Would you follow this woman's diet advice?
Tragically she collapsed at home and paramedics failed to revive her. The pathologist Dr Alfredo Walker said a post-mortem examination failed to establish a cause of death. He added: "But it may be related to her low calorie diet and weight loss."
West Yorkshire Coroner David Hinchliff said it was "highly likely" the 5ft 9in Leeds University graduate died from cardiac arrhythmia, when the heart suddenly stops beating. Remember your body, and that includes your heart needs a vital amount of energy to function. Poor diet and malnourishment increases stress upon the cardiac system greatly, so its a risky business attempting to continue normal daily activity whilst starving.
Even standard nutrition agrees that someone Samantha's age needs 2,000 calories a day. I'd estimate that she actually needed more which is why it may of become so stressful for her body.
The LighterLife plan uses food packs, including soups and shakes (or fake foods as I prefer to call them), and weekly counselling, costing participants at least £66 a week. I've seen first hand from a number of people suffering ill health that the counselling seems to consist of more marketing and pressure to stay on the diet.
The diet was invented in 1996 by businesswomen Cox, 57, and Bar Hewlett, 61. They developed the programme for themselves but have since turned it into a multi-million pound venture.
The founders are rarely seen. Hewlett has lost six stone on the diet but as our picture shows, Cox is still fighting the flab.
This is not the first time tragedy has struck.
In 2006, 25-year-old Matilda Callaghan, from London, died from heart problems after losing ten stone in six months on the diet. Her inquest recorded an open verdict.
And last year an inquest heard how mum-of-five Jacqueline Henson, 40, drank herself to death, consuming seven pints of water in two hours.
A verdict of accidental death was recorded and the coroner was satisfied LighterLife had given clear guidance on how much to drink. Sadly an ex LighterLife member I had the pleasure of helping to regain their health (and hair) told me she was told that, 'the more water she could drink the better'
So if you know anyone who is considering the plan show them the above picture and talk them out of it...
Source: The Sun 10/09/2009