Taco Bell Unveils Jaredesque Diet

Want to lose weight? Then run for the border, hit Taco Bell’s Drive-Thru Diet menu, and knock off 54 lbs in two years. Or at least that’s what happened to Christine, a Jared Fogle knockoff featured in new Taco Bell ads as a devotee of the chain's Fresco items. Though the spots feature all the disclaimers—her weight loss is “exceptional,” the taco treats were part of a larger effort, don’t call the Drive-Thru Diet a diet—diet experts are largely unhappy, ABC News reports.

“Most people hoping to 'be' Christine will be very disappointed, just as most Jared wannabes are,” says an expert who still generally approves of the healthier options, which generally have less fat. Another dietitian is not so kind. “This is preposterous,” she says. This is the same company “that has systematically encouraged people to eat between meals with their 4th meal campaign.” And sure, the ad has caveats, a doctor says, “but I bet many people can't recall hearing that the first time they see or hear this spot.” (More Taco Bell stories.)