Compiled by Francesca Specter. Photographs iStock
DR JOANNA SILVER is lead eating disorder therapist and counselling psychologist at the Nightingale Hospital, London
The trend for eating a highly limited diet centred around ‘clean, virtuous’ foods was borne from a group of wellness bloggers and niche experts, but increasingly their philosophies have entered into the mainstream. There are presently over 30 million Instagram posts with the hashtag ‘#cleaneating’. The number of UK vegans has risen by 360 per cent in the past decade, and a third of Brits have eaten gluten-free food in the past six months – despite just one per cent of the population being diagnosed with coeliac disease (an autoimmune condition triggered by gluten intolerance). Meanwhile, intermittent fasting, such as in the 5:2 diet, and detox teas – which claim to ‘cleanse the digestive system using natural herbs’ – have never been so popular.