Susie O’Brien: Extreme wellness spin can go tragically wrong

Shane Warne’s death has shown us men of middle age must take their health seriously, including accepting that extreme diets in the name of wellness are anything but healthy.

Wellness trends often don’t make people well.

Sometimes they can make them very, very sick.

It’s not yet known if Shane Warne’s extreme dieting plans, which included liquid-only fasts, contributed to his sudden and tragic death. But doctors, nutritionists and scientists believe such approaches to weight loss are dangerous – and even deadly – because they can trigger heart attacks, among other serious conditions.

Warne’s last meal of Vegemite on toast isn’t widely regarded as a healthy choice. But it was probably better for him than all the wellness juice cleanses and Chinese tea diets he’s been on over the years.

Despite appearing full of vitality and in great health, Warne had several serious health problems. Picture: Getty Images

Despite appearing full of vitality and in great health, Warne had several serious health problems. He was a smoker, had asthma, was on a ventilator last year after getting Covid and had complained of chest pains and sweating before he left for Thailand last week.

It’s no wonder his death at 52 has been a wake-up call for men his age who haven’t always made great lifestyle choices. But Warne was also in the middle of what his long-time manager James Erskine called a “ridiculous sort of diet”.

Erskine said Warne “was just finishing one, where he basically only ate fluids for 14 days, and he’d done this three or four times”. “It was a bit all or nothing. It was either white buns with butter and lasagne stuffed in the middle, or he would be having black and green juices.”

Indeed, less than a week ago Warne posted on Instagram “Operation shred has started (10 days in)”. He added the hashtags #healthy, #fitness and #feelgood and posted a photo of himself shirtless looking very buff.

Warne’s choices have always been extreme; he recently joked about smoking 100 cigarettes a day to cure Covid.

However, his habit of going on liquid herbal diets, 30-day fasts and replacing meals with Chinese green tea is not #healthy at all.

Shane Warne posted about his plans to get in shape the week before he died. Picture: Instagram

Dangers include the depletion of sodium and potassium in the blood that can lead to cardiac arrhythmia and irregular heartbeat. Those with existing heart conditions or high blood pressure are at greater risk.

The Heart Foundation’s chief medical adviser, Professor Garry Jennings, said underlying heart problems could be exacerbated by extreme dieting. A small heart attack can become more serious if your metabolism is out of balance.

The irony is that those looking for a quick fix to long-term weight gain are told that not only will they lose weight, but gain energy, strength and vitality.

Of course, Warne isn’t the only well-known Australian sports figure to lose weight by extreme dieting.

In 2017, Eddie McGuire lost a dramatic 20kg in a matter of weeks by replacing meals with herbal tonics.

“It has taken all the heat out of my body, I feel great, I did not feel tired at any stage, and did not actually even feel hungry, believe it or not,” McGuire raved at the time.

I don’t blame Warne, or McGuire, for taking extreme steps to lose weight.

Warne, pictured with then partner Elizabeth Hurley, was once dubbed the ‘King of Slim’. Picture: Instagram

Warne’s body has always been public property. He lost weight and he was feted as the “King of Slim”. He put it back on and opponents dubbed him a “fat p----”.

Even Warne poked fun at his weight over the years, dubbing himself a lifeguard from “the Baywatch-with-big-bellies movie” at one point. Like many larger people, he was probably just getting in first.

In his 2020 book No Spin, Warne describes meeting coach Terry Jenner who told him he was too fat to be in the Australian team in the early days.

This kind of scrutiny went on for years – he even stormed out of a press conference at Madame Tussauds when a journalist suggested his wax likeness was slimmer than the real person.

Even Warne poked fun at his weight over the years. Picture: Getty Images

We are now much more sensitive about body shaming of athletes. You never know what one nasty gibe about someone’s weight will lead to.

Warne’s death has shown us it’s time for men of middle age to take their health seriously.

This includes accepting that extreme diets in the name of wellness are anything but healthy.

Sure, people lose weight but they put it all back on when they start to eat again, and subject their bodies to a dangerous amount of stress.

I don’t want to overstate the effect of such diets in contributing to Warne’s death. But it’s likely the Spin King’s desire to be thin in a hurry and “#feelgood” via extreme measures such as “Operation Shred” damaged his health over many, many years.

Vale Shane Warne, you were loved by many and will be greatly missed.

Susie O’Brien is a Herald Sun columnist