Think twice before you listen to Rush Limbaugh – especially when he talks about diet.

For the people who follow Rush Limbaugh it’s become hard to ignore. The man has lost weight – he’s lost 75 pounds and tends to go for more. As is the case when many people see a celebrity whom they perceive as somehow “special” or an “authority figure” they want to follow along. People can be as willing to follow the words of their favorite celebrity as others are to follow the Pope or the Dalai Llama. It’s no surprise that Limbaugh is being plagued with questions about his “diet secret.”

Remarkably, this is an instance when Limbaugh has decided not to play the authority and is declining to list menus or even lay out the diet completely. His diet is unique because Limbaugh is willing to say, “Folks, it’s not that I won’t tell you, it’s just I can’t. It’s too complicated.” Many people wish he’d admit that about politics.

Rush Limbaugh has made a big business for himself out of politics – which may not leave him time to develop his version of Jenny Craig. Limbaugh has just responded when asked, ‘“Well, why don’t you put the menu up?” “Because I’d have to put the recipes up and it’s not the business I’m in.”

Admirably, for this once, Limbaugh is trying not to hand out bad advice. But beware! Even as he tries not to say the wrong thing, misinformation is slipping out.

Limbaugh’s references to the Atkins diet seem to be wrong for one thing. Lots of people, like Limbaugh, seem to have the wrong idea about what the Atkins diet is, and his comments keep that misinformation rolling. At Akins it says: “The Atkins Nutritional Approach™ focuses on a healthy diet with reduced levels of refined carbohydrates and refined sugars and encourages the consumption of lean protein, fiber, fruits, vegetables and good fats,” which is not really the message Limbaugh is giving.

His message on sugar, drinking alcohol as a diet system, and some other comments are skewed as well. In general, if you hear anything Limbaugh has said about why he’s losing weight – you’d best take it with a grain of salt.