Kate Middleton on the Dukan Diet?

What’s the Latest Development?

The much sought after Royal Wedding featured a noticeably thinner bride—Kate Middleton, the new Duchess of Cambridge and future Queen of England, appeared slimmer than ever during the wedding ceremony, prompting many to wonder: How did she do it? Knowing that Middleton’s mother used the Dukan diet, a French modification on the popular Atkins diet, to lose weight before her own wedding, perhaps Kate took a lesson from mum. The Dukan diet is similar to Atkins in that it recommends a strictly protein-rich selection of foods, but different in that it eschews high-fat foods like butter and bacon. 

What’s the Big Idea?

Is it a boon or bust for public health when celebrities popularize fad diets? Does the public’s longing to be someone of distinction lead them to adopt eating habits that will damage their health in the long run? Is there any real route to a healthy body and mind besides eating a balanced diet and exercising? The Dukan diet, while having sold millions of books, is not without its detractors. “France’s own government food agency has identified the Dukan plan as one of 15 ‘imbalanced and potentially risky diets,’ because of its restriction of food groups and the nutrients they provide.”