"We highly discourage snacking as it is very important to allow your body to rest and repair itself in-between meal times," the incredibly long post begins.
"The body needs to devote a certain amount of time to repair and maintenance.
"Critically, this cannot take place whilst you are also digesting food. It’s like expecting a mechanic to repair your car whilst you are still driving it. The first thing the body needs to do is clear out old and damaged cells - only then can it get on with building new cells. All of this only takes place several hours after you stop eating. Snacking also prevents ketosis (i.e., fat burning)."
The post then gives 'tips' to try instead... like instead of snacking, have a glass of water!
However, the most controversial statement would have to be to "surf the hunger wave" stating that it is absolutely FINE to be hungry because it will pass.
The message they are sending can be potentially very harmful, and has really enraged Instagram users. They have filled the comments section arguing that not only is the information they are sharing factually incorrect, but can be damaging to to younger people who now follow Helena from her Bachelor experience.
"This non-scientific garbage is not only wrong, it is dangerous. You should be ashamed," one user commented, to which another replied: "The information you are giving people is setting them up to fail. All this will do is send their metabolism into starvation mode, slowing it down, causing them to hold and then put on more weight. The best way to lose weight is to speed up the metabolism which means 5 small healthy meals per day. A metabolism is like an engine, in order to keep running it needs fuel."
"Shame on you. You are in such a powerful position to create change and you use it for this... so unbelievably toxic," another comment read.
"This is appalling. These 'tips' are exactly the sort of things my ED [eating disorder] used to say to me. Surf the hunger wave? Drink water instead of eat? It takes years to unlearn these toxic thoughts."
"The fact you're promoting an eating disorder is disgusting. Must really (sic) have to convince yourself you're not an awful human."
After the avalanche of criticism rolled in, Helena and her team issued the following statement.
"As we’ve mentioned, please note that we do realise that this is not a "one size fits all" approach - what works for some doesn’t necessarily work for others. And if you do have any health issues, we recommend that your local medical professional be your first point of call 💙"
The post about 'snacking' was reinforced by the account a few days later when they claimed: "If you are snacking (which we all do occasionally— we're only human after all!) then we would recommend choosing healthy options when doing so."
According to many Instagram users, the post and account has been reported.
If you or someone you know is affected by an eating disorder, call the Butterfly Foundation on 1800 33 4673 or visit their website here.
