NOTE: These remarks were presented as part of a panel.
- Need: Professional supervision from trained Bariatric physicians and nurses,
and counseling from other trained professionals such as dieticians, nutritionists, and physical
fitness trainers.
- Get: Little or no mention of any medical supervision. Only Jenny Craig has
a list of its Medical Advisory Board members available on its web site. Nutri/system mentions
their staff of "professionals" but offers no credentials or explanations of what type of
professional training they have. Weight Watchers gives an up-front disclaimer that they have no
physician supervision, and there is no mention of staff credentials.
- Need: Clear and accurate information regarding health and safety risks of diet
and exercise programs, particularly for people with pre-existing conditions such as heart disease,
liver and kidney problems, and diabetes.
- Get: Little, if any information on health and safety risks. There is usually some
mention about safe weight loss (1-2 pounds per week or 1% of total body mass per week), but
that is the extent of it. Only Weight Watchers gives a health and safety warning and advises that
anyone starting a weight loss program consult a physician before starting. Most of the other sites
do not even mention this.
Information Specific to Internet Sites of Commercial Weight-Loss Programs
Since the Internet and World Wide Web are rapidly becoming a medium for commerce,
and many consumers are turning to it for fast and easy access to information about a myriad of
topics, products, and companies, the National Consumers League thought it would be a good idea
to explore what is available about the major commercial weight loss programs on the Internet. As
you can imagine, there is a wealth of information out there concerning weight loss. Type the
words "weight loss" into any search engine, and you will receive thousands of "hits." Just as with
everything else on the "Net," there are thousands of sites offering advice, information, and
theories about weight loss--from the sites designed by academic and medical institutions (i.e.,
Duke University Medical Center's Weight Loss Center), to the commercial programs such as
Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers, to the home pages of individuals offering personal advice and
testimonials. The question we must ask ourselves is: "How can we be sure the information we
need is accurate and useful, and how do we, as consumers, know who to trust?" Since the major
commercial weight loss centers are nationally known and have hundreds of thousands of clients
annually, NCL examined the web pages of these programs to see what type of information is
offered to consumers via the Internet on these programs. What we found, unfortunately, is that
most of the sites offer only superficial information concerning their programs, and that most of
the information is strictly designed for advertising purposes. There is no scientific data available
for any of the programs, nor is there enough information concerning costs, success rates,
duration, and credentials of staff, to allow consumers to make an informed decision about
choosing a weight loss program that best fits their emotional, physical, and financial needs.
Weight Watchers (weight-watchers.com)
- There is a health and safety warning about dieting and consumers are told to consult a
physician before starting any program.
- The New York City Bill of Consumer Rights is presented in full on the site.
- Clear statement that the program does NOT have doctor supervision.
- No actual costs for the program available, nor does it mention that food purchases are
required. There is talk of membership fees, but no dollar amounts given.
- No weight loss data is available.
- Claim that staff are "professionals," but no credentials are given.
- No costs given. Mandatory "Meal Plans" must be purchased, but no costs are
provided.
- No data available for weight loss by clients, or success rates.
- Testimonials given by three "atypical" clients who lost 40, 50, and 100 pounds
respectively, but NO mention of if they kept the weight off, and for how long. NO mention of
how much it cost to lose the weight.
- No mention of health and safety risks, and no advice to consult a physician before
starting.
- Only superficial and marketing-based information available.
- No useful information for consumers to make an informed decision.
- Nutritional analysis of meals given.
- Clients encouraged to talk with a doctor during the program.
- Lists its Medical Advisory Board Members.
- Addresses the areas of lifestyle management, long-term maintenance, and exercise,
but
- No specific details about how these aspects of the program work.
- No information about costs.
- No scientific data available -- claim this is coming in the "next phase" of their web site.
It should be in the first phase.
- The format for this site is designed more for the health care professional or other
business person looking to start a franchise. It is not designed for the consumer. It is designed to
sell the image and franchise.
- No information of any use to the consumer available whatsoever.
- This site is strictly designed to sell the Diet Center's products--which consist mostly of
differing food items such as diet shakes, snack bars, and entrees. There are also complete
packages for quick weight loss available that include audio/video tapes, books, prepared meals,
and other items.
- This site is basically an on-line catalog similar to L.L. Bean catalog or any
other.
- Offers at-home programs that eliminate any reason for consumers to seek additional
counseling. This is dangerous because consumers should seek advice from health care
professionals before starting any weight loss program, as well as being monitored during the
program.
- Fen-Phen and Redux are offered prominently on this site. This is a serious concern.
These products have been pulled from the shelves by FDA and yet they remain in the advertising
on the web site. It is understandable that a print ad in phone book or magazine cannot be
updated
once it is printed and distributed, but web sites are easily updated--and in the case of Fen-Phen
and Redux, there needs to be an update and a disclaimer.
For more information, to schedule an interview with NCL staff, or to contact NCL's
Communications Department on this or any other release, call Director of
Communications Holly Anderson at (202) 835-3323.
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