Diet guru Eddie Abbew has come under fire after suggesting perimenopause is ‘just a BS term’ — and symptoms can be reversed with diet.
The former NHS psychiatric nurse and one-time Mr Great Britain — who claims to eat 10 to 16 eggs a day — said the biological phase is a ‘term coined by big pharma’.
In a viral post the influencer, who boasts more than 3.9million Instagram followers also said perimenopause — when hormones fluctuate before the menopause — was a ploy to get women ‘hooked on HRT’.
Experts have labelled his comments ’embarrassing’, ‘ignorant’ and ‘irresponsible’.
Other medics branded the advice ‘factually incorrect’ and accused him of ‘dying to be controversial’.
Unintentional weight gain is a common complaint from women going through peri-menopause.
Losing weight, studies show, can ease hot flushes, while lowering the risk of serious complications, such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer.
But this cannot reverse the condition.
Menopause naturally speeds up bone loss and raises the risk of osteoporosis, too.
Responding to Mr Abbew’s post, Canadian gynaecologist Dr Jen Gunter told her 314,000 Instagram followers: ‘This is rage baiting to get attention, to get people to buy whatever c*** this person is selling.
‘I think it’s a really sad reflection of Instagram that someone like this can have 3.9 million followers.’
The author of bestselling books, The Vagina Bible and The Menopause Manifesto added: ‘Obviously this person has no concept of ovarian function.
‘They have no concept of any of the research.’
Dr Sarah Murphy, an obstetrics and gynaecology specialist registrar in Mullingar, Ireland, added: ‘This is factually incorrect.
‘Please don’t share incorrect info, which you don’t know anything about. Stay in your lane.’
Meanwhile, Scottish-based Adele Johnston, founder of The menopause Coach, said: ‘Oh Eddie Eddie Eddie, this is embarrassing for you.
‘You’ve completely launched yourself out of your lane with this one and your complete ignorance, lack of knowledge and narrow minded thinking is evident.
Laura Dowling, a pharmacist and supplements brand founder from Dublin, said: ‘Eddie your profile should say “dying to be controversial”. Ya daft ejit.’
Typical peri-menopause symptoms include changes to mood including anxiety and mood swings, problems with memory, hot flushes, difficulty sleeping, weight gain and reduced sex drive.
Muscle aches and joint pain, palpitations and vaginal dryness or pain are other common signs. Eight in ten women will experience symptoms.
Studies have long shown women gain more than 6kg on average between the ages 50 and 60, regardless of their starting weight, race or ethnicity.
Being larger can worsen symptoms of the menopause, such as hot flushes, and raise the risk of complications.
According to the British Dietetic Association (BDA), changing lifestyle may help to reduce menopausal symptoms to make them ‘more tolerable’, keep bone density and reduce risk of heart disease.
They cannot, however, be completely reversed.
While the BDA recommends hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to help ease symptoms, a variety of calcium-rich foods can also ‘help to keep bones healthy’.
Under its guidance, it recommends consuming two to three portion per day which could include 200ml of semi-skimmed milk, ‘a matchbox size piece of cheese’, one small yoghurt or milk-based pudding like custard.
Other research too has pointed to refined carbohydrates in hastening the onset of menopause.
Researchers estimate there will be 1.2billion menopausal women worldwide by 2030, as life expectancy increases.
Women are advised to see their GP if their symptoms are difficult to manage.
HRT is the main medicine used to ease symptoms. It works by replacing the hormones that are at low levels.
But official figures show HRT use has exploded in England in recent years.
The latest NHS data recorded 11million HRT prescriptions in 2022/23, a 47 per cent increase from the previous year. They were dished out among 2.3million patients, a 29 per cent rise compared to the 2021-22.
Demand has been so great that the UK has been hit by a shortage of some HRT medications.
Experts estimate HRT gels, patches and pills are up to 90 per cent effective at reducing symptoms.
