Moment With Mel: Dear Gwyneth Paltow Please Shut-Up
First off, let me admit that I’ve never been a big fan of Gwyneth Paltrow. I find her to be a bit snobby and annoying. Years ago, I did a video rant about her lifestyle, and I upset some folks on my Facebook page. Now I’m gonna rant again, and I don’t care if I upset someone!
There’s a video making the rounds on social media of Gwyneth Paltrow discussing her ‘wellness routine’ with Dr. Will Cole on his podcast ‘The Art of Being Well’, which was uploaded on Monday. On the podcast, the actress discusses her daily routine. Folks online are calling Paltrow the ‘ultimate almond mom’, a term used to criticize parents who pass on or encourage disordered eating.
Paltrow lays out her ‘food’ for the day and folks are saying it’s not a routine, but restrictive eating. In the morning, Paltrow has coffee, my guess is black, usually has bone broth for lunch, and has vegetables for dinner. She goes on to say she eats dinner early and does a ‘nice intermittent fast’. In addition, Paltrow says she tries to get an hour of exercise every day and uses an infrared sauna for 30 minutes. ‘It’s really important for me to support my detox,’ Paltrow concluded.
What the hell is she detoxing for? She’s not eating enough for a detox, and if this is all she eats, why detox? This is an approximate guess, but I bet she has around 500-600 calories a day, if that. According to Insider, Lauren Cadillac, a registered dietitian with over 60,000 TikTok followers, made a duet response to Paltrow’s interview. She calls the celebrity’s habits ‘disordered’ and says she’s not eating enough food.
Paltrow, by the way, is 5’9 and has always had a thin frame. Eating like this, or not eating enough, isn’t healthy. Her description of her ‘routine’ just pisses me off as I think it’s unrealistic for most people to try and follow. Bone broth isn’t ‘soup’.
In the 80’s and in 2008, I dealt with anorexia. I’d eat a Lean Cuisine, a baked potato with one slice of cheese, or a piece of matzoh with cheese. ONE of those things is all I ate in a day. I’d drink coffee in the morning, and I’d work out at least an hour. In the 80’s, when I was a teen, I wanted to look like the models on magazines. Being 5’2 and stocky, my expectations were not realistic. Back then, no one really discussed distorted body image. ‘Diet culture’ WAS the culture I grew up with.
Having parents that were constantly dieting didn’t help my situation. In the 80’s, my dad and stepmom did every fad diet: the rice diet, the grapefruit diet, the low-fat diet, the liquid diet. If there was a popular diet trend, they’d try it. In my 20’s, I worked out obsessively, usually 4 hours a day. I’d eat grilled chicken and broccoli, and was always in a bad mood because I was starving myself.
In 2008, I separated from my husband, and the stress and worry caused my anorexia to reappear. In my 30’s and 40’s, I worked out lots. Kickboxing, aerobics, kettlebells, pulling Strongman sleds, I did a lot. Now, in my 50’s, my body is falling apart and I’m now overweight.
My overweightness is also an eating disorder. Having dealt with so many health issues the last few years, including breast cancer, I USE food for comfort. My relationship with food has never been what one would consider ‘normal’.
Paltrow, to some, is a role model, and I think it’s irresponsible for her to discuss her diet. Of course, many of the things she discusses on the podcast, her Goop company sells, so I’m sure she’s using the platform to sell things. Still, I think she needs to mention that her ‘diet’ isn’t for everyone. Or maybe she should just not get into details.
Lots of women on social media are telling Paltrow to ‘shut the f**k up’, and I agree with them. Dietician’s that have made videos on social media platforms are concerned people will try and follow Paltrow’s diet and cause damage to their bodies. They go on to say that Paltrow’s routine is unsustainable and won’t work for most people. Her routine and behaviors can also be linked to eating disorders.
I will admit that I’m too heavy for my liking right now. I’m having another surgery next week, and that’s definitely caused some depression. Tuesday, I saw my primary care doctor and asked for a psychologist referral. I KNOW I need to get my unhealthy relationship with food straightened out. However, I’m not really a visible role model for younger people though. Paltrow is.
Posting Paltrow’s video would make me feel irresponsible, so I’m posting Lauren Cadillac’s dual video so that a doctor’s information can be seen. To quote Archie Bunker, I say ‘Shut-Up YOU’ to Paltrow. And that’s me putting it nicely.
@feelgooddietitian #duet with @dearmedia #gwynethpaltrow this isnt #wellness this is DISORDERED. THIS IS NOT ENOUGH FOOD especially for someone that is 5’9” Please stop following and listening to celebrities for your health and wellness advice. #disorderedeating #disorderedbehaviour #orthorexia #intuitiveeating #foodfreedom
♬ Aesthetic - Tollan Kim
