Strictly Come Dancing's Neil Jones has sparked a big debate amongst his Instagram followers after revealing he has been fasting for four days straight. The professional dancer shared a photo of himself online, sporting a concerned look on his face. But in the caption Neil proudly wrote: "I can't believe I managed 4 DAYS of fasting, that's 96 hrs with no food and only drinking water. I've been asked soooo many times why am I doing this and it's mainly for the health benefits such as insulin resistance, growth of cancer cells, heart disease and arthritis and cleaning my body but also will power."
Neil was quick to clarify: "Just in case anyone is confused I am not promoting fasting, I am just informing people of my experiences and why I did it but also fasting is not for under 18s, anyone with a ED, pregnant, diabetes or with any heart issues and again if you are planning to fast seek medical advice first."
Katya Jones' husband went on to say that he had prepared his body for three weeks by cutting down his meal intake and certain types of food. Neil reiterated: "If you are considering a fast please get medical advice because it can be dangerous and every body is completely different." The 34-year-old TV star added that he has weaned himself back into eating and started with a miso soup. "In all honesty I feel fantastic and my skin is glowing and it was a great experience for my mind and body," he concluded.
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While the majority of Neil's fans praised the dancer for making it through the challenge and for being an inspiration, others were more concerned about the impact his post may have, especially on his younger followers. One fan replied: "I do hope that none of your younger and more vulnerable fans decide to follow your lead. If we disagree we can as you say unfollow, but how would you feel if someone with an ED who looks up to you became ill as a consequence of you extolling the virtues of starving yourself for four days with nothing but water? Rather than defending your comments just take a moment to think, that's all."
See past Strictly winners:
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Another wrote: "So many things help fight cancer and have better health benefits than basically starving yourself. Putting a disclaimer on the post to get people to seek medical advice before doing so, kind of stops me agreeing with this one. Not for me ta." One fan admitted: "This is really not great in terms of disordered eating and really really triggering for those of us with eating disorders. Please think before discussing topics that can be so harmful. EDs destroy lives. I’m a huge fan but after 3 inpatient admissions I think I’m going to have to unfollow for my own safety and recovery."
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