Oatzempic: Steph Claire Smith slams new viral ‘toxic diet trend’ that’s sweeping the internet

Leading fitness influencer Steph Claire Smith has called out a dangerous new diet trend that’s sweeping social media.

The model, 30, took to Instagram on Wednesday to condemn the viral ‘Oatzempic’ craze and expose the negative impact it can have on the body.

‘Oatzempic’ has been dubbed a meal replacement shake consisting of half a cup of oats blended with water, lemon and lime juice.

Advocates say the shake helped them lose weight quickly, with some claiming to have lost up to 18 kilograms in two months.

Steph warned others not to attempt the latest weight loss fad.

‘Oh look, another toxic diet trend has hit the internet,’ she wrote.

‘Please do not fall for this. You do not need to deprive yourself of enjoyment of food to be “healthy”. Been there, done that… it’s unsustainable and brings no joy.’

In her video, Steph continued: ‘FYI, I am not making one of those horrid-sounding drinks. I am making myself a real smoothie because I’m hungry for a snack.

‘It just makes me so furious. That amount of weight loss in that amount of time can not be good for you. Not to mention the drink sounds gross.

‘It’s just restrictive dieting disguised. And if you’re following anything like this, you’re depriving yourself of actually enjoying food.’

Steph admitted that she’s attempted dangerous diet trends and ‘quick fixes’ in the past, while urging her followers to simply ‘enjoy food’.

‘I was in a place with my restrictive eating where I would honestly fall for any of the toxic dieting messages that came online and I would believe anything and try everything,’ she said.

‘Just remember, that that level of restriction in dieting, that doesn’t have to be your relationship with food. You can enjoy food and be healthy, those things can co-exist. That’s all.’

Steph recently revealed how her eating disorder inspired her wildly successful business, Keep it Cleaner.

The mother-of-one, who owns the health empire with her business partner Laura Henshaw, said she started to have unhealthy relationship with food a decade ago during her career as a full-time model.

In the lengthy note written over a TikTok video, Steph said she ‘continuously fell into the comparison trap’ between other female models and the beauty standards set in the industry.

‘My entire worth was attributed to the way I looked. There wasn’t a second in the day I wasn’t thinking ahead about food, restricting myself from foods that I loved, and overeating on anything I allowed myself to eat,’ the mother-of-one said.

She added she’d often make herself sick or get upset ‘out of disgust and disappointment’ in herself for falling into the vicious cycle.

Steph explained it wasn’t until she became friends with her now-business partner Henshaw, who had gone through a similar experience, she decided to launch a career path into health and body positivity.

‘By 2015 we had around 500,000 followers on Instagram. It was through connecting with this online community, that we knew we weren’t alone in our struggles and that we wanted to do something about it,’ she continued.

‘It started with a recipe ebook, then a subscription blog, published a hard copy book, then launched a web program, then a grocery label and thennnnnn in 2018, we launched the Kic app.’

The Keep it Cleaner (KIC) app is an health-based app offering nutritious recipes, workout programs and mindful activities like meditation.