TV legend Gloria Hunniford has opened up about her dramatic two-stone weight loss – and it all came down to ditching just two everyday foods. The Loose Women star, who turned 85 on Thursday (April 10), made the lifestyle change after being warned she was on the brink of developing type 2 diabetes. Doctors diagnosed her with pre-diabetes and told her bluntly: change your diet or face serious health risks.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Gloria explained that her hospital consultant advised her to avoid all “white” foods – the carb-heavy staples like bread, rice, pasta, and potatoes, along with sweet treats like cakes and biscuits, according to the Surrey Live.
“It’s a brave man who tells an Irish woman to eliminate potatoes from her diet, but I took his advice,” she said. “And the weight just dropped off.”
After sticking to the plan, Gloria slimmed down to eight and a half stone – the same weight she was in her twenties. She now occasionally has “brown” carbs like wholemeal toast, but white carbs are totally off the menu. Yes, that even means saying no to roasties at Christmas.
But for Gloria, it wasn’t just about losing the weight. She said she felt lighter in herself, too – both physically and mentally. She was especially shaken when interviewing a heart doctor for a special Rip-Off Britain – Food segment on the BBC, who revealed just how harmful sugar can be.
“He opened my eyes to the hidden horrors of sugar, which has no nutritional value whatsoever,” she said. “Effectively, it’s poison and can lead to all manner of diseases.”
She added: “Until recently, fats in our food have been public enemy No 1. But more and more experts now believe that sugar is worse.”
Her wake-up call came in her seventies, when she was told to either change her eating habits or risk being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes – a condition that affects how the body handles sugar and is often linked to excess weight. Pre-diabetes, which means your blood sugar is higher than normal but not yet in the diabetic range, is believed to affect more than 3.2 million people in the UK.
It can creep in with no symptoms at all – just like in Gloria’s case. But if left untreated, it’s a potential stepping stone to something more serious. Her experience is a reminder that even small changes can make a huge difference, especially when it comes to long-term health.
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