The book clearly shows numbers for HMR, Optifast and Medifast in the 20% range, and Weight Watchers and others in the 5% range. Fumento equivocated the objective numbers with his own personal opinion, but in saying so he was condemning all approaches, because all approaches suck, from his point-of-view. Remember, however, that when all programs are gauged by the SAME success rate criteria: VLCDs, 20% successful; Weight Watchers and others, 5% successful. No getting around those facts.
Yes, the success rates ALL suck. When faced with lots of bad choices, the correct approach IMHO is to choose the BEST choice of the lot.
Or perhaps not using a commercial diet program in the first place? My copy of Fat of the Land must be different from YOUR copy...hmmm...because in my copy, Mr. Fumento dedicates half of the book on HOW to lose weight. WITHOUT going broke. One of the reasons, I believe, that Suzanne made me the moderator of the Buyer Beware forum is because I sincerely believe that most folks can lose weight without spending a fortune, without all the gimmicks, without the commercial diet plans - and that would include the VCLD's such as Optifast and Medifast. My goal is to make people here aware that THEY CAN LOSE THE WEIGHT WITHOUT SPENDING A FORTUNE. There IS no secret, there is no magic pill or formula.
Famous bodybuilder (and Bay Area resident!) Dave Draper has written a couple of motivational books that are worth a read. One of them is titled Your Body Revival. Here's a passage from that book that I like for some reason:
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"There is no magic pill." 1649, a year before the fall of the Empire
First came an announcement from the great balcony that rose on monumental columns of grey stone high above the crowds; a dour figure dressed in thick black fabric bellowed through a cone-shaped device, his voice deep as a pit, as dark, as final, "There is no magic pill." Cold steel silence pierced the hearts. No one moved, dejection too heavy a burden. "There is no magic pill." Clouds moved, swift and ominous, as if roused by the declaration, murderous in its conclusiveness.
One by one the shadowy horde dispersed. "They promised...they pledged, they swore a better way: a pill to burn fat, to lose weight, build muscle and strength and add years to fleeting life. They said yes." The moon rose clear and bright, the stars sparkled, the breeze murmured; night birds sang, the jasmine breathed its lovely fragrance but no one noticed. Beauty failed to stir them. "What will we do?"
We're not among the sorry masses whose backs are without muscle and whose characters know no strength. Hard work and discipline define our journey, challenge and fulfillment our joy. The magic pill - a mix of deception and imagination - is offered on late night infomercials and static-filled radio stations along with fat-burning, muscle-building, waist-trimming electronic impulse devices (give me a break) as a means to the same end, make someone bucks and give the needy false hope. May they wake up tomorrow morning layered with genuine blubber.
Basically what the whole weight loss thing comes down to in a nutshell is calories in/calories out. That's the bottom line.
And what about the cost? How many peeps out there can afford to shell out $5,000 for the Optifast or Medifast plans that are generally NOT covered by health insurance? Weight Watchers might not be as successful (and actually I DO know a few folks who have done well with WW) but at least it's affordable for the vast majority of folks. I know for sure that had I not been chosen for the Stanford study (each participant was required to pay $500, half of which was refunded to the participants who stayed in the study for the entire 18 months) there was NO WAY I would have ever been able to afford the program. But would I have just given up and said "screw it - I am never going to be able to do this by myself"? I'd like to think my answer would be **** NO - I had already started exercising the year before (walking and taking a large-size women's movement class at Kaiser) - I think I would have done it - it would have taken a bit longer but I would have persisted. Doing the Optifast study gave me what the counselor called a "running start" but without my determination, persistence and self-motivation, I would have been one of the 95-97% in the study who relapsed and gained most or all of the weight back at the end of 18 months.
And actually in MY copy of Fat of the Land, Fumento does have some excellent suggestions and resources for losing weight and (more importantly!) keeping it off for good. There's a great book that he recommends that I also heartily recommend called Thin for Life by Anne Fletcher that is WELL worth reading.
Also in my copy of the Fumento book, page 184, he quotes a study from 1990 of women who were able to keep lost weight off and women who weren't - now THIS is interesting stuff:
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Maintainers made decisions to lose weight and then devised personal weight-loss plans to fit their lives. These plans usually included regular exercise or activity and a new eating style of reduced fat, reduced sugar, more fruits and vegetables, and much less food than previously eaten. Maintainers reported being patient, setting small goals that they could meet, and sticking to their personally devised weight-loss plans. Some used ideas from earlier weight-loss experiences, some used diets from books, but all persisted until new eating patterns were established...However, they did not completely restrict favorite foods and made efforts to avoid feelings of deprivation while changing food patterns.
In contrast, few relapsers (36 percent) had exercised to help lose weight. They had lost weight by taking appetite suppressants, fasting, or going on restrictive diets that they could not sustain. They took diet formulas and went to weight-control groups and programs many times. While dieting they did not permit themselves any of the special foods they enjoyed...
Anyway...too nice a day here to go on...more later...
Or perhaps not using a commercial diet program in the first place?
Perhaps, but the clincher would be studies proving a specific approach is better than others; that's what folks can get out of the independent study published by Consumer Union that Fumento cited. Without proof, everyone is a sample of one, with either 100% success or 0% success, and that is of little value in helping folks decide what is and isn't a good approach.
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My copy of Fat of the Land must be different from YOUR copy.
Must be.
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One of the reasons, I believe, that Suzanne made me the moderator of the Buyer Beware forum is because I sincerely believe that most folks can lose weight without spending a fortune, without all the gimmicks, without the commercial diet plans - and that would include the VCLD's such as Optifast and Medifast. My goal is to make people here aware that THEY CAN LOSE THE WEIGHT WITHOUT SPENDING A FORTUNE. There IS no secret, there is no magic pill or formula.
And my goal is to ensure that no one is deprived of the information I was deprived of for so many years, before I was able to lose my weight, safely and effectively.
Many people probably can lose weight without spending a fortune; but it is disingenuous to imply, even implicitly, that folks who don't lose weight without applying alternative approaches are failures. Comparatively few people have the will to maintain a regimen that they find to be onerous and lacking in payoff. Discussions about variuos approaches ensure that people have safe and effective alternatives to choose from, so they have a better chance of finding an approach that works for them.
Anyone who is successfully losing weight isn't looking for answers, at that time. The discussions about alternative approaches is best appreciated by those actually in the position of making such choices, since the information is most relevant to them.
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Basically what the whole weight loss thing comes down to in a nutshell is calories in/calories out. That's the bottom line.
That's mostly correct, but only "mostly." It is well-established that macro- and micro-nutrient intake both have a substantial impact on losing weight, maintaining weight-loss, and staying fit and healthy. Calories is NOT the whole story, and from my experience, those having trouble losing weight are as likely to have a problem with managing macro- and micro-nutrient intake as they are with managing calorie balance.
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And what about the cost? How many peeps out there can afford to shell out $5,000 for the Optifast or Medifast plans that are generally NOT covered by health insurance?
My wife and I actually spent about the same on food PLUS service fees during the time we were on HMR than during the same amount of time after HMR.
Cost is a red-herring.
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Weight Watchers might not be as successful
That was my main point in citing Fumento's book. I'm not sure, therefore, what your objection was, given that you've pretty-much granted what I asserted.
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(and actually I DO know a few folks who have done well with WW)
I lost 75 pounds on WW in the late 1980s. People surely do lose weight, under certain circumstances, but as was my experience, weight regain is common.
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but at least it's affordable for the vast majority of folks.
