Battle of the Bulge Bucks

Here is the subtitle of this article: "Companies Are Fighting for a Piece of Your New Year's Resolution"

Let's see some of what 2008 will offer:

Some good news.

"NutriSystem has seen new customers drop by 20 percent."

Hopefully, it will go out of business.

These folk charge over 10x more per Calorie than real food and contribute to the difficulty people have dieting. They are not alone. There are others engaged in this (IMHO) rape of the public, which IMHO, I consider criminal.

Some bad news.

"The arrival last year of the over-the-counter diet pill Alli has companies that market diets scrambling."

Alli not only causes, but is, crap. Weight loss is less than minimal and you still have to "eat right" and "exercise." It is a scam, IMHO.

Some true colors coming through.

"Kevin Eberly, executive vice president of Weight Watchers North America, said, 'Consumers told us that increasingly they feel diet weary but weight loss hopeful. And they're looking for options in what they consider to be a culture that is overcome with diet options. Fad diets, quick fixes, restrictive diets. They're looking for things that are more sustainable and manageable over time.'"

IMHO, these folks and other plans are crap, too.

First, they do not work. That is why they have never generated success/failure numbers for all their years in business and despite the fact they had people present at meetings for weigh-ins for years. If what they did worked, you could bet your life that they would have the data to prove it.

Second, why have they not already after all these years, offered people "things that are more sustainable and manageable over time"? I mean, if they are such experts, why is this a new concept to them?

Some more true colors.

"Randy Sherman, a personal trainer at Results Gym in Washington, D.C., said trainers circle New Year's on their calendars because resolutions often yield new or returning clients to the gym."

"Clients" spelled ka-ching! Money spent on personal trainers is by and large wasted.

Some more bad news coming.

"According to Kim Miller, the vice president for marketing of Kellogg's Morning Foods Division, 'the opportunity to get into the weight management category has gotten to be more and more appealing for a wide range of companies. So what we see is that it really keeps us on our toes every year to up our game in terms of new products we launch.'"

This translates into more predatory big businesses attacking your wallet and pocketbook for hope, hype and failure.

There are no "healthy" foods. The experts wouldn't know a "healthy" food if it bit them in their faces. Plus, the data is always changing. Today's healthy food is tomorrow's unhealthy food and vice versa. To wit, see the Fitness Watch blog entries on nitrites. (here and here)

But you can eat healthfully. There is a difference. If healthy eating is what you want, see here.

Some more lies from the professionals.

Lie 1: "Nutritionists agree there is no way to skip working out and sticking to a diet and exercise plan. Losing weight is simply about eating less calories and exercising."

Exercise is not only unnecessary for weight loss, it can be fatal to it.

Lie 2: "Eberly of Weight Watchers acknowledged, 'There is no magic bullet that we're aware of. We think the only sustainable way of losing and maintaining weight loss is to adopt a healthier lifestyle.'"

Lifestyle change is also unnecessary for weight loss and can be fatal to it.

In sum, 2008 will offer more and different opportunities for dieters to fail. - if you listen to the experts.

You have been warned.