British Doctor Who Popularised Intermittent Fasting Goes Missing On Greek Island

A search operation is underway for a well-known British doctor and medical journalist who went missing while on holiday in Greece, CNN reported. Dr Michael Mosley, who popularised intermittent fasting for weight loss, set off on a hike along St Nicholas Beach on the island of Symi at 1.30 pm on Wednesday but failed to return, his agent confirmed. Symi is a sparsely populated rocky island about 17km long with about 2500 residents.

Greek police said a broad search and rescue operation involving firefighters, civil protection personnel volunteers, a sniffer dog, a helicopter and drones, had been underway since Wednesday. Authorities believe he may have been affected by the heat during his walk.

“They are working on the theory he may have been impacted by the heat and fallen. The area they're searching where he was walking is only a 3km distance, but it is quite rugged, so they are trying to focus on that area (the walking track),'' Mylee Hogan said. 

A UK Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who is missing in Greece and are in contact with the local authorities.”

An appeal for information was shared in a Symi Facebook group on Wednesday along with a picture showing Mr Mosley standing on a beach and holding a backpack.

The doctor is credited for the rising popularity of the 5:2 diet for losing weight, which involves fasting for two days per week. The diet combines intermittent fasting with a low-carbohydrate, Mediterranean-style meal plan. Celebrities including Benedict Cumberbatch and Jimmy Kimmel have taken up the diet.

He subsequently introduced the Fast 800 diet, a rapid weight loss program, whereby dieters restrict their calorie intake to 800 a day for at least two weeks, before transitioning to the 5:2 program.

He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 2002 for an outstanding non-fiction special (informational) after executive producing the 2001 BBC mini-series 'The Human Face' which examined the science behind facial beauty, expression, and fame.

The 67-year-old is also well known in the UK for programmes including the BBC series 'Trust Me, I'm a Doctor'. He also appeared on BBC's 'The One Show' and ITV's 'This Morning'. 

Mr Mosley was born in India in 1957 and moved to England when he was seven to attend boarding school. He has four children with his wife Clare Bailey Mosley, who is also a doctor, author and health columnist.