Tiscali Celebrity

Actress RENEE ZELLWEGER is reluctant to reprise her role as BRIDGET JONES in the hit movie series, because she fears the longterm health effects her sudden weight gain will have on her body.

The 38-year-old starred in both big-screen adaptations of author Helen Fielding's novels, Bridget Jones' Diary and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, and gained two stones (12.7 kilograms) to play the role convincingly.

But since watching Morgan Spurlock's Super Size Me documentary - where he ate nothing but McDonald's fast food for an entire month to see the effects it would have on his body - Zellweger has become more conscious about the damage her role preparation could have on her future health.

She says, "Did you see that movie about fast food, Super Size Me? I had a panic attack with all the specialists talking about how bad this is for you, long term, putting on that much weight in short periods of time and they're all saying, 'You must stop this now or you're going to die.'"

• Bettany + connelly to play darwins in new biopic
• Winehouse shocks festival bosses with booze demands
• Mendes 'nipple slip' upsets tv censors
• Dunst thief jailed
• Lohan will attend grandfather's funeral, says dad
• Knightley shaken after fan's abusive taunts