Susannah Constantine has said that giving up refined sugar for five months has transformed her relationship with food.
The What Not To Wear presenter, 64, shared a holiday photo of herself wearing a cobalt-blue swimsuit on a boat, writing that she now weighs 147lb (10st 7lb) after five months without refined sugar and has not used weight-loss medication.
But there is no coyly captioned 'new me' narrative here. Constantine is refreshingly self-aware. She describes herself as having 'shoulder-splitting G cups', a 'muffin top', crepey skin and a body 'about as toned as a water bed', adding that she was sucking in her stomach and stretching out her limbs to smooth 'some of the skin ripples'.
It follows a piece Constantine wrote for The Times in May, in which she admitted her relationship with chocolate had become secretive and all-consuming. She compared the rituals around eating it – hiding sweets, structuring her day around them and feeling unable to stop – with behaviours she remembered from before she got sober.
After cutting out refined sugar and making broader dietary changes, she said she felt clearer-headed and more energetic. But can avoiding refined sugar really help if you feel constantly preoccupied with cravings – and do you need to give it up altogether?
What counts as free sugars?
First, a small but important distinction. The NHS uses the term ‘free sugars’ to describe any sugars added to food and drinks, as well as those naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juice and smoothies.
Biscuits, chocolate, fizzy drinks, flavoured yoghurts and many breakfast cereals all contain free sugars. Sugars naturally found in whole fruit, vegetables and milk do not.
Constantine has said she still eats dates and honey, so her approach is more accurately described as cutting out refined sugar rather than eliminating free sugars altogether.
So, can you really be addicted to sugar?
Celebrity nutritionist Gabriela Peacock, founder of GP Nutrition, says the term 'sugar addiction' is complicated because it isn't a clinical diagnosis – 'but that doesn't mean people's cravings aren't very real'.
Importantly, the answer is not necessarily to cut out every source of sugar.
'Reducing refined sugar is very different from avoiding all sugar,' she says.
'Naturally occurring sugars in foods like fruit come packaged with fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.'
Cutting back on sugary drinks, cakes and biscuits may support health, she says, but eliminating fruit is not something she recommends for most people.
Is cutting it out the answer?
'Some people genuinely do well with clear boundaries, but for many, an all-or-nothing mindset can actually make cravings stronger,' Peacock says. 'The moment we label foods as "off limits", they often become even more appealing.'
Instead, she advises building meals around protein, fibre and healthy fats to help you feel full, not skipping meals, staying hydrated and prioritising sleep. And if you want something sweet?
'Enjoy it without guilt,' she says. Having dessert after a balanced meal, rather than when you're ravenous, may help it feel more satisfying.
'The goal shouldn't be to fear sugar or chase perfection. It's to build eating habits that leave you feeling energised, satisfied and in control, rather than constantly battling cravings.'
