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Let�s Get Physical: Eat Less, Exercise More to Beat the Bulge

By Jennae Wallace
Variety Editor
The District Chronicles
(1/24/02)

Angela Bartlett is fat. Or at least that�s the way she sees herself. She returns home from her job as a receptionist every day amidst images of models wearing size two or three dresses on billboards lining the freeway only to watch TV shows filled with thin women who seem like they have no worries. Bartlett is 5�8" and wears a size 14 dress.

"I used to be size 6 before I had my son," she said with a far off look in her eyes. "Boy, I wish I could be that size again."

Bartlett has tried as many diet and exercise programs as she could get her hands on. Her first was the "Hollywood 48-hour diet."

"To say the very least, it didn�t work," she said. "First of all, that stuff tastes like medicine and second of all, it doesn�t curb your hunger at all. I lasted for about 6 hours before I rushed to the McDonald�s drive-thru to get a Big Mac."

Bartlett�s dilemma is not uncommon. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, an estimated 107 million (more than half of all adults in the United States) are overweight or obese.

This is evidenced by the thousands of weight loss programs available in the country, from exercise programs like Billy Blanks� Tae Bo to dietary supplements like the aforementioned 48-Hour Diet.

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease, Americans spend $33 billion every year on weight loss products and services, including low-calorie foods, artificially sweetened products such as diet sodas and memberships to commercial weight loss centers.

"People come in every day, and I sell about one [weight loss product] every hour," said Jit Suvana, a salesperson at American Nutrition in the District.

The advice of dietitians and physical fitness experts across the nation is that a combination of a health diet and exercise is the best way to slim down and keep the weight off. Though many Americans have heard this advice, millions of people continue to spend money in an attempt to lose the weight as quickly as possible.

"The people that do use Slim Fast and other diet products [say they] don�t work absolutely well unless they use a fitness routine to supplement them," said Don Whitten, a personal trainer and physical therapist at The Fitness Company in Southwest [Washington, D.C.]. "The people who come to me use a combination of the two."

"Businesses seem to be taking advantage of the fact that many people want to lose weight," said Minnie Wilbertson, a personal trainer in Alexandria, Va.

"So they offer �get-skinny-quick� programs that supposedly require no work or effort and offer maximum results. That is a lot more appealing to most people than the thought of sweating out in the gym for an hour every day with people gawking at the rolls around your middle," Wilbertson said.

Among the products on the market today are dietary supplements like Metabolite and Chitosol, fitness programs like Tae Bo and interval training as well as exercise machines like the Ab-Doer and Bowflex.

"The truth is that most of those products don�t work, or at least not for any and everyone they way they claim to," Wilbertson said. "Everyone�s body type is different, and their weight loss program will be different. Just because Tae Bo worked for your brother�s cousin�s sister, that doesn�t mean that it will be right for you."

According to the Better Business Bureaus, weight loss schemes are on the increase. Many weight loss promotions will promise consumers that they will lose several pounds in a week or overnight without depriving them of their favorite foods or forcing them to exercise. Officials at the Federal Trade Commission and the Food and Drug Administration say that health fraud promoters often target people who are overweight or have serious conditions.

The National Institutes of Health defines someone being overweight as having an excess of body weight compared to set standards. The excess may come from muscle, bone, fat and/or body water. A number of methods are used to determine if an individual is overweight or obese. Some of them are based on mathematical calculations of the relation between height and weight and others are based on measurements of body fat.

"Well, according to my height, I�m not really fat, but it sure feels that way when I go to the basketball court and see all those young guys shooting hoops and running up and down the court,"said Benjamin Marks, 42, of Southwest [Washington, D.C.].

"I've tried a lot of ways to lose my excess baggage. My wife got me a gym membership last year, but that didn�t work. Neither did those silly diet pills. But what finally did start to work for me a couple of weeks ago is Tae Bo.

"I know it might sound clich�[d], but I actually started to feel better about myself after doing it. You just have to do it consistently," Marks said.

Many health care and fitness professionals say that while some diet programs may work, the best way to shed the pounds is consistency in both diet and exercise.

Diet products may harm a person more than they help them, and though some people may lose weight, they tend to gain it back relatively quickly, said Genny Aldridge, the Virginia area captain for Taking Off Pounds Sensibly.

"It�s been proven that they are just a quick fix. They are dangerous to a lot of people and they�re not the answer. They don�t teach you proper eating habits and proper nutrition.

"People think, �gee, I have to take off 20 or 25 pounds so I�m gonna go and get Metabolife or phen phen.� Everyone is looking for the quickest way to lose weight," Aldridge said.

The FTC does not release information about products that do work. However, many weight loss professionals say that the products may actually make you lose weight.

"We�re not saying that all of them don�t work at all," Wilbertson said. "What we do say, however, is that there are better, more effective, much cheaper and less frustrating ways to lose weight than the programs that promise it will be easy.

"It is not easy in the least. It requires hard work if you are serious about keeping the weight off. You may lose some weight, but if you want a miracle, you have a problem," Wilbertson said.

Many dieters spend their money on pills and machines that promise to "burn," "block," "flush," or otherwise eliminate fat from their bodies. But medical science has yet to come up with a magic pill, potion or device for weight loss. Some pills may help control appetite, but they can often have serious side effects, according to the Better Business Bureau. Many weight loss promotions only shrink your wallet, not your figure.

"They (people) don�t wanna have to, to put it bluntly, suffer through dieting and eating right. I would say about 90 to 95 [percent of] people gain the weight back within nine months of using a diet supplement, and some of them weigh more than they did when they started," Aldridge said.

The Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureaus have released warning signs for ineffective weight loss products. Be wary of claims that promise immediate, effortless and/or "guaranteed" weight loss. Also watch for words like "breakthrough," "secret," "exclusive," or "miraculous" in advertisements. They are not scientific words and often appear in misleading promotions for fraudulent products.

Also, be skeptical of self-proclaimed health advisors who sell their products by using high-pressure sales tactics and one-time-only offers.

Be cautious of vaguely worded testimonials that cannot be verified. Testimonials should not serve as a substitute for scientific proof of a product�s efficacy.

"In general, the faster the program claims you will lose weight, the more ineffective it will probably be. It also means that if you do lose anything at all, you�ll probably gain it back right away," said Marie Schneider, a registered dietician in Silver Spring, Md.

Experts suggest aiming for a goal loss of about a pound a week. This usually means cutting about 500 calories a day from your diet, eating healthy, low-fat foods, finding a regular exercise activity you enjoy, and sticking to it.

Before committing to a weight loss product or program, check with your physician, a qualified nutritionist and/or a registered dietitian.

"I personally recommend to people when they are serious about losing weight to see a dietitian and find out exactly what they are eating that they can do without. Get on a physical fitness program and see how you can use the excess energy," Whitten said.

What it really comes down to is that the only proven way to lose weight is to make a lifestyle change. Learning to eat right and exercise regularly is far superior to products that offer only temporary solutions.

"Eat less and exercise more. I mean seriously, that�s what we tell people," said Allison Gersh, manager of One To One Fitness Center in Northwest [Washington, D.C.]. "That�s the best way to lose weight."

"I know that this has probably been stated and over stated," said Wilbertson, "but if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is."

Jennae Wallace was Variety Editor of The District Chronicles, Howard University.