Importance Score: 65 / 100 🔴
Experiencing a lavish lifestyle, complete with fine champagne, gourmet dining, and private air travel, might appear aspirational. However, for Josie Gibson, such a pampered existence led to a significant medical warning. Following her extensive global journeys filmed for Channel 5’s Around The World In First Class, Josie underwent a health evaluation as she prepared for her subsequent television project, The 1970s Diet.
Josie Gibson’s Health Scare: Gout Diagnosis Linked to Lavish Living
The results of Josie Gibson’s health checks revealed a less than favourable picture – blood tests indicated she was diagnosed with gout. “I kept informing the nurse that my toes were constantly aching,” relates Josie, aged 40. “I believed gout exclusively affected elderly men, but I had been engaging in a rather opulent lifestyle. Prior to filming this programme, I took numerous flights, consumed considerable amounts of champagne and rich food, and had minimal sleep. These factors contributed to me developing gout.”
Fortunately, Josie’s new series, The 1970s Diet, entails considerably less extravagance. She exchanges upscale dining establishments for simpler fare, such as boiled potatoes, liver, and Spam. “I’ve transitioned from one extreme to another,” Josie comments with a chuckle. “I went from enjoying the absolute peak of my life to being brought back to reality abruptly.”
Exploring Health and Diet in The 1970s
In The 1970s Diet, Josie delves into the dietary habits, beverages, and health culture prevalent during the 1970s to investigate whether contemporary lifestyles represent an improvement. In 1970, approximately 10% of Britons were categorised as overweight, a figure that has since trebled.
“I found that unexpected,” Josie admits. “I picture the 1970s and envision madeira cake, trifles, Angel Delight… it certainly doesn’t immediately suggest healthiness to me!”
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A nutritionist furnished Josie with an authentic 1970s eating regimen, featuring smaller servings and an era-appropriate dinner plate. Nonetheless, upon encountering the food she was designated to consume, Josie expressed concern it might result in weight gain, appearing particularly unenthusiastic about eating tripe or liver.
“There was an abundance of carbohydrates on the meal plan,” she remarked. “Considering the diet, I anticipated I would definitely gain weight.”
Beyond Food: Physical Activity in the 1970s
The 1970s were not solely defined by different meals; people also led more active lives physically, undertaking more walking, performing domestic chores manually, and cultivating vegetable plots.
For the programme, Josie visited Kingston University to have her body fat percentage and weight evaluated. Having varied between dress sizes eight and 22 throughout her life, confronting her weight of 16 stones (102 kilos) and 48 per cent body fat while being filmed for national television was a courageous undertaking, but Josie remained dedicated to the trial.
“If I’m undertaking this experiment, then I must reveal everything; that constitutes the experiment,” she declared. “Without showcasing the experiment, what relevance does it hold?”
Josie Gibson’s Fitness and Weight Journey
Her endeavours were successful, as her physical capability was deemed exceptional. Josie conveyed her contentment: “It was comforting to learn that although I was overweight, I possessed a supreme standard of fitness,” she commented.
“I anticipated a poor fitness standard, despite consistently exercising. But he confirmed, ‘No, you exhibit a superior rate of fitness.'”
Indeed, viewers observed Josie easily manage a stationary bicycle on the programme, cycling without apparent exertion. Puzzled by her own physical capability, Josie shared, “I am one of the most active individuals I have ever encountered, but my size doesn’t correspond with my activity level. It never has. I am constantly moving.
“I have friends who are very slender, and I think, ‘I am significantly more active than you!’ Occasionally, I ponder, ‘Is it just?’ but we are all distinct. I am fit, yet I am also overweight.”
Prioritising Personal Wellbeing After Gout
For Josie, individual wellbeing is paramount, especially now that she has recovered from gout. She stated: “As soon as I ceased taking all the flights and began consuming more water and less champagne, it stabilised.”
During the programme, Josie increased her physical movement, walking to her local greengrocer and butcher while utilising her wheeled shopping trolley, targeting a daily steps total characteristic of the 1970s.
Lifestyle Changes and Parenting
The outcome of Josie Gibson’s weight journey within The 1970s Diet might remain unclear, but what is evident is her fresh determination to adopt changes in living habits. She aims to participate more actively within her local community and increase her walking, pursuits she believes will also advantage her seven-year-old son, Reggie.
“What I observed about Reg is that he is slightly inactive,” Josie commented. “I suggest, ‘Reg, come on, let’s walk to the shop.’ And he responds, ‘No, Mum, can we take the car?’ We have endeavoured to maintain walking, but I need to actively motivate him.”
Reflecting on Family Life in the 1970s
Exploring the 1970s culture, Josie discovered the era’s significant focus on familial bonds. As a lone parent lacking a partner’s support, she found this particularly revealing.
“It has truly opened my eyes. Back then, I believe the man required the woman, and the woman required the man,” Josie notes. “I appreciate the fact that I can have a career, but relationships in the 70s, I suppose, they remained together because they relied on each other more. They were more cohesive as a family unit.”
Nonetheless, Josie affirms that pursuing a romantic relationship is not a priority for her at present, stating, “It would not be equitable.”