A new report from Consumer Reports Health has ranked diets and Jenny Craig tops the list with 85 points, while Slim Fast won 63 points and Weight Watchers third with 57 points. Researchers based the overall scores on adherence to the 2010 U.S. Dietary Guidelines and results of published randomized clinical studies that analyzed the short and long term weight loss and dropout rates of seven popular diets.
The three hundred and thirty two person study found that 92% of its participants stuck with the Jenny Craig program during the two-year study period and the dieters weighed an average of 8% less than when they began the program.
Nancy Metcalfe, senior program editor of Consumer Reports Health states:
“The biggest surprise was that the diet that came out on top came out on top by a lot. Weight Watchers got dinged on sodium. While the diet is probably the most flexible with the most intense support and a lot of support for exercise, they need to pay more attention to sodium. There’s something about this diet that works for a lot of people. Of course, the best diet for you is the one you can stay on. Jenny Craig is certainly a lot less work than preparing your own food that is portion controlled.”
According to the official site for Jenny Craig, Inc., the American weight-loss industry is worth roughly $40 billion. The Jenny Craig program involves pre-packaged meals and counseling sessions. Jenny Craig offers its own brand of food, and prices vary, but the cost of the food can range between $400 and $600 per month. The company also offers weekly counseling sessions in person or by phone.
So who is this Jenny Craig?
Jenny Craig (born Genevieve Guidroz) was born in 1932 in Louisiana. With her husband, Sid, she founded the global weight-loss company that bears her name. A resident of southern California, Jenny Craig is also known for breeding horses and her philanthropy in the San Diego area.
Jenny Craig has multiple celebrity clients who use its programs. In early 2000, Monica Lewinsky somewhat controversially served as spokeswoman for the program. In 2005, actress Kirstie Alley became the spokeswoman, later joined by Valerie Bertinelli. While Bertinelli remains a spokesperson, more recent clients have included Queen Latifah, actresses Sara Rue and Nicole Sullivan, as well as actor Jason Alexander. In January 2011, the company announced that new spokesperson Carrie Fisher had been using the program since November.
In May 2002, Jenny Craig, Inc., was acquired by MidOcean Partners, a New York and London-based private equity investment firm, and ACI Capital, a New York-based private investment firm. On June 19, 2006, they announced the signing of a definitive agreement to sell the company to Nestlé in a transaction valued at approximately $600 million. The company is operated as part of Nestlé Nutrition.
Third place Weight Watchers defended its regimen and criticized Consumer Reports Health’s interpretation of a 2009 study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), which pointed out the effectiveness of the Jenny Craig approach.
In a statement, Weight Watchers executives said:
“We are disappointed that some key points in the JAMA study used prominently by Consumer Reports in their evaluation of the Jenny Craig program were left unsaid. The JAMA study … was done to see what happens if you provide people with free food, valued at $6,000 over the two years, and other perks on their ability to lose weight. This is hardly the real-life scenario that a consumer faces when choosing a weight-loss method.”
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Written by Sy Kraft