Is intermittent fasting just another form of disordered eating?

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. In the current clamour to acclaim fasting as a way to treat cancer, boost brain power, repair cells and shred fat, I feel like it’s worth recalling the faddy food regiment rumoured to have been taken up by Lady Gaga, Cheryl Cole, Jennifer Aniston and many other female celebrities a decade ago. open image in gallery ‘We live in an era in which male eating disorders are both rife yet totally under-discussed’ Now let’s look at the other camp. Episodes on the topic of fasting are subtitled with terms like “Get your sex life back”, while its YouTube version deploys crude graphics that explosively tell you of a “1,300 per cent increase in testosterone!” IF has also been the topic du jour of many a Silicon Valley exec, who as a group commonly stress a perceived increase in “longevity”, while that same desire to live a lot longer than mere mortals has interlaced with self-help gurus such as Tony Robbins who promote the concept of “biohacking”. In the UK, men like former cricketer Freddie Flintoff or actor Christopher Eccleston have tried to shift public opinions on male eating disorders by very openly discussing their experiences with bulimia and anorexia, respectively.