The ABC’s resident medical expert Dr Norman Swan has slammed ‘nutty’ liquid only diets like the one Australian cricket legend Shane Warne completed before he died.
Warne’s manager said he had just finished an extreme 14-day liquid diet before he flew to Thailand where he died of a suspected heart attack last Friday.
The 52-year-old cricket icon was on a ‘boys trip’ at the luxury Samujana Villa resort in Koh Samui when he was found unresponsive in his room about 5pm local time.
Speaking on ABC radio on Monday morning, Dr Swan warned about the dangers of ‘yo-yo dieting’ particularly when combined with other risk factors.
Dr Norman Swan has warned against extreme liquid diets. Shane Warne (pictured in 2002) had just completed a 14-day liquid diet before he died in Thailand
‘Who knows what happened with Shane Warne but regardless it doesn’t sound like he was on a balanced diet in terms of losing weight,’ Dr Swan said.
‘These ‘800-calorie diets’ have got to be done with medical advice and it’s got to be nutritious.’
‘Some people suggest meal replacement shakes because the reputable ones will give you a balanced set of nutrients, rather than going on a nutty diet with just fluids only.’
‘You cannot just go and drink stuff, no matter how green it is, for a month’.
Warne has previously mentioned he had tried ‘traditional Chinese medicine’ for his weight loss and his family said he would regularly go on ’30-day fasting tea diets’ as he battled his weight over his career.
The legendary spin bowler was a heavy smoker, had recently been treated for Covid-19, and had other health issues.
Warne (pictured) had vowed to shed some kilos just days before he went on his trip to Thailand
‘An abnormal diet that is not physiologically beneficial and isn’t nutritious risks changing really important electrolytes – sodium and potassium – in the bloodstream,’ Dr Swan said
‘Potassium is very important because if it goes too high or too low it affects how the heart beats.’
Dr Swan said this is particularly dangerous if ischemic heart disease (low oxygen supply) already exists in the background, particularly in an artery that’s affecting the electrical system of the heart.
‘All that’s needed is a small change in potassium levels to tip that over the edge and cause an abnormal heart rhythm, whereas in another situation that might not have caused an issue.’
The ABC’s medical expoert Dr Norman Swan (pictured) said consumers should be wary of fad or extreme diets
Dr Swan said medical research has shown healthy diets in particular Mediterranean diets high in legumes, fish, good olive oil and garlic can reduced heart disease.
‘Diets still need to be nourishing… Nothing from a chemist will emulate what happens in a cooking pot with a healthy Mediterranean or Asian dish’.
He added those in middle age should have their blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked regularly and be on the lookout for symptoms such as fatigue and heaviness in the chest.
‘With Shane Warne it wasn’t sudden he had symptoms and had been to his GP,’ Dr Swan said.
There is no firm evidence to link Warne’s diet to his heart attack with an autopsy underway in Thailand. However, the Heart Foundation’s chief medical advisor Professor Garry Jennings said that there was indeed a risk the heart could be put under extra strain by very low calorie diets under some conditions.
‘Mostly, these risks are on top of an underlying heart problem, they don’t come out of the blue. I doubt they could cause a heart problem just by themselves,’ Professor Jennings told The Sydney Morning Herald.
‘Basically, if your metabolism, your handling of fluids, salt and other electrolytes gets completely out of whack, if you have a small heart attack, you’re more likely for that to turn into something serious with a rhythm disorder.’
According to the publication, Warne had in 2019 purchased meal-replacement tea from a business in Sydney. It wasn’t clear if he followed the program.
Just five days ago, Warne shared an old picture of himself without a shirt to Instagram, revealing he was working hard to get back in shape
Thai police have said they do not suspect foul play in Warne’s death and said while a small amount of blood was found in his villa this was because of extended CPR performed by his friend.
Australia’s ambassador to Thailand Allan McKinnon has travelled to Koh Samui and met local police investigating the case at Bophut Immigration Police Station.
The investigation team said three friends of Warne had been interviewed, along with two hotel workers, and four massage parlor workers.
Mr McKinnon said he was grateful and felt satisfied with the work of the Thai police officers, with the investigation citing a congenital heart condition as a cause.
Warne’s friend Andrew Neophitou performed CPR for 20 minutes straight while waiting for emergency services to arrive. He was rushed to hospital where he later died.
Just five days ago, Warne shared an old picture of himself without a shirt to Instagram, revealing he was working hard to get back in shape.
‘Operation shred has started (10 days in) & the goal by July is to get back to this shape from a few years ago ! Let’s go,’ he wrote.
Shane Warne’s body is transported from Surat Thani hospital in Thailand (pictured)
Warne’s long-time manager James Erskine revealed on Sunday that Warne had taken to drastic measures to trim down, including liquid-only diets.
At the time of his death, he’d recently finished an extreme and ‘ridiculous’ cleanse in which he only had fluids for about 14 days, Erskine revealed.
‘It was a bit all or nothing. It was either white buns with butter and lasagne stuffed in the middle, or he would be having black and green juices,’ he said.
‘He obviously smoked most of his life [but] I don’t know, I think it was just a massive heart attack. That’s what I think has happened.’
Thai officials do not believe Warne’s death was suspicious, while also noting no alcohol or cigarettes were found inside the luxury villa.
Paramedic Anuch Han-Iam told media on the scene that when he and his colleague responded to the emergency call, Warne’s friends were already performing CPR.
Thai officials agreed they do not believe Warne’s death was suspicious, noting no alcohol or cigarettes were found inside the luxury villa
Two pools of blood had stained the carpet at the foot of Warne’s bed. Nearby were three blood-stained towels and one blood-stained pillow, with bloodstains also soaking into the mattress. Police said the blood was there as a result of frantic CPR carried out on the cricket legend
Warne (pictured) had famously gained and shed weight over his career and was known to have tried different extreme diets
Two days after the Australian cricketing legend suffered a suspected fatal heart attack in his luxury hotel room, his children are said to be still reeling from the news
‘They were trying to bring him back to life… They were desperate. I think one was crying. Really stressed and panicked,’ he told The Sun.
‘They kept trying to wake him… I heard someone saying ”come on Shane, come on”.’
Mr Han-Iam said there were no women in the room, nor was there ‘anything unusual that made [him] think they’d been partying’.
‘I did my best for him and gave all my energy. I’m so sorry that I couldn’t help him.’
The local police chief said Warne had visited a tailor to have a suit made earlier on Friday and ordered two local masseuses to come to his villa.
‘He called the girl to massage. It was just massage. He didn’t die because of the massage. He wasn’t well.’
Warne’s family reportedly told authorities he was suffering health problems before travelling, including troubles with his asthma and chest pains.
Two days after Warne’s tragic death, his children are said to be reeling from the news.
Jackson Warne, 23, told Erskine that he and his siblings, 24-year-old Brooke and Summer, 20, ‘expect him to walk through the door’ any moment.
‘This is like a bad dream,’ Jackson told him.
Erskine said Warne’s children are ‘having a much harder time than anybody’ after the 52-year-old’s tragic death
Jackson shared a final photo with his famous dad (right and centre) on January 31, 2022. The pair were pictured beaming while watching the Australian Open alongside Australian Rules footballer Steven Baker
‘I think the three children are in complete shock,’ Erskine said on Channel 9’s Today show.
‘One minute the kids are talking to him every day, the next minute they can’t talk to him and they start thinking about he’s not going to be there for my 21st, he’s not going to take me down the aisle.’
Erskine said Warne’s children are ‘having a much harder time than anybody’ after the 52-year-old’s death.
His ex-wife, and the mother of his children, Simone Callahan is also said to be ‘really upset’ at the thought of her children having to move on without their beloved dad.
In 2021, Jackson opened up about his relationship with his iconic father, noting he only saw him as ‘dad’ and not a sporting legend like most others.
‘I can always remember just smiling. So, I think he did a great job. And I’m proud of him,’ he said.
Warne pictured with his former wife and the mother of his three children, Simone Callahan, in 1995
Tributes are left as people pay their respects at a statue of former Australian cricket great Shane Warne outside the Melbourne Cricket Ground
Thai police revealed on Saturday that they found his room splattered with bloodstains from the prolonged CPR but ruled out foul play.
Two pools of blood were found on the carpet at the foot of Warne’s bed as well as three blood-stained towels, and one pillow, with blood stains also on the mattress.
Ambulance crews also reported a pool of vomit by the bed.
Australian government officials have now met with Warne’s friends in Koh Samui to discuss bringing his body home to Melbourne.
Warne, 52, died of a suspected heart attack at the luxury Samujana Villas resort on the Thai island of Koh Samui on Friday evening
It’s understood his family desperately want to avoid having an autopsy on the father-of-three in Thailand so he can be returned to Australia as soon as possible
It’s understood his family desperately want to avoid a post-mortem on the father-of-three being performed in Thailand so he can be returned to Australia as soon as possible.
But Thai authorities insisted they want to carry out the post-mortem before his remains are released to the family to be flown home.
Thai police said the body must be examined to find the cause of death and a report will then be sent to the Australian embassy in Bangkok.
‘We just really want to get Shane home,’ Mr Neophitou said after meeting Thai police at Bo Phut Police Station on Saturday.
Thai police lieutenant-colonel Chatchawin Nakmusik said he needed the results of the post-mortem to close the case before releasing the body.
‘I am waiting for the autopsy report. If there is nothing suspicious, then the case is closed,’ he told The Guardian.
Warne’s final Instagram post from Koh Samui’s Samujana Villa, Thailand. The cricketing legend was on a break with four friends
