Big Brother star less Stout after study

Big Brother star Cameron Stout did not live up to his name today after shedding almost two stone during a weight-loss study.

Mr Stout, 33, a former fish trader from Orkney who won the Channel 4 reality show in 2003, has spent the last nine weeks at the Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen as a volunteer in an Atkins-type diet programme.

Today Mr Stout revealed he had lost nearly two stone over the course of the study and said he would be able to take what he has learned from his stay at the institute and include it in his eating habits from now on.

He said: “I didn’t feel deprived at all. I actually feel lucky to have been selected to take part in the study.

“It has enabled me to make changes to my lifestyle in terms of what I eat that I would never have been able to make without the support of the Rowett staff and the motivation of taking part in the study.

“The food has been great and so have all the staff. I’m amazed to find out this morning how much weight I have lost because we were not allowed to know our daily weights during the trial. I hope the next group of volunteers enjoy the study as much as I have.”

The Big Brother winner, a self-confessed junk food fan, said he did not find it difficult to stick to the regime despite admitting to loading up on chocolate whenever he went to the cinema or a petrol station before taking part in the study.

The programme involved specially-prepared food and volunteers could eat only this during the project.

They were not allowed snacks such as crisps or chocolate, and they also had portion sizes reduced as their weight loss was monitored.

Mr Stout said: “It’s been very hard for me not to be able to go out for a meal in a restaurant or to invite friends round for a pizza because most of my socialising revolves around food.

“I’ve been nine weeks without eating any snacks. I’m determined not to waste the time I’ve spent here and I’m hoping to lose some more weight now I’ve made such a good start. I really do feel much better for it.”

Mr Stout revealed that he did not feel at all hungry during the study, which involved him living in the nutrition unit at the institute.

The research into high-protein, low-carbohydrate weight-loss diets was conducted by Dr Alex Johnston, who has worked at the institute for 10 years.

Dr Johnston revealed the institute was taking on another four volunteers this week to take part in the study and the overall results, when collated, will be made available in May next year.

Dr Johnston stressed the research was fundamentally a study and not a weight-loss diet, as all food was rigorously prepared to various scientific processes and all contents were monitored to ensure accurate portion and calorie control.

This means it would be very difficult for a normal person to recreate the recipes at home, he added.

Dr Johnston said: “The study that Cameron has just completed is only one part of a larger scientific project, which is looking at the physiological mechanisms of high-protein, low-carbohydrate weight-loss diets, with a view to developing healthy, longer-term weight-reduction strategies.

“We are pleased that Cameron has lost so much weight but actually, the weight loss by any of our volunteers is not the prime objective of this study and we still have a long way to go before the study is completed.”