Paleo test: Sunday Night v 60 Minutes
An exercise in validating the MKR judge or not? Paleo is put under the microscope by two shows at once.
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under News
Last night the Paleo diet was put under the microscope by both Sunday Night and 60 Minutes.
Mike Willesee met with Pete Evans for Seven and agreed to 10 weeks on the diet, while Charles Woolley underwent the same diet for 6 months.
Both veteran reporters conceded their health and current diet was not great. Willesee even fessed up on his addiction to Coke and ice-cream and that he had never visited a market (seriously?)…
Paleo recommends a ‘natural’ diet cutting out carbohydrates, sugar, grains, legumes, processed foods and some dairy.
Sunday Night presented Willesee up to the the halfway mark of his trial, where he confirmed he had lost weight and his doctor said he had improved his health. But it came at a cost with the jury still out on whether it was all worth it.
On social media many suggested Sunday Night was seeking to validate Pete Evans, the My Kitchen Rules judge who has been subjected to ongoing cynicism. Indeed, viewers have questioned how he can fairly judge a cooking show when Paleo refuses to eat sugar and dairy. Evans’ reputation directly impacts on Seven’s top rating show.
Willesee’s own cynicism appeared to serve as the sole objector to Paleo, with Part 2 of his story to continue next week.
Surprisingly, Nine’s Charles Wooley, who owned up eating to “half a loaf of toast” for brekkie, was also receptive to the benefits of Paleo. He too discovered he had lost weight and was feeling healthier, after a longer trial.
Wooley interviewed the ‘father’ of Paleo Dr. Loren Cordain in Canada but also spoke with a paleontologist from a Sydney university who said following a ‘caveman’ diet was not the answer.
60 Minutes at least did not appear to discredit the My Kitchen Rules judge, nor his diet. It may well have given the Seven judge a free kick than Seven’s own recruit.
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- Tagged with 60 Minutes, Sunday Night
16 Responses
So is there going to be a lawsuit because these two stories/programs are the same?
A Pete Evans story and not a single activated almonds joke in the comments so far. Readers of TV Tonight, you have disappointed me.
It’s good that they are putting our poor health as a nation in the spotlight. But two fridges of Coke? That’s bonkers, who suggested that for the story? Surely that’s not his real diet.
(Sunday Night I’m referring to)
I think the fridge full of Coke represented his admitted at least two cans a day over the 10 week period of the trial. I thought it was a terrible waste tipping it all down the sink even though its no good for you!
If you have a crap diet then going palaeo will prob do you some good, esp if combined with a little exercise. However, cutting out all carbs is a bad idea as they fuel the primary pathway for providing energy to your body’s cells. Reduce the simple carbs (sugars, but eat some fruit) while maintaining a moderate intake of complex carbs (starches – pasta, potatoes, yams, grains such as oats & buckwheat).
Eating half a loaf of bread for breakfast is not a great idea but neither is bacon and eggs every day.
He gave up a daily addiction to Coke… that alone would improve his health greatly.
I agree with others that the story was very biased towards Pete Evans and clearly skewed in his favour… and I say that as someone who likes his food philosophies and has his book.
But unfortunately these days you can’t really expect more than a glorified ad from a Ch7 “news” program. This is sadly the norm now.
I’m very pleasantly surprised to hear the Nine piece was open minded and not constructed to be a ‘take-down’ piece, but I avoided Seven’s report because there’s no way they would have thrown their own asset under the bus. That said, I’d be very interested to see an ABC or SBS critique.
Why don’t you try the paleo lifestyle yourself and then you can be your own critique 🙂
In all honesty, I’m pretty happy and healthy as I am so have little interest and remain extremely distrusting of any new fads or ‘diets’. I enjoy a balance of everything including exercise and don’t drink or smoke so I have no need to try trendy flashes in the pan.
Sorry Poida, did you say obesity and bad health is not an issue in our society? Sure both stations could have done a better job with their stories but don’t let that stop you from listening to the message of the story. The paleo lifestyle will help people with chronic disease and I am proof of that. Unless you have tried it you really can’t comment.
It is just another diet. It is a “current affair” and has been covered adequately by that program. The programs were not about obesity per se.
The Pete Evans Paleo story should have stayed with ACA. It is hardly a major issue in our society. Shame on 60 Minutes and SN.
I watched both. The SN episode was one sided. Evans nor Willesee have any qualifications in food nutrition. Willesse would have felt better just giving up coke and exercising anyway. Evans book is due for release soon. I smell a rat, and you could eat that couldn’t you Pete? It would have been on the menu in the Paleo era?
Just another example of how 7 & 9 are clones by their weekly current affairs running a story on the same topic. Is this how its going to be between today tonight and aca if tt returns?
I watched SN and found the story incredibly bias and one sided. It was controlled by Evans – even when they wheeled out the personal trainer Luke from MKR (& close friend of Pete). For me, it showed our weak SN has become – a year ago you’d only watch well researched, interesting stories which showed both sides. Now we are watching tacky publicity stories clearly manipulated to enhance 7’s celebrities.