Michael Mosley: What is the Fast 800 diet, what does he say about the UK’s obesity crisis, and when is ‘Who Made Britain Fat’ on TV?

Journalist and broadcaster, Michael Mosley investigates how the UK has ended up with an obesity crisis.

In this two-part documentary, Mosley looks into the part that supermarkets, fast food restaurants, politicians and the NHS have to play in the crisis.

Who is Michael Mosley?

Michael Mosley is a British television journalist, producer, presenter, and a former doctor.

Mosley was born in India but moved to a boarding school in England when he was seven.

He later studied philosophy, politics and economics at New College, Oxford.

After working as a banker, he decided to move into medicine and intended to become a psychiatrist.

He studied at the Royal Free Hospital Medical School, now part of UCL Medical School.

After graduating medical school, and become disillusioned by psychiatry, Mosley joined a trainee assistant producer scheme at the BBC in 1985

He has worked for the BBC ever since, and has made regular appearances on The One Show.

Mosley is best known as the presenter of numerous biology or medicine-based television programmes, including Inside the Human Body and The Diagnosis Detectives.

He also invented the popular Fast 800 diet.

What has Michael Mosley said about the UK’s obesity crisis?

Mosley begins investigating why politicians seem powerless to reverse or stop the steep rise in the number of Brits living with obesity.

In the episode, he also explores the high streets of Britain, where there has been a rise in fast food joints.

He asks whether supermarkets are doing everything in their power to help shoppers make healthier choices.

Mosley also questions whether the NHS is getting it right on obesity, and puts forward his own plan on how to attack the crisis.

What is the Fast 800 diet?

There are three approaches to the Fast 800 diet, and each follows the principle of a low-carb, Mediterranean-style diet.

The Very Fast 800 approach is for those who have a significant amount of weight to lose, or to kick start weight loss.

It is where you eat 800 calories a day, every day, for up to 12 weeks.

The New 5:2 approach is a gradual way to lose weight and keep it off long term.

This is where you eat 800 calories, twice a week. Then no calorie restrictions on other days.

The Way of Life approach is for those looking for long-term maintenance of their weight and metabolic health.

For this approach, you follow an online programme.

You can switch easily between each approach as your needs change.

Those on the diet would eat fewer processed and more home-cooked foods.

They would also eat plenty of vegetables and fruit as well as whole grains, beans, lentils, extra fibre, lots of nuts and plenty of full-fat dairy and oily fish.

Dr Mosley claims that by following the rapid weight loss stage of the Fast 800 you may lose as much as 14kg over 8 weeks.

When is ‘Who Made Britain Fat’ on TV?

The two-part documentary is on TV on Wednesday 9 March.

The episode will air on Channel 4 at 9:00pm.

The episode sees Mosley visit one of the new preschool obesity clinics, where babies as young as one are being treated for obesity.

He also talks to campaigner Jamie Oliver and discovers from former chancellor George Osborne why the sugar tax did not go far enough.