “Carbohydrates, these are really important for our health. Apart from just providing energy and being an important part for our brain and our body’s energy source, it’s also our group that contains fibre. And fiber’s really important for our immune system, for things like your bowel movements and keeping them nice and regular.”
Read more: ‘Monsters of God’: New Documentary From ‘Tiger King’ Creator Tackles Illegal Reptile Trade
‘I’ve often seen the very real impact of harmful online health advice’
Dooley is a journalist and TV presenter best known for her investigative work and documentaries, while Arif and George are medical doctors and content creators.
Arif said, “This is a dream project for me and even better it’s with Stacey and Alex.”
She added, “I’ve often seen the very real impact of harmful online health advice in my clinic, so helping to untangle this for viewers could not be more important. The one thing I want them to be able to say, ‘Is this something that is evidence-based or is this something that could potentially not work or even do me harm?'”
Roughly 33 percent of UK adults report taking medical advice from Google, while 28 percent have turned to AI chatbots. Sixty-six percent use websites such as NHS.uk.
PBN runs a sponsored content model. To explore how you can get featured, please email [email protected] or visit everkinddigital.com
