Robert Pattinson calls out toxic male body standards, says he once ate potatoes for two weeks to ‘detox’
The healthy body standards conversation may be picking up pace but it is undeniable that the pressure to conform to a certain body type remains. English actor Robert Pattinson added to the rhetoric, saying that though he has never struggled with body image issues, he has been involved in the “insidious” practices of getting ripped. This involved short-lived obsessive tricks such as a boiled-potato-only diet.
In an interview with ES Magazine, he commented on the body expectations for men that have trickled down to young boys. “It’s crazy, it’s very, very easy to fall into that pattern as well. Even if you’re just watching your calorie intake, it’s extraordinarily addictive — and you don’t quite realise how insidious it is until it’s too late,” said the Twilight star. Revealing that, though he has never struggled with his own body image, he has “basically tried every fad you can think of, everything except consistency”.
Describing one of those crazy diets, Pattinson added, “I once ate nothing but potatoes for two weeks, as a detox. Just boiled potatoes and Himalayan pink salt. Apparently it’s a cleanse… you definitely lose weight.”
Noting that one of his goals for 2023 is to “try consistency,” the Harry Potter actor talked about another diet that caught his fancy, saying he tried keto once. “I was like, ‘Oh, there’s a diet where you just eat charcuterie boards and cheese all the time?’ But I didn’t realise that you can’t have beer as it completely defeats the purpose,” he said.
Pattinson has previously spoken about his workout regimen (or lack thereof) for The Batman. “I think if you’re working out all the time, you’re part of the problem. You set a precedent. No one was doing this in the 70s. Even James Dean — he wasn’t exactly ripped. Literally, I’m just barely doing anything,” he told GQ.
He recalled his comments from earlier and admitted, “I got in so much trouble for saying that I don’t work out, even from my trainer, who was like, ‘Why would you say that?’”
On the work front, Pattinson has his new film Mickey 17 coming up. “The movie is so crazy, it’s a completely different style of working,” he said of the film, which will release next year in March.
