Ray D’Arcy was forced to defend Operation Transformation, after a health expert slated the RTÉ show.
Jacky Jones, a former Irish health service official, hit out at the health programme. She said that she doubted it had any impact on decreasing obesity in Ireland.
Ray D’Arcy then asked Jacky why she felt so passionately that the show was not helping anyone.
Operation Transformation: Ray defended the RTÉ show | RTÉ
The former health service official said, “If the focus is on individuals and if all of the people out there who have weight problems at the moment, if they were all given the support of four health professionals for seven weeks or whatever it is, eight weeks, they would be able to change too.”
Ray then said, “I don’t think Operation Transformation would ever claim that it’s fighting obesity on its own, it’s part of a bigger picture and isn’t something better than nothing?”
But Jacky Jones did not agree and answered, “I wouldn’t think so.”
She then added, “The focus is on the individual instead of the whole population.”
Changing Lives: Operation Transformation is a ‘launch pad’ to encourage people to get healthy | RTÉ
The former health official continued, “Since Operation Transformation started, which was about 10 years ago, obesity has probably doubled, I’d say. Maybe not doubled, that’s an exaggeration.”
A spokeswoman for RTÉ spoke out following the criticism, “The series does not promise to transform peoples’ lives in a few weeks.
“Rather, the series is a launch pad to encourage people to get healthier and change their attitudes towards food, lifestyle and self-esteem.
“Safefood – the sponsor for the series – conducted research and found that in 2016, over 280,000 people reported losing weight as a result of following OT with a third of those reporting losing between 6 and 12 pounds.”
