The latest government survey shows that 64 percent of Americans are overweight or obese, up nearly 10 percent from just a decade ago. Overweight and obese individuals are at increased risk for a litany of health problems including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers (endometrial, breast, prostate, colon), gall bladder disease, osteoarthritis, respiratory problems, and more. Furthermore, some data show that even when people do manage to lose weight, there is a significant challenge in keeping the pounds off over the long term.
In a society with such a high prevalence of overweight and obesity, quick fix weight loss methods are in high demand. Consequently, misleading and false promises of substantial weight loss from a variety of different methods are pervasive. An example is an ad that assures consumers that they can “Sleep…and lose weight in just a few nights… You eat whatever you want—5 pounds lost every night.”
It seems that claims such as this would be clearly outrageous, however, weight loss is an earnest issue for many people. Consequently, consumers spend $37.1 billion each year on all types of weight management programs and products and it is estimated that this figure is growing at a rate of six to seven percent a year. Although the worst that many of these weight loss services do is lighten consumers’ wallets, some can be downright dangerous.
Although there are also countless numbers of safe and effective programs and services to promote weight loss, most consumers aren’t equipped with the knowledge to sort through the maze of options and choose a safe and effective weight management option.
To address this knowledge gap, the Partnership for Healthy Weight Management developed the Voluntary Guidelines for Providers of Weight Loss Products or Services.
The Partnership is a coalition composed of representatives from science, academia, the health care professions, government, commercial enterprises, and organizations promoting the public interest. Its mission is to promote the provision of sound guidance to the public on strategies for achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. The Guidelines are a set of criteria for disclosing information to consumers about weight loss services at the point of sale that are not necessarily conveyed through advertising. If a provider adheres to the Guidelines, there is an assurance that the provider will supply all of the information necessary for the consumer to make an informed decision about using the program.
Providers also benefit. Openly disclosing key details about their programs increases consumer trust and can even motivate providers to improve the quality of their service.
Those who agree to follow the Voluntary Guidelines for Providers of Weight Loss Products or Services must, at a minimum, give consumers the following information:
- What is involved in following the program?
- The qualifications of staff that assist consumers with the program.
- The risks of being overweight and any risks of using the provider’s service.
- All costs involved in participating in the program.
- Advice for maintaining weight loss.
- Although not required, providers are encouraged to disclose the success rates of others who follow the program.
To make it easy for consumers to obtain and use the information, the Partnership for Healthy Weight Management and the International Food Information Council Foundation developed a consumer brochure entitled Finding a Weight Loss Program that Works for You.
The brochure is the cornerstone of informing consumers about the Guidelines. It provides consumers with the key questions that they should ask a provider when evaluating a weight management program. These questions mirror the information that providers who follow the Voluntary Guidelines must supply.
The brochure contains a reproducible checklist, which consumers can use to collect and compare information from different weight management programs. A Personal Health Profile Checklist is also included and allows consumers to record their health risk indicators from their weight to other health data such as blood pressure, blood cholesterol level, and blood sugar level. Consumers can use this handy checklist to discuss with their primary health care provider their risk for potential health problems because of their weight and appropriate weight management options.
To order or download a free copy of Finding a Weight Loss Program that Works for You, go here. To find out more about the Partnership for Healthy Weight Management and its activities, visit http://www.consumer.gov/weightloss/.
