She’s the hectoring “health guru” who is fond of telling us all how to keep slim and has made millions from book and health food spin-offs.

But Gillian McKeith, the presenter of You Are What You Eatwho is used to pontificating on our nutritional requirements, has agreed to drop her doctor title in adverts.

The self-styled guru has agreed to remove the honorofic Dr from her company’s advertising after an investigation by the industry watchdog.

The watchdog came to the provisional conclusion that the honorific was likely to mislead the public. In a move that will prevent the publication of the ASA adjudication, McKeith Research has “voluntarily” accepted not to call her “doctor” any more. Ms McKeith, who has been censured by regulators in the past, has a distance-learning PhD in holistic nutrition from the American Holistic College of Nutrition. However, it is understood that the ASA thought the advertisements misleading because the college had not been accredited by any recognised educational authority when she took the course.

According to ASA documents seen by The Guardian, the agreement with the watchdog will prevent Ms McKeith from calling herself a doctor in advertising or mailshots relating to her company and its products, including Dr Gillian McKeith-branded health foods.

Ms McKeith, 47, said the complaint to the ASA arose from a leaflet that did not include the disclaimer that she was not a medical doctor. She told The Guardian that she understood the honorific had to be removed from such leaflets but not all advertising. She said: “As far as I am concerned, because of the hard work I have done, I will continue to put PhD after my name and I am entitled to use the word Dr as and when I choose.”

Last November Ms McKeith was censured by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency for illegally selling herbal sex pills called Fast Formula Wild Pink for women and Fast Formula Horny for men. She was ordered to remove the products from sale immediately or face prosecution for advertising and selling goods without legal authorisation, while making medicinal claims about their efficacy.

There have also been claims in the past that Ms McKeith has embellished her CV. She once claimed to have a PhD from the respected American College of Nutrition. Her representatives said that a Spanish work-experience student had posted the wrong CV.

Max Clifford, her PR representative, said that her degree had not played a part in her television career. “It’s done nothing but cause her embarrassment.”

You are what?

Born in Perth in 1959, the daughter of a civil servant and an office worker.

Studied at the University of Edinburgh

Moved to US in the 1980s.

Became the presenter of a health interest radio show

Author of You Are What You Eat and Living Food for Health

Founded McKeith Research Ltd in 1998 to launch “organic living food supplements into the retail sector”

Source: www.youarewhatyoueat.tv/show/

Times Recommends

• Sarah Brown says 'no thanks' to veal at G8 - twice
• Stockton-on-Tees is obesity capital of Britain
• Stores blame poor sales on Murray factor