Celebrity weight loss programs

I came across a really interesting article on The Daily Mail, a popular British Newspaper.

The article surrounded the means of British television personality Fern Britton's major weight loss.

The star had gone under the knife for gastric band surgery two years ago and since then had attributed her weight loss to "healthy eating and sheer hard work". Britton came clean on the air about her surgery after her agent (who didn't know about her surgery) called her to notify her the press was about to run a story on her supposed surgery.

After publicly accepting rumors about the band surgery were true, Britton said she didn't lie, but "there are some things a girl likes to keep to herself". While Britton was practicing that healthy eating and sheer hard work she also appeared in several advertisements for an English health food cracker. Is anyone reminded of the US equivalent to this story, with the across the pond version of Britton- Star Jones?

PHOTO left: Britton now
right: Britton in 2006

Ok, I get it, you don't want to come forward and face the assumptions that you're lazy or can't do it on your own so you secretly go under the knife. Hey, it is Britton's body anyway, and therefore shouldn't be anyone else's business, right? Well I fully agree with that, but some of her moves just don't fly with me. She's a public figure, and looked up to by many in England. When you show up about 40 pounds thinner and make claims that you achieved this au natural, you're giving false hope to women struggling with weight issues.

We unfortunately have fallen into a horrible habit of comparing our own body to celebrities. Lies about unnatural methods of weight loss can be detrimental to millions who think so highly of these now slim stars. It seems to me that Britton doesn't hold her status as a role model very seriously. Surgery is nothing to be ashamed of, but a personal choice. I understand she wanted to keep an aspect of her life out of the public eye, but why engage in those advertisements further pushing your new figure and 'natural weight loss' out into the mouths of the public?

As a 50 year old woman, I would hope she would have a higher sense of self confidence and if not come forward with her choice, at least keep her statements and advertising choices realistic. What do you think? What are your feelings on stars getting surgery- should we have the right to know, or are their claims about eating well and working hard alright to spread across magazines and television?