  Pagei UnderstandingWeightLossPrograms ATeenEatingDisorderPreventionBook JudyMonroe TheRosenPublishingGroup,Inc./NewYork  Pageii Publishedin1999byTheRosenPublishingGroup,Inc. 29East21stStreet,NewYork,NY10010 Copyright©1999byJudyMonroe Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedinanyformwithoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher,exceptbyareviewer. LibraryofCongressCatalogingin PublicationData Monroe,Judy. UnderstandingWeightLossPrograms/JudyMonroe. p.cm.—(Ateeneatingdisorderpreventionbook) Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex. Summary:Discussestheweightlossindustryincluding whythisbusinessisthriving,themanyproductsandser vicesoffered,andtheprosandconsofvariousweightloss methods. ISBN0823928667 1.Weightloss—Juvenileliterature.2.Reducingdiets— Juvenileliterature.3.Eatingdisorders—Juvenileliterature.  4.Eatingdisordersinadolescence—Juvenileliterature.[1.  Weightloss.2.Reducingdiets.3.Eatingdisorders.]1. Title.II.Title:Understandingweightlossprograms.III. Series. RM222.2M5631999 613.7—dc21 9923313 CIP ManufacturedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica  Pageiii AboutTheAuthor JudyMonroe,M.A.,M.P.H.,haswrittennumerousbooksandmagazinearticlesforteensonhealthissues.   Pagev Contents Introduction 1 1 TheWeightLossIndustry 6 2 TheQuesttoLoseWeight 21 3 CommercialWeightLossPrograms 31 4 BogusWeightLossProducts 49 5 WhyDietPlansandProgramsDon'tWork 80 6 Consequences 95 7 What'sRightforMe? 114 Glossary 134 WheretoGoforHelp 136 ForFurtherReading 141 Index 143  Page1 Introduction Moremoneygonetowaste,"Maidasighed,tossingthebookshewasreadingontothefloor."Youknow,I'vereadatleasteightdifferentdietbooksand triedjustabouteveryoneoftheirdiets—andnotoneofthemhasworked.Andlookatyou!Imean,you'reskinnyasarail!Whatexactlyareyoudoing?" Jennylaughed."Well,ittookmeafewtriestofindsomething.RememberthatrubbersuitIhadforawhile?" "Yeah,"Maidasmiled."Thatwasthecraziestthing!" "Itwassupposedto'meltawaythepounds,'"Jennysaid."ButallIgotoutofitwasanastyrash.HowwasItoknowIwasallergictowhateverwasinthat thing?" "Butyoufoundsomething?"Maidaasked. Jennypulledasmallboxoutofherjeanspocket."Here'swhatIfound.Thesepillsdothetrickforme.Igetthematthedrugstore.  Page2 Idon'tevenneedaprescriptionforthem." "Whatarethose?Dietpills?"Maidaasked. "Yes,"Jennyreplied. "Butdon'ttheycauseproblems?Iheardthey'renotgood." "C'mon,Maida.Howbadcouldtheybe?Besides,wouldyouratherbefat?" Maidalookedatthepillsandshruggedhershoulders.Shepickedupacolorfulbrochurefromthefloornexttoherandwaveditintheair."Hey,Jen!Listen tothis!"Maidaexclaimed."YouknowwhatI'mgonnatrynext?There'sthisweightlosscenterdownatthestripmall.I'vebeenreadingtheirad.It'sgot simplyeverything!Theirweightlossprogramsounds fabulous!" ConfusingWeightLossClaims MaidaandJennyarelookingforaquickandeasywaytoloseweight.Soareanestimated65millionotherAmericans.Theyhavetriedmanydifferentwaystoreach theirgoal.Some,likeMaida,optforcommercialweightlossprograms,books,tapes,orvideos.Jennyhastriedweightlossgadgetsandgizmos.Dietpills,powders, orliquidsappealtoothers. Tryingtosortthroughalltheweightlossclaimscanbeconfusingandcostly.Manyareoftenmisleading,unproven,orjustplainfalse.Butmostpeopleareseldom armedwithfactsaboutweightlossclaims.Theywouldfindithardtoanswerthesequestions: Howdoyoudeterminewhichweightlossprogramorplanisbestforyou?  Page3 Doanyofthemwork?Newdietsseemtopopupeveryweek. Doanyoftheweightlosspills,liquids,gadgets,andcreamsreallywork? Arethereanysafewaystoloseweightandkeepitoffpermanently? Promises,Promises Whilemanyweight lossprograms,diets,andgizmoslurepeoplewiththepromiseofaslim,attractivebody,theresultsseldommeasureup.Mostarenotsuccessful.In fact,theFederalTradeCommission(FTC)saysthis:Whilesomepeoplewilltakeoffweightbyusingweightlossprogramsandproducts,few—perhaps5percent— willmanagetokeepallofitoffinthelongrun. Accordingtomedicalresearch,ninetypercentofalldietersregainsomeoralloftheweightoriginallylost.Atleastonethirdgainmore.Anincreasingamountof researchhasconfirmedthesefailurerates.Researchalsohasfoundthatgeneticandphysiologicalfactorsplayimportantrolesindeterminingbodysize. SomepeoplelikeMaidaandJennydonotneedtoloseweight.Bothteensareatahealthyweightfortheirheightandbodyshape.Yet,likemanyAmericanteens,they thinktheyneedtobethin.Theyobsessaboutbeingthinbecausethinnessseemstoequalsuccess,popularity,andhappiness. Theirbeautyidealsareeverywhere:ultrathinfashionmodels,beautypageantwinners,andTVand  Page4 moviestars.However,thesewomengenerallydonothavetypicalorevenhealthyfemalefigures.Nomatterhowhardtheytry,thevastmajorityoffemaleswillnever beabletomoldtheirbodiestoamodel'sdimensions. DietingHarm AccordingtoFrancesM.Berg,editorofHealthyWeightJournal,weightissueshavebecomeanobsessionintheUnitedStates.Inherbook,AfraidtoEat,she givessomealarmingstatisticsaboutthisobsession: Morethantwothirdsofhighschoolgirlsaredieting. Twentyfivepercentofhighschoolboysaredieting. Twentypercentofhighschoolgirlstakedietpills. Morethan50percentofteengirlsareundernourished. Manyfemaleandmaleteensareusinglaxatives,diuretics,fasting,andvomitingtoslimdown. Thequesttobethincansometimesleadtoseriousphysicalandpsychologicalconsequencesandproblems.About10percentofteensintheUnitedStates,mostly females,sufferfromharmfuleatingdisorders.Someonewhosuffersfromaneatingdisorderconstantlythinksaboutfood,weight,and  Page5 dieting.Family,friends,hobbies,andhealthyactivitiesfadeinimportance.Aneatingdisordercanleadtoseriousphysicalandmentalhealthproblemsandcaneven causedeath. WhatYouWillFindinThisBook Thisbookwillexploretheweightlossindustry,including: Whythishugebusinessisbooming Itsmanyproductsandservices Theprosandconsofvariousweightlossmethods Itwillprovideyouwiththefactsbehindtheappealingweightlossclaimssothatyoucanmakewisechoices.Inaddition,youwilllearnhowtospotandavoidoutright scamsandfakeproductsandservices. Youwilllearnabouttheunhealthyaspectsofdietingandwillbeencouragedtoconsiderthoroughlythecostsandconsequencesofthedietingdecisionsyoumake.You willfindoutthatthereisnosetweightforeachperson,butthatthereareguidelinesonlookinggoodandfeelinggoodaboutyourself.Thisbookexploreswhata healthyweightis,andwhatahealthyweightmeansforyou. [...]... work can be advertised and sold Every year Americans waste huge amounts of money on bogus weight loss products and services. Most weight loss advertising is aimed at people's fear of being  unattractive. Misleading ads for weight loss products and services can be found in magazines, newspapers, and mail­order catalogs, on television and radio, or via  telemarketing and the Internet. They also appear in drugstores, supermarkets, and health food stores. You may have seen weight loss ads tacked to telephone polls or ... another. According to medical studies, weight recycling increases the chance of mental and physical health problems. In addition, weight recycling can make weight management tougher. Repeatedly losing and gaining weight can lead to a slower metabolic rate, which means that the body burns calories more slowly. It can also lead  to eating disorders; poor self­esteem; feelings of failure and frustration, and an increased risk of heart disease and some forms of cancer... started to spend more time and energy on shrinking their bodies. Magazines and newspapers printed a variety of weight reducing diets, including the apple and barley  diet, tea and toast diet, rice and date diet, and the grapefruit diet Fasting also become fashionable as a quick way to drop weight.  Other popular weight loss methods of the time were electrotherapy, ingesting mineral salts, wearing  rubber garments, and taking pills and laxatives. Some thought that drinking sour milk was a surefire way to lose weight.  Others believed that three hot baths a day ... After 1900 a thin body quickly became the American ideal, especially for females. Many factors were driving this new trend. Women's colleges were established,  offering graduates an array of new career choices such as social work, journalism, law, and medicine. The idea of a "professional" appearance— one that was more  like a man's—began to shape women's self­images. Exercise and athletics began taking hold of the American imagination too. Both women and men began to enjoy ... Runs a small monitoring operation to catch and stop misleading or fake  ads for foods, nonprescription drugs, cosmetics, and services. Has a very effective law, but can handle only a small percentage of the fake ads  it finds U.S. Postal Service Has an active program to detect and stop the sale of bogus health  products through the mail. Pursues cases that might generate a large  amount of mail or that could cause physical harm to the public... toward eating,  which can lead to depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems. And it doesn't give you what you want a permanently thin body A Big Business Each day, approximately 65 million Americans are dieting. That means one out of every two adults is on a diet at any given time. Although most dieters are female  teens and adults, more and more teen and adult males are trying to lose weight Many dieters think that they need to buy something—diet products, plans, or membership in a program—to lose weight.  They have many options from which to ... rubber garments, and taking pills and laxatives. Some thought that drinking sour milk was a surefire way to lose weight.  Others believed that three hot baths a day  would melt off fat Thin Becomes In During the 1920s, when the first large wave of diet mania had rolled across America, many people tried various weight loss capsules and pills. Many also became  sick, because capsules sometimes contained tapeworm eggs. Another early synthetic, or man­made, prescription weight loss pill contained the substance ... Eighteen­Day Diet. The dieter could only eat 585 calories or less each day and was restricted to grapefruits, oranges, melba toast, green vegetables, and hard­boiled  eggs. The diet was promoted by citrus growers. The American Medical Association (AMA) approved a banana­and­skim­milk diet, developed by a Johns Hopkins  University medical doctor These crash diets proved disastrous for some because they lost weight too fast. Also, many people were never meant to be thin. Several Hollywood stars actually died ... Mademoiselle, a young women's magazine widely read by teens, ran an article on eating disorders among young women and teens. A few months later, Seventeen  followed suit. The following year, six other women's magazines published articles on eating disorders Where Are We Today? "My butt is way fat," Sharlene said, looking at her backside in the mirror      Page 29 Her friend Kendra just rolled her eyes. "Are you crazy? I'm the one with the fat butt! Just look at this big ol' buffalo butt!"... Gastric bypass, liposuction, tummy tuck, jaw wiring, gastric balloon        Page 11 by their peers. Many think that they have to be thin to be attractive and popular. Not only that, but teens are constantly getting pummeled with messages to be thin  from the media Karen, fifteen, says that teen magazines are a big thing with her and her friends. "There are always articles on how to become thinner and sexier and how  to be attractive to boys," she says. "Every issue has something—the latest makeup, the coolest clothing, the hottest shoes, and lots of other stuff. It's like  .   Pagei Understanding Weight Loss Programs A Teen Eating Disorder Prevention Book JudyMonroe TheRosenPublishingGroup,Inc./NewYork  Pageii Publishedin1999byTheRosenPublishingGroup,Inc. 29East21stStreet,NewYork,NY10010 Copyright©1999byJudyMonroe Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthis book maybereproducedinanyformwithoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher,exceptby a reviewer. LibraryofCongressCatalogingin PublicationData Monroe,Judy. Understanding Weight Loss Programs/JudyMonroe. p.cm.— (A teen eating disorder prevention book)  Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex. Summary:Discussesthe weight loss industryincluding whythisbusinessisthriving,themanyproductsandser vicesoffered,andtheprosandconsofvarious weight loss methods. ISBN0823928667 1. Weight loss Juvenileliterature.2.Reducingdiets— Juvenileliterature.3. Eating disorders—Juvenileliterature.  4. Eating disordersinadolescence—Juvenileliterature.[1.  Weight loss. 2.Reducingdiets.3. Eating disorders.]1. Title.II.Title: Understanding weight loss programs.III. Series. RM222.2M5631999 613.7—dc21 9923313 CIP ManufacturedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica  Pageiii AboutTheAuthor JudyMonroe,M .A. ,M.P.H.,haswrittennumerousbooksandmagazinearticlesforteensonhealthissues.   Pagev Contents Introduction 1 1 The Weight Loss Industry 6 2 TheQuesttoLose Weight 21 3 Commercial Weight Loss Programs 31 4 Bogus Weight Loss Products 49 5 WhyDietPlansandProgramsDon'tWork 80 6 Consequences 95 7 What'sRightforMe? 114 Glossary 134 WheretoGoforHelp 136 ForFurtherReading 141 Index 143  Page1 Introduction Moremoneygonetowaste,"Maidasighed,tossingthe book shewasreadingontothefloor."Youknow,I'vereadatleasteightdifferentdietbooksand triedjustabouteveryoneoftheirdiets—andnotoneofthemhasworked.Andlookatyou!Imean,you'reskinnyas a rail!Whatexactlyareyoudoing?" Jennylaughed."Well,ittookme a fewtriestofindsomething.RememberthatrubbersuitIhadfor a while?" "Yeah,"Maidasmiled."Thatwasthecraziestthing!" "Itwassupposedto'meltawaythepounds,'"Jennysaid."ButallIgotoutofitwas a nastyrash.HowwasItoknowIwasallergictowhateverwasinthat thing?" "Butyoufoundsomething?"Maidaasked. Jennypulled a smallboxoutofherjeanspocket."Here'swhatIfound.Thesepillsdothetrickforme.Igetthematthedrugstore.  Page2 Idon'tevenneed a prescriptionforthem." "Whatarethose?Dietpills?"Maidaasked. "Yes,"Jennyreplied. "Butdon'ttheycauseproblems?Iheardthey'renotgood." "C'mon,Maida.Howbadcouldtheybe?Besides,wouldyouratherbefat?" Maidalookedatthepillsandshruggedhershoulders.Shepickedup a colorfulbrochurefromthefloornexttoherandwaveditintheair."Hey,Jen!Listen tothis!"Maidaexclaimed."YouknowwhatI'mgonnatrynext?There'sthis weight loss centerdownatthestripmall.I'vebeenreadingtheirad.It'sgot simplyeverything!Their weight loss programsounds fabulous!" Confusing Weight Loss Claims MaidaandJennyarelookingfor a quickandeasywaytolose weight. Soareanestimated65millionotherAmericans.Theyhavetriedmanydifferentwaystoreach theirgoal.Some,likeMaida,optforcommercial weight loss programs,books,tapes,orvideos.Jennyhastried weight loss gadgetsandgizmos.Dietpills,powders, orliquidsappealtoothers. Tryingtosortthroughallthe weight loss claimscanbeconfusingandcostly.Manyareoftenmisleading,unproven,orjustplainfalse.Butmostpeopleareseldom armedwithfactsabout weight loss claims.Theywouldfindithardtoanswerthesequestions: Howdoyoudeterminewhich weight loss programorplanisbestforyou?  Page3 Doanyofthemwork?Newdietsseemtopopupeveryweek. Doanyofthe weight loss pills,liquids,gadgets,andcreamsreallywork? Arethereanysafewaystolose weight andkeepitoffpermanently? Promises,Promises Whilemany weight loss programs,diets,andgizmoslurepeoplewiththepromiseof a slim,attractivebody,theresultsseldommeasureup.Mostarenotsuccessful.In fact,theFederalTradeCommission(FTC)saysthis:Whilesomepeoplewilltakeoff weight byusing weight loss programsandproducts,few—perhaps5percent— willmanagetokeepallofitoffinthelongrun. Accordingtomedicalresearch,ninetypercentofalldietersregainsomeorallofthe weight originallylost.Atleastonethirdgainmore.Anincreasingamountof researchhasconfirmedthesefailurerates.Researchalsohasfoundthatgeneticandphysiologicalfactorsplayimportantrolesindeterminingbodysize. SomepeoplelikeMaidaandJennydonotneedtolose weight. Bothteensareat a healthy weight fortheirheightandbodyshape.Yet,likemanyAmericanteens,they thinktheyneedtobethin.Theyobsessaboutbeingthinbecausethinnessseemstoequalsuccess,popularity,andhappiness. Theirbeautyidealsareeverywhere:ultrathinfashionmodels,beautypageantwinners,andTVand  Page4 moviestars.However,thesewomengenerallydonothavetypicalorevenhealthyfemalefigures.Nomatterhowhardtheytry,thevastmajorityoffemaleswillnever beabletomoldtheirbodiesto a model'sdimensions. DietingHarm AccordingtoFrancesM.Berg,editorofHealthy Weight Journal, weight issueshavebecomeanobsessionintheUnitedStates.Inher book, AfraidtoEat,she givessomealarmingstatisticsaboutthisobsession: Morethantwothirdsofhighschoolgirlsaredieting. Twentyfivepercentofhighschoolboysaredieting. Twentypercentofhighschoolgirlstakedietpills. Morethan50percentof teen girlsareundernourished. Manyfemaleandmaleteensareusinglaxatives,diuretics,fasting,andvomitingtoslimdown. Thequesttobethincansometimesleadtoseriousphysicalandpsychologicalconsequencesandproblems.About10percentofteensintheUnitedStates,mostly females,sufferfromharmful eating disorders.Someonewhosuffersfroman eating disorder constantlythinksaboutfood, weight, and  Page5 dieting.Family,friends,hobbies,andhealthyactivitiesfadeinimportance.An eating disorder canleadtoseriousphysicalandmentalhealthproblemsandcaneven causedeath. WhatYouWillFindinThis Book This book willexplorethe weight loss industry,including: Whythishugebusinessisbooming Itsmanyproductsandservices Theprosandconsofvarious weight loss methods Itwillprovideyouwiththefactsbehindtheappealing weight loss claimssothatyoucanmakewisechoices.Inaddition,youwilllearnhowtospotandavoidoutright scamsandfakeproductsandservices. Youwilllearnabouttheunhealthyaspectsofdietingandwillbeencouragedtoconsiderthoroughlythecostsandconsequencesofthedietingdecisionsyoumake.You willfindoutthatthereisnoset weight foreachperson,butthatthereareguidelinesonlookinggoodandfeelinggoodaboutyourself.This book exploreswhat a healthy weight is,andwhat a healthy weight meansforyou.  Page6 1 The Weight Loss Industry Maihastrieddozensofdiets.Shesays,''OnceIwenton a 400calorie a dayliquiddiet.Oneofmyfriendshadreadaboutitin a magazine,sowetriedit.I wassohungryaftertwodaysthatIstartedshovelingeverythingIcouldintomymouthuntilIthoughtI'dexplode.'' Mai'smostpainfuldietwasanall fruitprogram."IateorangesandgrapefruitsuntilIhadsoresinmymouth,"sherecalled.Overtheyears,she'scollected twoshelvesofdietbooks.Eachonepromises a surefireplanforsheddingextrapounds.ButnothingMaihastriedhaseverledtopermanent weight loss. Everyyear,millionsofteenslikeMaigoondietstomeetsomegoalofbeingthin.Somediettobemorepopularwithpeersortheoppositesex.Somedoittoimprove theirathleticabilitiesortomeet weight requirementsfor a sport.Othersdiettoprovethattheyareincontroloftheirownlife.  Page7 Dietingwillhelpsometeenslose,butnotinthewaythattheyhope.Mostteensdon'tneedtodietinthefirstplace,becausetheyarenotoverweight.Eveniftheydiet, mostwon'tlosethe weight theywantto—atleastnotforthelongrun.Dietinghasproventobeoneoftheworstwaystogetyourbodyinshape.Itcanleadtoan endlesscycleofdieting,losing weight, ending a diet,gaining weight back,feelingfrustratedandangry—anddietingagain. Thispatternproducesmanynegativeresults.Dietinginterfereswithnormalmetabolism,ortherateatwhichthebodyburnsfood.Itsetsupanunhealthyattitude toward eating, whichcanleadtodepression,anxiety,andothermentalhealthproblems.Anditdoesn'tgiveyouwhatyouwant a permanentlythinbody. A BigBusiness Eachday,approximately65millionAmericansaredieting.Thatmeansoneoutofeverytwoadultsison a dietatanygiventime.Althoughmostdietersarefemale teensandadults,moreandmore teen andadultmalesaretryingtolose weight. Manydietersthinkthattheyneedtobuysomething—dietproducts,plans,ormembershipin a program—tolose weight. Theyhavemanyoptionsfromwhichto choose.Theserangefromselfhelpbooks,tocompaniesthatcombinenutritionalcounselingwiththesaleoftheirownlowcaloriefoodproducts,tomedicalproviders whooffer a comprehensiveapproachto weight reduction. Over17,000dietplans,programs,andproducts  Page8 existtoday.Newonespopupallthetime.Everhopeful,dietersarewillingtospendmoneyoverandoveragainonseeminglynew,slicklymarketeddietproductsand programs. Losing weight ishardformostpeople.That'swhytheyoftenturntovarious weight loss methodstohelpthemshedsomepounds.Withsomanypeopletryingtolose weight, the weight loss industrypullsinbigmoney.AccordingtoMarketdata, a marketresearchfirminTampa,Florida,theAmerican weight loss industrygenerates salesof$35billioneachyear.The weight loss businessoutsidetheUnitedStatesmaybejustasprofitable. TheLureofThin Whyaresomanyteensbuyingintothepromiseofquick,easy weight loss? Andwhytheemphasisonthinness?InAmericabeingthiniswhat'sin.Healthexperts reportthatfromonehalftotwothirdsofall teen girlsandnearlyonequarterofall teen boysseethemselvesasoverweight.As a result,manyaretryingtolose weight byusingvariousineffectiveandpossiblyunsafemethods. Pressuretolose weight andbethinisincreasing.Andtherearesomanycontributingfactors—pressurefrompeers,fromparents,andfromthemedia.Butthetruthis thatmostteensarenotoverweight.Noraretheyfat.Medicaldoctorsfindthatlessthanoneinfive teen girlsisactuallyoverweight.Instead,manyteenshaveunrealistic ideasabout a healthy weight thatworksfortheirheightandbodytype. Thepressuretobethinisoftenlinkedwithpeerpressure.Mostteenswanttofitinandbeaccepted   Page9 Weight Loss Method  Description Weight loss centersor commercialdiet servicesorprograms Includes Weight Watchers,JennyCraig,Nutri/System,andmanyothers. Mostcentersprovidediets.Somealsoprovidevariousproductsand servicessuchasexerciseplans, weight loss drugs,dietarysupplements, books,videos,counseling,andsoon. Dietplans.   Pagei Understanding Weight Loss Programs A Teen Eating Disorder Prevention Book JudyMonroe TheRosenPublishingGroup,Inc./NewYork  Pageii Publishedin1999byTheRosenPublishingGroup,Inc. 29East21stStreet,NewYork,NY10010 Copyright©1999byJudyMonroe Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthis book maybereproducedinanyformwithoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher,exceptby a reviewer. LibraryofCongressCatalogingin PublicationData Monroe,Judy. Understanding Weight Loss Programs/JudyMonroe. p.cm.— (A teen eating disorder prevention book)  Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex. Summary:Discussesthe weight loss industryincluding whythisbusinessisthriving,themanyproductsandser vicesoffered,andtheprosandconsofvarious weight loss methods. ISBN0823928667 1. Weight loss Juvenileliterature.2.Reducingdiets— Juvenileliterature.3. Eating disorders—Juvenileliterature.  4. Eating disordersinadolescence—Juvenileliterature.[1.  Weight loss. 2.Reducingdiets.3. Eating disorders.]1. Title.II.Title: Understanding weight loss programs.III. Series. RM222.2M5631999 613.7—dc21 9923313 CIP ManufacturedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica  Pageiii AboutTheAuthor JudyMonroe,M .A. ,M.P.H.,haswrittennumerousbooksandmagazinearticlesforteensonhealthissues.   Pagev Contents Introduction 1 1 The Weight Loss Industry 6 2 TheQuesttoLose Weight 21 3 Commercial Weight Loss Programs 31 4 Bogus Weight Loss Products 49 5 WhyDietPlansandProgramsDon'tWork 80 6 Consequences 95 7 What'sRightforMe? 114 Glossary 134 WheretoGoforHelp 136 ForFurtherReading 141 Index 143  Page1 Introduction Moremoneygonetowaste,"Maidasighed,tossingthe book shewasreadingontothefloor."Youknow,I'vereadatleasteightdifferentdietbooksand triedjustabouteveryoneoftheirdiets—andnotoneofthemhasworked.Andlookatyou!Imean,you'reskinnyas a rail!Whatexactlyareyoudoing?" Jennylaughed."Well,ittookme a fewtriestofindsomething.RememberthatrubbersuitIhadfor a while?" "Yeah,"Maidasmiled."Thatwasthecraziestthing!" "Itwassupposedto'meltawaythepounds,'"Jennysaid."ButallIgotoutofitwas a nastyrash.HowwasItoknowIwasallergictowhateverwasinthat thing?" "Butyoufoundsomething?"Maidaasked. Jennypulled a smallboxoutofherjeanspocket."Here'swhatIfound.Thesepillsdothetrickforme.Igetthematthedrugstore.  Page2 Idon'tevenneed a prescriptionforthem." "Whatarethose?Dietpills?"Maidaasked. "Yes,"Jennyreplied. "Butdon'ttheycauseproblems?Iheardthey'renotgood." "C'mon,Maida.Howbadcouldtheybe?Besides,wouldyouratherbefat?" Maidalookedatthepillsandshruggedhershoulders.Shepickedup a colorfulbrochurefromthefloornexttoherandwaveditintheair."Hey,Jen!Listen tothis!"Maidaexclaimed."YouknowwhatI'mgonnatrynext?There'sthis weight loss centerdownatthestripmall.I'vebeenreadingtheirad.It'sgot simplyeverything!Their weight loss programsounds fabulous!" Confusing Weight Loss Claims MaidaandJennyarelookingfor a quickandeasywaytolose weight. Soareanestimated65millionotherAmericans.Theyhavetriedmanydifferentwaystoreach theirgoal.Some,likeMaida,optforcommercial weight loss programs,books,tapes,orvideos.Jennyhastried weight loss gadgetsandgizmos.Dietpills,powders, orliquidsappealtoothers. Tryingtosortthroughallthe weight loss claimscanbeconfusingandcostly.Manyareoftenmisleading,unproven,orjustplainfalse.Butmostpeopleareseldom armedwithfactsabout weight loss claims.Theywouldfindithardtoanswerthesequestions: Howdoyoudeterminewhich weight loss programorplanisbestforyou?  Page3 Doanyofthemwork?Newdietsseemtopopupeveryweek. Doanyofthe weight loss pills,liquids,gadgets,andcreamsreallywork? Arethereanysafewaystolose weight andkeepitoffpermanently? Promises,Promises Whilemany weight loss programs,diets,andgizmoslurepeoplewiththepromiseof a slim,attractivebody,theresultsseldommeasureup.Mostarenotsuccessful.In fact,theFederalTradeCommission(FTC)saysthis:Whilesomepeoplewilltakeoff weight byusing weight loss programsandproducts,few—perhaps5percent— willmanagetokeepallofitoffinthelongrun. Accordingtomedicalresearch,ninetypercentofalldietersregainsomeorallofthe weight originallylost.Atleastonethirdgainmore.Anincreasingamountof researchhasconfirmedthesefailurerates.Researchalsohasfoundthatgeneticandphysiologicalfactorsplayimportantrolesindeterminingbodysize. SomepeoplelikeMaidaandJennydonotneedtolose weight. Bothteensareat a healthy weight fortheirheightandbodyshape.Yet,likemanyAmericanteens,they thinktheyneedtobethin.Theyobsessaboutbeingthinbecausethinnessseemstoequalsuccess,popularity,andhappiness. Theirbeautyidealsareeverywhere:ultrathinfashionmodels,beautypageantwinners,andTVand  Page4 moviestars.However,thesewomengenerallydonothavetypicalorevenhealthyfemalefigures.Nomatterhowhardtheytry,thevastmajorityoffemaleswillnever beabletomoldtheirbodiesto a model'sdimensions. DietingHarm AccordingtoFrancesM.Berg,editorofHealthy Weight Journal, weight issueshavebecomeanobsessionintheUnitedStates.Inher book, AfraidtoEat,she givessomealarmingstatisticsaboutthisobsession: Morethantwothirdsofhighschoolgirlsaredieting. Twentyfivepercentofhighschoolboysaredieting. Twentypercentofhighschoolgirlstakedietpills. Morethan50percentof teen girlsareundernourished. Manyfemaleandmaleteensareusinglaxatives,diuretics,fasting,andvomitingtoslimdown. Thequesttobethincansometimesleadtoseriousphysicalandpsychologicalconsequencesandproblems.About10percentofteensintheUnitedStates,mostly females,sufferfromharmful eating disorders.Someonewhosuffersfroman eating disorder constantlythinksaboutfood, weight, and  Page5 dieting.Family,friends,hobbies,andhealthyactivitiesfadeinimportance.An eating disorder canleadtoseriousphysicalandmentalhealthproblemsandcaneven causedeath. WhatYouWillFindinThis Book This book willexplorethe weight loss industry,including: Whythishugebusinessisbooming Itsmanyproductsandservices Theprosandconsofvarious weight loss methods Itwillprovideyouwiththefactsbehindtheappealing weight loss claimssothatyoucanmakewisechoices.Inaddition,youwilllearnhowtospotandavoidoutright scamsandfakeproductsandservices. Youwilllearnabouttheunhealthyaspectsofdietingandwillbeencouragedtoconsiderthoroughlythecostsandconsequencesofthedietingdecisionsyoumake.You willfindoutthatthereisnoset weight foreachperson,butthatthereareguidelinesonlookinggoodandfeelinggoodaboutyourself.This book exploreswhat a healthy weight is,andwhat a healthy weight meansforyou.  Page6 1 The Weight Loss Industry Maihastrieddozensofdiets.Shesays,''OnceIwenton a 400calorie a dayliquiddiet.Oneofmyfriendshadreadaboutitin a magazine,sowetriedit.I wassohungryaftertwodaysthatIstartedshovelingeverythingIcouldintomymouthuntilIthoughtI'dexplode.'' Mai'smostpainfuldietwasanall fruitprogram."IateorangesandgrapefruitsuntilIhadsoresinmymouth,"sherecalled.Overtheyears,she'scollected twoshelvesofdietbooks.Eachonepromises a surefireplanforsheddingextrapounds.ButnothingMaihastriedhaseverledtopermanent weight loss. Everyyear,millionsofteenslikeMaigoondietstomeetsomegoalofbeingthin.Somediettobemorepopularwithpeersortheoppositesex.Somedoittoimprove theirathleticabilitiesortomeet weight requirementsfor a sport.Othersdiettoprovethattheyareincontroloftheirownlife.  Page7 Dietingwillhelpsometeenslose,butnotinthewaythattheyhope.Mostteensdon'tneedtodietinthefirstplace,becausetheyarenotoverweight.Eveniftheydiet, mostwon'tlosethe weight theywantto—atleastnotforthelongrun.Dietinghasproventobeoneoftheworstwaystogetyourbodyinshape.Itcanleadtoan endlesscycleofdieting,losing weight, ending a diet,gaining weight back,feelingfrustratedandangry—anddietingagain. Thispatternproducesmanynegativeresults.Dietinginterfereswithnormalmetabolism,ortherateatwhichthebodyburnsfood.Itsetsupanunhealthyattitude toward eating, whichcanleadtodepression,anxiety,andothermentalhealthproblems.Anditdoesn'tgiveyouwhatyouwant a permanentlythinbody. A BigBusiness Eachday,approximately65millionAmericansaredieting.Thatmeansoneoutofeverytwoadultsison a dietatanygiventime.Althoughmostdietersarefemale teensandadults,moreandmore teen andadultmalesaretryingtolose weight. Manydietersthinkthattheyneedtobuysomething—dietproducts,plans,ormembershipin a program—tolose weight. Theyhavemanyoptionsfromwhichto choose.Theserangefromselfhelpbooks,tocompaniesthatcombinenutritionalcounselingwiththesaleoftheirownlowcaloriefoodproducts,tomedicalproviders whooffer a comprehensiveapproachto weight reduction. Over17,000dietplans,programs,andproducts  Page8 existtoday.Newonespopupallthetime.Everhopeful,dietersarewillingtospendmoneyoverandoveragainonseeminglynew,slicklymarketeddietproductsand programs. Losing weight ishardformostpeople.That'swhytheyoftenturntovarious weight loss methodstohelpthemshedsomepounds.Withsomanypeopletryingtolose weight, the weight loss industrypullsinbigmoney.AccordingtoMarketdata, a marketresearchfirminTampa,Florida,theAmerican weight loss industrygenerates salesof$35billioneachyear.The weight loss businessoutsidetheUnitedStatesmaybejustasprofitable. TheLureofThin Whyaresomanyteensbuyingintothepromiseofquick,easy weight loss? Andwhytheemphasisonthinness?InAmericabeingthiniswhat'sin.Healthexperts reportthatfromonehalftotwothirdsofall teen girlsandnearlyonequarterofall teen boysseethemselvesasoverweight.As a result,manyaretryingtolose weight byusingvariousineffectiveandpossiblyunsafemethods. Pressuretolose weight andbethinisincreasing.Andtherearesomanycontributingfactors—pressurefrompeers,fromparents,andfromthemedia.Butthetruthis thatmostteensarenotoverweight.Noraretheyfat.Medicaldoctorsfindthatlessthanoneinfive teen girlsisactuallyoverweight.Instead,manyteenshaveunrealistic ideasabout a healthy weight thatworksfortheirheightandbodytype. Thepressuretobethinisoftenlinkedwithpeerpressure.Mostteenswanttofitinandbeaccepted   Page9 Weight Loss Method  Description Weight loss centersor commercialdiet servicesorprograms Includes Weight Watchers,JennyCraig,Nutri/System,andmanyothers. Mostcentersprovidediets.Somealsoprovidevariousproductsand servicessuchasexerciseplans, weight loss drugs,dietarysupplements, books,videos,counseling,andsoon. Dietplans