Rome – Adriano Panzironi, known to the general public as the “diet guru” thanks to his numerous television appearances, publications and social media activities, was sentenced today by the single-judge court of Rome to 2 years and 8 months in prison for the unauthorized practice of medicine.
The judge accepted the requests of the Prosecutor's Office, also imposing a sentence of 1 year and 4 months on his brother Roberto Panzironi, found guilty of complicity in the same crime.
The first-instance ruling comes five years after the start of the trial, which saw Panzironi accused by the public prosecutors of Piazzale Clodio of having illegally practiced medicine "towards a large audience of listeners of the television program Life 120 Channel".
The provincial medical associations had joined the proceedings as civil parties Roma, Venice, Naples and Milan, in addition to the order of journalists of Lazio.
According to the prosecution, 52-year-old Panzironi had set up a real system through which he offered users "detailed indications on the diet and nutritional programs and methods, scientifically classifiable in terms of 'diet' because they were based on the elimination of certain foods and the intake of others in specific doses".
His instructions were also provided “in a personalized form” after telephone contacts managed by call center operators and through his Facebook profile, where food supplements marketed online by Panzironi himself were prescribed.
The Prosecutor's Office underlined the potential harmfulness of these products, "containing vitamins, metals of biological interest, melatonin and other substances capable of producing potentially harmful effects on the health of the individual if ingested without medical supervision".
Adriano Panzironi's twin brother, Roberto, was found guilty of having had an "operational" role in the system, providing "the printing and dissemination" of his brother's "pseudoscientific" publications. According to the prosecution, Roberto participated "morally and materially" in the crime, strengthening his brother's criminal intent, supporting his illicit initiatives and providing the logistical and financial tools to operate in such ways.
The conviction marks an important point in the legal case of Adriano Panzironi, whose nutritional theories and promotion of supplements had raised controversy and alarm in the scientific and medical world. The first-instance ruling recognizes the seriousness of his conduct, configuring a real abusive practice of the medical profession with potential risks for the health of his numerous followers.
Article published on May 13, 2025 - 20:22 pm
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It's strange how some people can think they are experts just because they appear on TV. Health is a serious thing and you can't do diets without a scientific basis. Hopefully others will learn from this situation.