Artist Tamer Hosny’s post sparked widespread controversy on social media after he discussed nutrition, healthy foods, and what to eat or avoid. He also called on the Ministry of Health to clarify the most suitable diet for individuals and the fundamentals of healthy eating, following the growing debate on the subject.
Reactions to his post varied. Some considered it an attempt to raise awareness and promote health consciousness among the public, while others criticized it, arguing that the matter requires the intervention of medical professionals.
On his official Facebook page, Tamer wrote, “Given the current food controversy in Egypt, with everyone talking about what’s good for us and what’s harmful, could I please appeal to the Egyptian Ministry of Health, senior specialists, and hospital administrators for sufficient and detailed explanations of what foods are beneficial and what aren’t? Ideally, these explanations would be clear and understandable to the average person, without any foreign medical terminology.” He continued, “Are vegetables like lettuce, arugula, grape leaves, and all leafy greens beneficial or not? And how can we be sure they aren’t sprayed with substances that could make people sick? Secondly, how should we eat the eggs and chickens in our country, and how can we tell if they’ve been injected? Thirdly, is drinking plenty of water, as we’ve been taught, beneficial or not? Fourthly, is milk harmful or good, and what’s the right thing to drink? Fifthly, are medications necessary, unnecessary, or not, and what medications shouldn’t be taken?”
He added, “I urge our Egyptian Ministry to produce videos for us. I want someone to speak to us in colloquial Arabic and answer all these questions in detail, with scientific evidence. I also hope my esteemed friend, the honorable Professor Ayman Abbas, who owns one of the largest hospitals, will help me. I hope he’ll have his specialist doctors create videos to address everything happening in our society. I also appeal to the great Dr. Magdi Yacoub and the esteemed Dr. Hossam Mawafi to help us during this time and relieve us of this terrible controversy.”
He concluded, “No one knows what to eat or not to eat anymore. Many established norms have changed overnight. Please don’t leave us like this, neither us nor our children. We need someone to speak to us in simple, everyday language, explaining in detail and with evidence what is wrong and what is right. Why do I say we need more than one entity to speak? So that we can all align our statements with logic and make sound judgments.”
For its part, the Ministry of Health and Population praised the initiative of artist Tamer Hosny in raising awareness about the importance of healthy habits. This reflects the enlightening role of Egyptian artistic figures in supporting national and social issues. The Ministry emphasized that “building the Egyptian citizen” and protecting them from non-communicable diseases is a top priority for the state.
In this regard, author and physician Ahmed Atef commented on the controversy sparked by Tamer, writing, “I’ll respond to the five questions that artist Tamer Hosny posted on his page a few hours ago, asking Dr. Magdi Yacoub for answers. I don’t know why we’re bothering Dr. Magdi Yacoub, who is a heart surgeon and has nothing to do with this. And frankly, I’m not involved either. I’m an orthopedic surgeon, but I can’t bear to see my favorite singer, Tamer Hosny, so worried.”
He added, “Mr. Tamer, vegetables are harmful if they’re sprayed, and beneficial if they’re not. Just wash them anyway. As for eggs and poultry, you can eat them fried, boiled, or rolled. Chicken can be breaded, grilled, or strips. And don’t eat boiled chicken because I don’t like it. Regarding knowing if it’s been injected or not, I think that requires someone from the Ministry of Agriculture, not Dr. Magdi Yacoub.”
Regarding drinking water, he commented, “Honestly, I don’t understand this question at all, Mr. Tamer. There’s no choice; water is in all beverages and makes up two-thirds of a person’s weight. So, if you have doubts about it and have a healthier alternative, try it and let us know. As for milk, it’s fine to drink it. You can add bananas or strawberries, but ask someone first if bananas and strawberries have any harmful effects, as that’s not my area of expertise. Regarding medications, I sent you a private message with my answer.”
Meanwhile, writer and physician Khaled Montaser criticized Tamer Hosny’s statements, writing a lengthy post on Facebook saying, “My dear Tamer, my dear artist, of course you don’t want to admit you’re convinced by Dr. Diaa El-Awady’s system, so you’re asking naive and obvious questions. This is because Dr. Diaa has wrapped medicine in religious cellophane for you, and you’ve been making statements full of nonsense lately. There’s no question more naive than whether medication should be taken or not. What a brilliant, revolutionary question! It would require Dr. Magdi Yacoub to study and answer it. It’s like asking whether the sun has to rise.”
He added, “What Dr. Diaa was saying, brother Tamer, is called delusion in medicine, and delusions are not to be debated. Don’t tell me to debate him about insulin being important for diabetic children, or that not drinking water is good for the kidneys. It’s like arguing with someone in a high-risk ward and trying to convince him he’s not Abdel Halim Hafez. How would he be convinced? Even if you brought him Abdel Halim himself, he wouldn’t be convinced.”
He concluded, “Let’s stop making things up and creating idols out of thin air. Any artist who wants to present himself as a preacher should stick to his art and leave medical matters to the experts. He should try reading at least Fouad Zakaria’s book, Scientific Thinking, because these kinds of questions are unbecoming of an influential artist.”
