Warning Over North East Food Challenges

A Durham University expert says a recent food challenge craze is putting diners health at risk.

Dr Amelia Lake is a dietitian and public health nutritionist.

She is warning both the quantity, and the speed of eating, during the challenges could pose a health risk to those taking part.

She told Metro Radio; "It's creating a culture of over-eating when we're in an environment where people tend to over-eat anyway, so this concept of encouraging people to eat more and rewarding people for it just seems to be somewhat wrong really."

Metro Radio spoke to the Fat Hippo Underground in Newcastle, which has it's own burger challenge.

Manager Robert Brown-King told us taking part is totally up to the customer and their challenge isn't something that would be done on a regular basis.

He said: "It's all just a bit of fun, it's not like these people are coming in daily or even weekly, and we don't even do the challenges every week its once or twice a year. I can understand where she (Dr Lake) is coming from that if you were to do that on a weekly basis it would be very unhealthy for you."