Celebrity chef Tom Kerridge has been very enthusiastic about his new diet recently. His TV series and book Lose Weight For Good [1] have been plastered all over the internet, along with a collection of "only 200 calories!" recipes. But this week he's gone a step too far. He's having a pop at the humble, delicious potato.

Don't be beaten by a potato! This is one of my favourite tips for staying motivated on a diet... If you're tempted to eat a bag of crisps, imagine a potato with a face on it. Now arm wrestle with it. You wouldn't let the potato win would you?! #MondayMotivation [2] #LoseWeightforGood [3] pic.twitter.com/r4ZUM4XyCi [4]

— Tom Kerridge (@ChefTomKerridge) February 5, 2018 [5]

Let us put down our massive bag of crisps for a moment. For a start, potatoes don't even have arms. Even if you are trying to lose weight, there's certainly nothing "wrong" with potatoes [6], and there are loads of healthy ways you can enjoy them [7]. The idea of winning some sort of fight against food puts huge amounts of pressure on anyone trying to stick to a healthy, balanced diet. We don't think anyone should be called a loser just because they ate carbs for dinner. There's absolutely nothing motivating about being made to feel like a failure.

And we're not the only ones who question Tom's unorthodox approach to diet tips either. Some people replying definitely didn't agree with his comments:

I HAVE MADE THE POTATOES MY ALLIES! pic.twitter.com/5diqlKJwbv [8]

— Andy (@andyecono) February 6, 2018 [9]

I like you Tom but this is ridiculous there is absolutely no reason to exclude a potato from your diet, you may be a brilliant Chef but your not a nutritionist and you've totally got this wrong ...

— kally (@revamped_rebel) February 5, 2018 [10]

Sorry Tom.. but the potato wins every time.

— Johan C (@johanc77) February 5, 2018 [11]

Our top food tip? Don't draw on your vegetables with permanent marker pen. Now, shall we go for roasted [12] or mashed [13]?