I don't know about you, but even though I love every sunny, poolside moment of summer, I secretly rejoice when the days start to get shorter and the air a little chillier. The end of summer means the beginning of fall, and that means I get to drop kick my bathing suit and body-baring shorts and tanktops. I don't have to be so conscious of what I'm eating. And not eating.
But "dieting" isn't a seasonal activity. People watch what they eat year-round. According to Forbes, "Americans spent an estimated $46 billion on diet products and self-help books in 2004." If that's the case, why is obesity such a problem in the US? Because, as a government review has found, two-thirds of dieters on "diet regimes" will regain all the weight that they lost within a year. Give them five years, and almost everyone will gain it back.
People gain the weight back for a number of reasons, but one of them is that the popular diet programs are very expensive, especially since many health and nutrition experts believe that they are ineffective to begin with. Forbes examined the weekly menus of the ten most popular diets to find out just how expensive they really are. The results are listed below. The first dollar amount is how much the program costs per week for any associated book, membership fees, and food costs, and the second percentage is how much more that is than the average $55.44 a normal person spends on food.
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Jenny Craig - $137.65, 152.8%
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NutriSytem - $113.52, 108.5%
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Atkins - $100.52, 84.6%
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Weight Watchers - $96.64, 77.5%
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Zone Diet - $92.84, 70.5%
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Ornish - $78.75, 44.6%
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South Beach - $78.76, 44.4%
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SlimFast - $77.73, 42.8%
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Sugar Busters - $69.62, 27.9%
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Subway - $68.80, 26%
Whatever happened to good old fashioned "eat less, exercise more?" I think that's free.
DIY Foods: Making homemade sausage
Cakes so amazing they'd be hard to cut into
Fruit juice: An invitation to diabetes?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-03-2006 @ 10:58PM
Rhea said...
Interesting study. I guess people respond better to dieting if they feel part of something bigger (no pun intended) than themselves.
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9-03-2006 @ 11:36PM
Gary said...
I'm on weight watchers and have been for the last year. It IS eat less, exercise more, except with a plan around it to help fatties like me actually count what 'less food' is. I have lost 55 pounds so far. And I spend a lot LESS on food than I ever did when I wasn't dieting. I eat in fewer restaurants and eat much more produce and real food. I'm not sure how Forbes calculated this, but Weight Watchers is not like Jenny Craig or other scams. WW sells branded food it's not part of the diet or required at all. I don't eat any of it. I eat fruit, vegetables, lean meats, whole grains and olive oil. Even switching to organic and grass-fed is STILL cheaper. And I'm eating better than I ever did before in both quality and health, I feel great, and it's worth every penny.
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9-03-2006 @ 11:37PM
calamari said...
What happened to "eat less, exercise more" is that dieting effectively usually calls for eating differently. People who gain lots of weight aren't necessarily eating just an extra cookie or a non-diet soda a day. They may be hefty because they're relying on high-fat, high-sodium processed foods -- many of which are cheaper than fresh produce, better-quality meats, and baking ingredients.
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9-04-2006 @ 10:29AM
alexi_v said...
Perfect timing with this! I just started Nutrisystem and wish I'd kept my grocery receipts. I know it says that I'm spending more than the average person on NS, but I think most dieters spent more on food/drinks before dieting; I previously spent $100/week on social eating/drinking alone!
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9-04-2006 @ 10:50AM
MJ said...
Just eat lettuce no dressing and water! cheap....and workout! LOL....really you have to have common sense. You dont have to buy the so call special foods. Talk with out docotor.
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9-04-2006 @ 4:28PM
dan turner said...
Nutrisystem is 285/30 days, which is more like 66.5 bucks a week. And I've dropped a lot of weight while on it. . . so. . . this study sucks.
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9-04-2006 @ 6:10PM
alexi_v said...
@dan turner
The Nutrisystem program I'm on also doesn't include additional servings of protein/dairy, carbs (breads, mostly), or fruits/veggies; pretty sure that's where they get their figure from, as that's closer to what I'm spending on it.
Or are you only eating the meals they send you, and if so, how do you live?!!?
I agree, though-- Nutrisystem rocks!
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9-05-2006 @ 12:36PM
dan turner said...
Only eating the foods they send, plus some almonds and beef jerky, I dropped 45 pounds in 3 and a half months. So, that's the way to do it, I guess.
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9-05-2006 @ 3:44PM
Dr. Ricky said...
Just a reply to calamari above, who says that processed foods are cheaper that fresh veggies, meats and baking ingredients - where have you been shopping? In the US at least, this is so not true, even in the megamarts. A whole dressed chicken is pound for pound cheaper than the crap found in a can - and better for you. Fresh apples vs canned apples? Fresh potatoes vs potato chips vs frozen tater tots? No contest. Go to an ethnic market, and the difference widens.
Back to the original posting - I didn't know that Americans spent over $50 a week on average on food!
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11-22-2006 @ 7:45PM
Kristin said...
Dan Turner get your facts straight and get some sleep.
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