Just because you’re trying to help others become healthier, doesn’t mean everyone supports your methods. These high-profile individuals have created their own unique brand — and have occasionally rubbed people the wrong way in the process.
Most people don’t know the professor from Kansas State University. But in 2010, he provided evidence that a calorie is just a calorie when he created “The Twinkie Diet.” For 10 weeks, Haub ate nothing but Twinkies, chips, Oreos, and other “unhealthy” foods. The result: He lost 27 pounds by limiting his intake to less than 1,800 calories a day.
Fonda popularized fitness with her workout videos in the 1980s, selling more than 17 million copies. She also re-branded in 2010 to help make older people more fit. But Fonda’s most controversial health information occurred when she confessed that she uses testosterone to help boost her sex drive in her 70s.
Some consider Jones the father of modern exercise. After all, he created Nautilus exercise machines, which changed the look and feel gyms and fitness facilities across the world. But he wasn't without his doubters: Jones was famous promoting fewer sets of exercise in place of higher intensity work.
If Arthur Jones founded high intensity training, then Mentzer did all he could to make it popular in the mainstream. Mentzer used a unique style of training, which focused on quality over quantity. His workouts (after a gradual warmup) oftentimes included performing a single set of 1-rep using with maximal weight.
Reality TV star and natural-foods chef, Frankel has appeared on three different reality shows. She created the popular liquor brand Skinnygirl, which she sold in 2011. However, despite promoting that her product came from natural food sources, it was removed from Whole Foods when it was discovered that it contained preservatives. She also came under scrutiny for her rapid weight loss following her pregnancy.
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The most viral diet is has nothing to do with South Beach or Atkins. The Paleo Diet focuses on eating like our ancestors. The diet consists of vegetables, fruits, nuts, and meats — while removing or avoiding almost all processed foods. Wolf played an integral role in making the diet mainstream when he released his book, "The Paleo Solution."
This controversy has nothing to do with reality star’s backside. Kardashian has endorsed two fitness products — toning shoes and a weight-loss supplement — both of which have come under fire for reported false claims.
Simmons is a pioneer in power lifting. He was the first man to ever bench press more than 500 and 600 pounds, and even squatted 920 pounds at the age of 50. His facility, Westside Barbell is the best-known strength facility in the U.S. Some question his extreme measures and the toll they take on the human body. Simmons himself has suffered a variety of injuries including breaking his vertebra and tearing his biceps.
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For some people, a marathon is the most extreme form of exercise. For Dean Karnazas, it’s a way of life. Karnazas is an ultra-marathoner who once ran 50 marathons in 50 days in 50 different states. His extreme challenges have caused many to question his health practices and the strain created by ultra-marathoners
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You probably haven’t heard of Greg Glassman, but most people know his fitness brainchild: CrossFit. What started as just one affiliate gym that combined multiple forms of exercise, such as Olympic lifts, plyomterics and sprints, CrossFit is one of the fastest growing fitness trend with more than 3,000 facilities worldwide.
Warner earned celeb status when her gym was featured on the Bravo TV show “Work Out.” Warner came under fire when she made insulting comments about clients who worked out at her facility, including a former breast cancer survivor. These caused the show to lose ad support, the show was cancelled, and Warner sold her gym.
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If a body could talk, Paul Chek’s would scream “fitness.” But it’s not Chek’s body — or his business (The Chek Institute) — that creates controversy. It’s his practices, which include combining emotional, mental, spiritual and physical practices into each workout program. Chek is a strong advocate of organic foods and is one of the biggest proponents of using balanced devices — like Swiss ball — in training.
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You can question his methods, but not his success. Simmons has spent the past 30 years pushing an active lifestyle, and according to his website, he’s helped men and women lose more than 3,000,000 pounds. Simmons focuses on a form of “fun fitness” that blends dancing and movement, and is known for his signature short shorts.
Anderson’s client list reads like a cover of US Weekly: Gwyneth Paltrow, Madonna and Jennifer Aniston are among the long-list of passionate followers. Tracy describes her exercise as “empowering the small muscle groups, and will help you achieve long, lean muscle and leave you body looking sexy and feminine.” While her followers are strong, many fitness experts criticize her approach to strength training, particularly because she believes that women should only lift light weights.
Few people have done a better job of drawing attention to the childhood obesity crisis. In 2010, he launched “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution” in an attempt to change the way schools offer foods to kids. While no one questioned his intent, Oliver isn’t without controversy. Some have questioned his techniques on his shows in Britain, such as suggesting that women withhold sex in exchange for cooking.
Would you believe that a former steroid user could become one of the most influential fitness figures in the world? (Step aside. Arnold.) That’s exactly what Bill Phillips accomplished when he became CEO of the supplement manufacturer EAS, and published one of the best selling fitness books of all-time: "Body for Life." In 2010, he added another book ("Transformation") to his best-seller list.
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Most people consider anabolic steroids as a bad and dangerous substance. Collins? He’s a lawyer (and trainer) who is trying to legalize the controlled substance. He argues that there’s a lack of significant evidence to prove the dangers of steroids, but does believe that no teen should ever use them.
Also known as Oprah’s physician and America’s doctor, Oz is a cardiac surgeon who hosts a show that uses his namesake. He is also the author of six best-selling books, including the YOU series. However, many have questioned his authority because of inaccurate claims on his show and his promotion of pharmaceutical companies that are connected to his personal business ventures.
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Best-selling author and entrepreneur, Ferris wrote “The 4-Hour Body” in 2010 and his book became an instant best-seller. In it, Ferris shares his personal experiments and his suggestions for building muscle, burning fat, and adding incredible strength. His incredible claims, such as losing 20 pounds in 30 days without exercise, were questioned by many in the health profession.
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Before low carb diets, there was Robert Atkins. Dr. Atkins focused on removal all carbs from the diet in order to put the human body in a state of ketosis liposis, where the body uses fat as energy. Many have criticized the diet because of its extreme nature, and it’s reliance on high fat foods such as meats and cheeses.
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Meet the man who forever changed baseball. Conte was the creator of BALCO, the company that provided steroids to many athletes, including Barry Bonds. After serving four months in prison, Conte now runs SNAC (Scientific Nutrition for Advanced Conditioning), which produces high-end sports supplements.
Horton revolutionized the world of at-home fitness when he created P90X: A training and diet DVD series that has sold millions of copies. Horton, a former actor, is best-known for generating a cult-like following for his fitness program, which has helped many men and women transform their bodies. The problem isn’t the results, but instead the pseudoscience — specifically “muscle confusion” — used to explain the effectiveness.
Considered a modern-day diet crusader, Taubes has played a vital role in questioning some of the most common dietary practices. In 2002 he wrote an article that criticized a low-fat approach to losing weight, and in 2007 his book “Good Calories, Bad Calories” question the long-held belief that all calories are created equal, and that refined carbs are the cause of most health problems.
One of the best-known personal trainers in the world, Jillian Michaels claim to fame is directly linked to her presence on the hit show The Biggest Loser. While the contestants on the show lose hundreds of pounds, many health experts question her exercise selection, her background as a trainer, and whether her tactics are sustainable and healthy in the long run. Several class-action suits have been filed against her regarding the ingredients and claims in her weight-loss products.
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