Top UK diet experts accuse fitness guru Joe Wicks of ‘scaremongering’ after Killer protein bar stunt

Fitness guru Joe Wicks has come under fire from leading diet experts who accused him of ‘scaremongering’ with his latest publicity stunt.

The 38-year-old, nicknamed The Body Coach, last week unveiled what he called ‘the UK’s most dangerous health bar’ ahead of his new Channel 4 series.

The snack—ironically named Killer Bar—created with TV doctor and author Professor Chris van Tulleken, was designed to show how ultra-processed foods (UPFs) packed with additives can still be marketed as ‘healthy’.

Wicks urged fans to buy the bars but not eat them, saying profits would go to healthy-eating charities.

But Professor Tim Spector, founder of the popular nutrition ZOE app and genetic epidemiology expert at King’s College London, branded it a ‘panic’ move and warned it risked ‘frightening people away from every product that comes in a packet’. 

His colleague Dr Federica Amati, ZOE’s head nutritionist, also argued the show left viewers ‘alarmed’ and confused about what exactly they could do to reduce their risk.

‘The focus should be on solutions rather than pure scaremongering,’ she said. 

‘Joe admits to loving UPFs whilst also being a famously fit and healthy person, further confusion and evidence that demonising it all is like throwing the baby out with the bathwater.’ 

UPFs such as crisps, sweets and soft drinks have long been criticised for their links to obesity, diabetes and heart disease. 

Some researchers have even called for them to be cut out of diets altogether—but others say the focus should be on moderation, not fear.

The umbrella term UPFs is used to cover anything edible made with colourings, sweeteners and preservatives that extend shelf life.

The Nova classification system, created by Brazilian scientist Carlos Monteiro in 2009, has long been lauded as one of the more robust ways to assess UPFs, splitting food into four groups based on the amount of processing they have gone through.

But recent research has shown that Nova may not necessarily now be the most useful way to understand how a product impacts health.

Dr Amati told the Daily Mail: ‘The programme leaned heavily on the Nova system, which does not tell you how risky a food is for health. 

‘Some processed foods can be part of a healthy diet — high-fibre cereals like Weetabix, or wholegrain breads, for example. 

‘Telling people that everything from hummus to sliced bread and fish fingers is “killing them” is not science — it’s confusion and restriction.

‘To drive real change, we need a movement grounded in evidence and actionable advice as opposed to horror-movie branding.’

Rob Hobson, a registered nutritionist and author of Unprocess Your Life, also told the Daily Mail: ‘The real issue isn’t about demonising individual foods but helping people make sense of them in the wider context of their diet. 

‘Joe’s absolutely right that many protein bars are full of additives like emulsifiers, stabilisers and sweeteners which are ingredients that push them into the UPF category.

‘Yet where the show goes wrong is when UPFs are portrayed as ‘toxic’ or inherently dangerous. 

‘The science doesn’t support that kind of black-and-white view. 

‘If you do buy protein bars, check for ones with short ingredient lists, lower added sugars, and at least 10g of protein per serving. 

‘Or better yet, make your own using oats, nut butter, and seeds. It would have been far more constructive to show people how to make their own protein snacks at home or how to choose better options, instead of just telling them what not to eat.

‘We need clearer front-of-pack labelling and more transparency about ingredients, but we also need better public education. 

‘The real solution is helping people understand how to read labels and what makes up a balanced, nourishing diet — not just relying on marketing buzzwords or celebrity stunts.’