Outrage after fitness influencer releases protein bar that's advertised to ‘increase risk of cancer’

Controversy has been sparked after well-known fitness influencer Joe Wicks released a protein bar that can 'increase the risk of cancer' - but there's more to it than what at first meets the eye.

Wicks - AKA the Body Coach - was the poster boy for at-home workouts throughout the Covid lockdowns, with him providing free workouts and health advice online. But some fear he has gone too far and has been accused of 'demonising' food.

Now, in his latest move, he's released the 'most dangerous health bar' packed full of ingredients that can cause 'strokes, cancer, diarrhoea and even death'.

It comes after he faced backlash over a Jaffa Cake 'relapse' and binged on sugar after he tried to cut it out completely, with people saying he was 'demonising fruit' after he 'confessed' to eating some watermelon and other very healthy fruits.

However, it seems he has set out to prove a point about whether we really know what goes into the protein bars and supplements we're splashing the cash on.

It's all part of a new documentary which airs tonight on Channel 4, called Joe Wicks: Licensed To Kill, with the broadcaster hoping the show will 'hold the government to account for not doing enough to protect us'.

He's teamed up with Professor Chris van Tulleken to create a 'Killer' protein bar, which the duo say is high in saturated fat and sugar, as well as 96 other ingredients.

Some of these other ingredients have been linked to causing dementia, cancer and even early death (hence the name).

Wicks, a father-of-four, says he wants to raise awareness of the 'potentially harmful ingredients permitted by food regulators to be sold on our shelves'.

He insists: "There really is a strong and growing body of science and evidence now to show that these foods are damaging our health. I really believe we shouldn't accept this as the norm and carry on as we are. We deserve a chance to eat better."

Despite the intentions of his new project, the former personal trainer has faced yet more backlash online.

One nutritionist slammed: "Stick to burpees, Joe."

"Course his protein bar flavour is Jaffa cake... I’m concerned for Joe’s own food relationship & health too and it’s shocking that none of his family or marketing team are stepping in & telling him that this is ridiculous," shared another.

"I unfollowed him after the sugar 'relapse' .. not cool," said another.

Others also questioned the food waste during a cost-of-living crisis, with one adding: "I’d love to know what the environmental impact is on producing, marketing, selling, and disposing of these bars is. Completely missed the mark on this one."

"He also focuses on ‘excessive consumption’ but doesn’t go on to clarify what he considers to be excessive?!" queried someone else.

"I can behind trying to make foods healthier and using better ingredients but this is just an example of ‘good idea, absolutely awful execution’."

While one pleaded: "You’ve totally missed the mark here, Joe. I urge you to please please go and study for a credited qualification in public health/nutrition/dietetics to better understand how damaging this fear mongering narrative that you’re creating is to the public."

Channel 4 says of the project: "Joe Wicks and Professor Chris van Tulleken have an outrageous plan: to expose the truth of ultra-processed food by carrying out a highly provocative stunt, which they have designed to convince the government into changing our food laws for good.

"In the film, Joe learns about the country’s health crisis due to our over-consumption of ultra-processed food - linked to 14% of premature deaths in the UK."

"Joe’s Killer protein bar includes notorious ingredients linked to cancer, diarrhoea, stroke and early death, all of which are entirely legal in the UK and commonly found in other products."

Professor van Tulleken further told the Daily Mail: "He and I deliberately made our bar as unhealthy as we could, using all perfectly legal ingredients, to ask this simple question: why don't foods that we know are harmful to health carry warning labels?

While he accused influencers of pushing 'junk food' with these bars, he did add that he doesn't 'blame the influencers'.

"They're not nutrition experts and protein bars are a great example of foods that promote themselves as health products, while in reality they're ultra-processed, with high levels of salt, sugar, fat, calories and additives known to cause harm'," he said.

Joe Wicks: Licensed To Kill airs on Channel 4 tonight at 8pm.