Overview

• Independent statisticians appointed by BMJ Group could not reproduce the reported weight-loss effects and identified multiple statistical errors.
• Reviewers flagged irregularities in participant-originated data and recommended further independent scrutiny of the raw records.
• The study’s authors accepted the retraction and acknowledged rounding mistakes, data-transfer errors, and confusion between text versions.
• BMJ’s integrity editor said the findings are unreliable and should not be disseminated or cited.
• Influencer promotion, notably by Jessie Inchauspé, amplified the claims as experts criticized missing trial registration, sparse methods, and warned of potential tooth-enamel damage.