This year, Americans will spend more than $60 billion on weight loss programs and products. Millions will flock to counseling centers or seek advice over the phone and the Internet to shed the extra pounds they added on during the holiday season. Millions will order from diet menus to be delivered conveniently to their homes and work places. Diet companies are more than ready to match the demand.
The three industry leaders, Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem and Jenny Craig, have undergone a number of makeovers themselves in time for their high season. For instance, Weight Watchers has announced a new program called “Points Plus,” which is said to represent one of the company’s biggest changes in over a decade. Nutrisystem has re-designed and expanded its selection of diet foods and now includes “fresh-frozen” items in addition to its traditional packaged meals. Jenny Craig allows its clients to closely monitor their weight-loss progress “in real time” with the help of a new online tracking system.
David Kirchhoff, President and CEO of Weight Watchers International, says that the company has become more aware of the obstacles to developing healthier eating habits and achieving sustainable weight loss in an environment that is not always conducive to these goals. While calorie reduction is still an important factor for successful weight management, calorie-counting alone may not do the trick.
At Nutrisystem, your meal choices are made for you as part of a 28-day diet plan. You can go with a pre-selected “Favorites Package” or customize your menus yourself from a long list of breakfast-, lunch-, dinner- and snack items.
Jenny Craig, who also has a food delivery system, called Jenny Cuisine®, emphasizes the importance of ongoing coaching and support for its clients. Once a week you can speak to a consultant in person or over the phone and get a boost for your moral.
All these programs have undoubtedly great advantages. But there are considerable downsides as well.
Healthy eating is expensive. The phrase “you must be wealthy to be healthy” describes a sad fact. Many overweight people eat bad food mostly because it’s affordable.
When weight loss programs are completed, the real world is still out there, awaiting the newly converted with countless temptations. Emotional needs may still exist. When feelings of stress, anxiety or boredom return, how will the best of intentions hold up?
Eating disorders are often only a symptom of a person’s dysfunctional behavior or situation. Food addictions are not always about food.
If professional counseling is limited to dietary issues, other underlying problems may remain unresolved. Addressing these, however, is typically beyond the scope of diet programs.
In my own practice as a dietitian and health counselor, I make it very clear to my clients that there are no short cuts available to them. Nothing less than a complete personal transformation is required, an unwavering commitment to their health and well-being for the rest of their lives. If they are ready for that, they can pick a diet, any diet…
Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, available in bookstores, at http://timigustafson.com and at Amazon.com. You can also follow Timi on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TimiGustafsonRD
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