Valerie’s Diet Disaster!

Though there is definitely less of Valeria Bertinelli these days, there may be more behind her dramatic weight loss than she’s letting on!

The Jenny Craig spokeswoman announced in a recent magazine article that she’d dropped a whopping 30 pounds from her estimated 165-pound high since joining the weight-loss program at the end of march.

But Star has evidence that something fishy is going on. And shocking new photos of the star taken on July 17 tell the story! That’s when 5’2� Valeria, 47, vacationing in Hawaii with her boyfriend, Tom Vitale, and her son, Wolfgang, stepped onto the balcony of her villa in a one-piece swimming suit- and revealed much more firth than the magazine’s photo.

“There is no way that’s the same body!� L.A. – based surgeon and fitness expert Bruce Nadler, M.D., tells Star after reviewing both sets of photographs. Edward J. Jackowsie, Ph.D., who is the author of Escape Your Shape, made the assessment after reviewing photos: “I commend Valerie for losing weight, but she still has a way to go, judging from the Hawaii photos!�

Kathryn Brumwell, Valerie’s personal Jenny Craig consultant, attributes the star’s weight-loss transformation to her fixed 1,200-calorie-a-day diet, plus an exercise plan that has her walking 10,000 steps a day, the equivalent of five miles. Yet Stuart Fischer, M.D., of The Park Avenue Diet Center in NYC says that such a drastic change is unlikely to occur on that regime and that even if she did lose all the weight, it’s unhealthy. “In general, the body fights rapid weight loss- you’ll regain like never before!� he says.

The independent experts Star consulted- none of whom has treated Valerie- believe that the magazine used “photo magic� to embellish Valerie’s “miracle� slim down! “I think the photo in the magazine spread has been doctored to show results that are not accurate and true,� insists Dr. Jackowski. Adds Dr. Nadler, “To me, it appears that she’s had her curves artificially sculpted in the photo.�

Jenny Craig denies altering any photos and insists that Valerie’s weight loss is “absolutely supported by the data.� So how to explain Valerie’s seemingly supersvelte curves on the red carpet? In a word? Spanx. Mary A-list beauties routinely sport body-shaping garments under clothing to hide bulges.

Ultimately, says experts, Valerie’s magazine transformation holds out false hope to women everywhere. “These photos send the wrong message,� says Dr. Jackwoski. “You can’t achieve a body like that in such a short time through dieting and walking. They are trying to sell an impossible dream so that people will buy their product!�