LA Weight Loss Diet Nutrition Tips Guide

LA Weight Loss Scam With Unqualified Dietitians

By Myfawny Craighter

Everyone is looking for an easy answer that makes losing a few pounds a cinch. Is it all about giving up our favorite foods, exercising rigorously and counting calories, consumers wonder? One of the most widespread programs out there, LA Weight Loss, promises to help dieters overcome plateaus and shed 150 pounds through sensible meal plans and highly motivational office visits.

Perhaps you’re skeptical of these weight loss programs, but you know several people who swear by them. On one hand, it can really help to have the emotional support, guidance and accountability you need to reach your immediate health and fitness goals.

On the other hand, there is no magic bullet and you might be in for more than you bargained for, once you give up that credit card information and make yourself vulnerable to these high-powered sales associates.

Losing Weight With A Simple Message

LA Weight Loss was founded in 1989 by entrepreneur Vahan Karian. Soon more than 800 weight loss program centers opened across North America and Europe. Their message is simple: decrease calories to 1,100 - 1,800, exercise, modify portion sizes and eat a more balanced diet.

There is no calorie counting per say, but the diet plans are based on choosing two protein servings, three fruit servings, three vegetable servings, two starch servings, two fat servings and two protein snacks. Dieters will meet with private counselors who will go over medical history, eating habits, lifestyle choices, favorite foods and activity requirements for each individual.

Misleading And Unrealistic

At face value, it sounds simple enough. However, a number of former clients and ex-employees are complaining that this method of losing weight is not only misleading and unrealistic, but also not based on any real science.

In a 2007 episode of "20/20," undercover reporter Samantha M. Wender found that she started her weight loss program easily enough -- by filling out a basic questionnaire and paying the $6/week to start on her quest to lose ten pounds.

Pressured To Buy Products

Yet she started to feel uncomfortable when she mentioned to one counselor that her boyfriend commented on her weight recently -- and another counselor brought up that comment another time to pressure her to invest in some of their meal plans.

"If they cry, they buy," recited one former employee, recalling the sales tactics they were taught in training. Over the course of her investigation, Wender was pressured into buying $400 worth of nutrition natural weight loss meals and supplements -- all to lose just ten pounds!

Unqualified Dietitians

She was also dismayed to learn that her so-called "dieticians" didn’t have qualifications at all -- in fact, many had not even completed high school! Of her LA Weight Loss experience, Wender concludes, "I didn’t follow the diet and I dumped their program before trying to lose a pound."

Oregon Attorney General John Kroger says more than 300 Oregonians were awarded $180,000 in refunds because the franchise had no scientific evidence to back up their health claims regarding their weight loss supplements and when sued, all the LA Weight Loss centers in Oregon promptly closed, without warning.

Protect Yourself From Weight Loss Scams

Kroger says to protect themselves from weight loss program scams, consumers should review their options and be on the look-out for products lacking scientific evidence, products sold only online/TV/mail, seller claims that you’ll lose weight without exercise or dieting, "miraculous" or "effortless" marketing claims, one ingredient that leads to success, large upfront payments, long-term contracts, urgent limited-time offers, "free" trials that involve credit card information and promises like "drop three sizes in one week" or "lose 37 pounds in only two weeks guaranteed!"

The Better Business Bureau warns, "Avoid being lured in by exaggerated before and after pictures or unrealistic weight loss claims."

This Article was about LA Weight Loss.

Please Note: All information given on this site is for general information purposes and is not to replace any medical opinion or medical diagnosis given by a qualified medical doctor, a dietitian/nutritional expert or any other medical expert, as individual circumstances may vary. Please see your medical doctor, before any action is taken to alleviate symptoms.

About the Author:
Myfawny Craighter is an author of articles on weight loss, diet, nutrition and eating disorders including Diet Information, Weight Loss Success, Body Fat, Fat Scales, Special Diets, Herbal Weight Loss, Eating Disorders, Binge Eating.
Keep a lookout for more of her articles coming soon.

Did You Know?

Natural weight loss supplements and methods have been around for quite some time. And they are very popular. Many people do not want to take prescription medications but know that exercising alone is not going to take the pounds off their frames.

The right supplements or bars, in conjunction with exercise and diet, can be a winning combination for getting your body to its proper weight. It is not going to happen overnight but it will happen if you stick with it. The pounds may come off slowly but over time it will add up.