Chris Martin Eats Only Lunch So He Can Be Like Bruce Springsteen

When I was ten, I told my dad that I didn’t want seconds for dinner. He let out a performative gasp for everyone at the table (everyone being the other members of my family). In his defense, it got a big laugh. I was a chubby kid, and that was often a source of comedy for… my family. To be blunt, stories like that were not rare during my childhood. They left a lasting effect on me that I am still struggling with today.

Today, I’m in the best shape of my life. It took diet, exercise, and confidence (something I cultivated in spite of my parents). When I was younger, I tried every “Get thin quick” thing you could name; if a celebrity was pushing it, even better. They must know what they’re talking about. Look at how great they look! For instance, I once watched Christopher Walken say that getting a haircut helped him lose weight, when he appeared on Conan O’Brien’s show. As a young, dumb kid, I took that as gospel for years. So, when I heard Chris Martin tell Conan that he was eating one meal a day so he could get in shape, I gasped (but not performatively).

The Coldplay frontman sat down with Conan O’Brien this week. The interview itself is relatively innocuous. Martin is a bit odd, but what rockstar isn’t? The way they get to the one-meal-a-day admission is even a little funny, thanks to a Bruce Springsteen impression by Conan O’Brien. It doesn’t make what Martin is saying any less absurd (and a wee bit dangerous, if you ask me).

I know the adage for celebrities is to say that they “aren’t role models.” However, Martin admits in the same breath that people like Beyoncé and Springsteen inspire him. They’re legends, so it makes sense to want to emulate them. That said, most human beings should not be eating one meal a day. You have to make sure you’re getting the right amount of nutrients. An uninformed, regular person may not know that. Coldplay superstar Chris Martin likely has a team of nutritionists to ensure that he gets everything he needs. In his mind, that likely boils down to “I only eat one meal a day.”

This is not the first nor the last time that a celebrity says something as thoughtless as this. Also, it’s not Chris Martin’s fault that this struck such a chord with this 34-year-old writer, haunted by memories of his past. I think celebrities should choose their words more thoughtfully. You never know what impressionable ten-year-old is looking for an easy way to avoid being laughed at by their family.