Australia’s peak medical body criticises My Kitchen Rules star’s ‘extreme advice’ on fluoride and calcium, saying celebrity chefs shouldn’t ‘dabble in medicine’

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

The Australian Medical Association has accused the celebrity chef Pete Evans of endangering lives with his unscientific advice on fluoride, calcium and sunscreen.

The My Kitchen Rules chef repeated his claims that dairy strips calcium from your bones, fluoride does not prevent cavities and sunscreen is toxic in an interview on Seven’s Sunday Night current affairs program watched by 1.4 million people.

“What do you need a qualification for to talk common sense?” Evan said on Sunday night when asked why he gave medical advice when he had no qualifications.

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“Why do you have to study something that is outdated, that is industry-backed that is biased, that is not getting the results? That would be insane to study something that you’re gonna waste your time with? That’s just crazy, it’s just crazy.”

The Bondi chef and reality TV star said he was doing the interview with his own network to set the record straight about his diet and lifestyle advice and to defend himself against “media lies”. But reaction to his health advice from the medical profession was swift.

The AMA took the unusual step of tweeting its disapproval after the interview aired on Seven on Sunday night: “Pete Evans [is] putting his fans health at risk with extreme advice on diet, fluoride, calcium. Celebrity chef shouldn’t dabble in medicine.”

The peak Aboriginal health body National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation branded Evans “the kitchen version of Pauline Hanson”.

Aboriginal Health (@NACCHOAustralia) Why are doctors experts in health? What are their qualifications? Pete Evans says #MKR #sundaynight Is he the kitchens Pauline Hanson ? pic.twitter.com/gE52w1EelO

Filmed surfing with his wife and his two teenage children, Evans said sunscreen was full of toxins and he didn’t put it on himself or his family if they were only spending half an hour in the sun, which is needed for vitamin D.

But he did qualify the advice by saying he used a less-toxic brand when he was in the sun for an extended period of time.

While insisting he believed breastfeeding was the best way to feed a baby, he repeated his belief in a bone broth for babies “who can’t take human milk”. His book with a recipe for bone broth was pulped by the publishers after an outcry from the medical profession that feeding babies bone broth is toxic.

“We promote breastmilk first and foremost,” Evans said.

Evans, who is the co-host of the highest rating show on commercial TV, recently advised a woman with osteoporosis to cut dairy from her diet because of evidence dairy removes calcium from bones.

“We have shared that information in the Paleo Way program and you can read it in many different scientific journals as well,” he said on Seven. “It’s just a known fact. It’s a myth to think that drinking cow’s milk is the be-all-and-end-all for calcium intake.

“The calcium dairy myth is the best piece of marketing I’ve ever heard and they [the medical profession] are going to hold on to that for grim life.

“I’ll send you the studies, there is a mountain of evidence out there.”

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Challenged about his lack of medical or scientific training, Evan said he didn’t need it.

“Why are doctors the experts in fluoride? What are their qualifications to be up-to-date with the neurotoxins that fluoride is. There is a mountain of information.”

Evans’ wife, Nicola Robinson, said her husband was just trying to make families healthier and insisted “he’s not a whack job”. She said his advice had turned her life around.

“I wasn’t leading a natural life,” Robinson, a former model, said, “which is why I have two toxic, silicon implants attached to my chest.

“Deepest regret of my life. I dabbled in fillers, Botox, all types of things that were driven by my fear to try and make myself feel better,” she said.

“And I wasn’t eating the right foods. So no, I wasn’t living the clean, pristine life that I do now.”

Evans is producing a feature-length documentary called The Magic Pill.