Indulging in the high life with champagne, Michelin-starred dining and private jets may seem idyllic, but for Josie Gibson, it led to an unexpected health scare. Following her luxurious travels on Channel 5's Around The World In First Class, Josie underwent a health check before embarking on her new television endeavour, The 1970s Diet.
The outcome was alarming – blood tests revealed that Josie was battling gout.
"I kept saying to the nurse 'My toes keep hurting'," Josie, aged 40, shared. "I thought gout was only for old men but I have been living quite a lavish life. Before I filmed this show, I caught a lot of flights, I drank a lot of champagne, I ate a lot of rich food and I had little sleep. That's how I ended up getting gout."
Fortunately, Josie's latest series, The 1970s Diet, involves far less opulence as she trades upscale eateries for simple fare like boiled potatoes, liver, and spam. "I've come from one extreme to the other," Josie quipped.
"I went from living my finest life ever to being brought down to earth with a bang," she added.
In The 1970s Diet, Josie, who is originally from Gloucestershire, delves into the dietary habits, drinks, and health attitudes of the 1970s to determine whether people were genuinely healthier back then. Considering that only about 10% of Britons were deemed obese in 1970 – a statistic that has since tripled – Josie was taken aback.
"I was surprised by that," Josie remarked. "I think of the 1970s and I think of madeira cake, trifles, angel delight... it doesn't scream healthy - not to me!"
To give Josie an authentic taste of the 1970s, a nutritionist provided her with a meal plan featuring smaller portions typical of the era, complete with a smaller dinner plate from the same decade. Yet, upon encountering the proposed menus, which included tripe and liver, Josie was sceptical about the potential for weight loss, stating: "There were a lot of carbs on the menu. I thought looking at the diet, I'd definitely put on weight."
The 1970s weren't just a time of different eating habits; people tended to be more physically active, often walking further distances, engaging in manual housekeeping, and tending to their vegetable patches.
For the purposes of recording her progress on the programme, Josie heads to Kingston University to get her body fat and weight officially documented. Having fluctuated notably in size throughout her life, from a size eight to a size 22, Josie boldly faces the revelation of her weight on national television, learning she is 16 stone (102 kilos) and carries 48 percent body fat.
"If I'm taking on this experiment, then I'm showing it all, that's the experiment," says Josie. "If you don't show the experiment, what's the point?"
Josie feels validated when the results showcase her exceptional fitness level. "It was nice to know that even though I was overweight, I was at a supreme fitness level," says Josie. "I was expecting to have a low fitness level, even though I've always exercised. But he was like, 'No, you're at a superior fitness rate.'"
Josie expresses relief at her overall wellbeing especially now that her bout with gout is over. "As soon as I stopped catching all the flights and started drinking a bit more water and less champagne, it levelled itself out," reveals Josie.
Regarding her own efforts, the outcome of Josie's experience on The 1970s Diet remains to be seen, but it has certainly prompted her to make some life changes. She aims to engage more with her local community and incorporate more walking into her routine – which she believes will also prove beneficial for her son Reggie, aged seven.
Sharing a little family anecdote, Josie reveals: "What I realised about Reg is he is a bit lazy. I'm like, 'Reg, come on, let's walk up the shop.' And he's like, 'No, mum, can we take the car?' We have kept trying to keep at the walking but I've got to really gear him up."
Delving into the culture of the 1970s has been an eye-opener for Josie in understanding the era's emphasis on the family unit. With her experience as a single mother lacking a partner's support, Josie has gained a new perspective.
"It has really opened my eyes. Back then I think the man needed the woman, and the woman needed the man," Josie reflects. "I love the fact that I can have a career but relationships in the 70s I suppose they stuck together because they needed each other more. They were more solid as a family."
Despite this realisation, Josie maintains that her hectic life leaves little room for romance, admitting, "It wouldn't be fair."
