Weighing-in on the media

Hi, Everyone –

Have you ever walked by the the magazine section in the grocery store and noticed that every magazine and newspaper lifestyle section is about losing weight. “Melt off those last 10 pounds” or “40 pounds in 40 days!” I’m pretty sure that none of these magazines would have a prayer of survival without weight-loss topics.

The reason these magazines and newspapers always have an audience who will want to read these articles is because most people fail at weight-loss. It’s an unpleasant thing to talk about, but it’s true. Even the most successful diet programs have only a 20% success rate, where subscribers lost weight and kept it off.

Most over-the-counter weight-loss drugs advertise only an 8 to 12 pound loss in three months – for some people that’s just not going to cut it. Then, after you stop taking the drugs, you gain it all back. I guess my point is that diets do not work. It is all about making healthy lifestyle changes and using the right tools. 

I say we challenge each other to put those weight-loss tabloids out of business.

Dr. Snyder

Add comment August 13th, 2008