A couple who confessed to consuming two milk chocolate bars every night received a stark warning from medical experts Professor Tim Spector and Dr Kandi Ejiofor. The advice came during Channel 4's programme What Not to Eat, which examined the dietary habits of Vicki and Rob.
Shocking Sugar Intake
The couple admitted their diet was laden with sugary and high-fat foods, including chocolate, brownies, and instant noodles. Addressing their daily milk chocolate habit, Professor Tim Spector, an epidemiologist and founder of Zoe, recommended a simple change to satisfy chocolate cravings while reducing sugar intake: switching to dark chocolate.
Tim explained: "Every night, Vicki and Rob eat two giant bars of milk chocolate each. It's ultra-processed, and only around 25% of it is cocoa solids, and it has a staggering amount of sugar."
Doctor Kandi Ejiofor, a GP and clinical lead specialising in lifestyle medicine, revealed: "When you're eating those [milk chocolate], you're having at least 100 grammes of just sugar." Shocked, the pair admitted it was horrible to hear, and the thought of their sugar consumption made them feel sick. Although the couple, like millions, know chocolate is not healthy, there is a reason why so many crave it.
The professor explained: "Like many ultra-processed foods, milk chocolate has been specially formulated to be hyperpalatable. The perfect combination of fats and sugars triggers the reward centre in your brain, tempting you to eat more and more. But not all chocolate is created equal. The more cocoa, the less sugar."
The Dark Chocolate Solution
The Zoe founder and Dr Kandi said the best change the couple could make was switching from milk chocolate to dark chocolate. He explained that if they ate a dark chocolate bar with 90% cocoa, "you'll need 31 bars of it just to get the same amount of sugar" as one milk chocolate bar. Vicki called the fact "shocking."
Dr Kandi continued: "Dark chocolate has lots of benefits, so things like anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants and lots of minerals as well that will really be beneficial."
Tim revealed: "Our plan is to swap them off of the sugary ultra-processed stuff and onto the good stuff." Trying 80% chocolate, the pair said they "could get used to it" but the 90% was "very bitter."
Simple Swap, Big Results
Fast forward six weeks, and the professor said the pair's change in dietary habits "entirely transformed" them, with Rob losing nearly a stone in weight and Vicki losing a quarter of a stone. Despite initially having "worrying levels of inflammation," Tim said these levels are now way down, showing the pair were making daily changes to their once-poor diet.
During their check-in, Rob told the experts: "Since day one on the dot, we have not had a single piece of that chocolate in the house at all. I went straight to 90." Tim joked the move was "hardcore," with Rob adding: "We had some 80% chocolate the other week and it tasted really sweet." For anyone else wanting to try the same, the professor suggested: "If you want to make a lasting change, it still has to feel like a treat. And for Vicki and Rob, 80% is a sweet spot."
