Lollipop diet…no, really?

The latest in a long list of celebrity fad diets is the lollipop diet. Celebs have apparently been turning to sucking on lollipops in a bid to lose weight and stay ‘close-up’ ready.

This isn’t just any old lollipop – so forget about nipping to the off license for a Chuppa Chups. This new appetite suppressing lollipop (available in every flavour imaginable) contains hoodia extract. Hoodia is the name given to a group of plants that grow in South Africa, they have been used by the indigenous for centuries. The plant suppresses the appetite whilst giving bursts of energy – pretty handy if you are short on food.

But…this just doesn’t sit right with me.

Now, keep in mind that the bushmen of South Africa have been chewing on hoodia plants for centuries, it is an essential part of their diet because it it allows them to go for days without feeling hungry. The reason why they do this, is because there is a shortage of food, they use it to survive the dessert.

The fact that it is being turned into a sweet flavoured lollipop, for celebs and the overindulged to keep the pounds off just seems odd and even wrong to me.

I am not trying to be a martyr, I get ‘hungry’ about 20 minutes after I eat!

I just can’t escape the feeling that something that is an essential survival tool for the indigenous of South Africa is now being turned into a sweet, sticky ball on a stick.

What do you think?