Diet Industry Is Big Business

For decades, companies have been selling "slim" — and Americans have been eating it up. As CBS News correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi reports, Americans spend about $35 billion a year on weight-loss products.

"I estimate I spent, you know, tens of thousands — maybe $100,000 — on different kinds of diet products, diet services," says Wendy Shanker. "And I was still fat."

Shanker wrote a book about her adventures. She says she's tried all those diet fads and pills, and some made her crazy.

"First of all, your heart is beating, you're sweating," she says, explaining her experience with some pills. "You're like running around your house (saying), 'how come I never organized my tax returns from 1971?'"

She was organized, but still overweight. Dr. Louis Aronne says that's not surprising.

"They combine the worst of both worlds. There's no proof of effectiveness and no proof of safety. Why would you take something like this?" he says.

One report shows most Americans — 64 percent — think the government requires warnings about side effects on weight loss products. It doesn't. And most — 54 percent — think the products are approved for safety by the FDA. They're not.

Aronne says the government is still treating weight loss like a cosmetic problem, not a serious health problem.

"These products need to be held to a standard that's closer to the standards that we use for medications that are used to treat serious health problems," he says.

But Americans are still willing to try anything — at any cost.

Shanker enrolled in a top-of-the-line diet facility. "I spent $10,000 and lost two pounds at the end of the month. I said, 'that's it, I'm done.' I'm just going to be fat; that's fine by me," she says.

But her results aren't typical. Most dieters will try something else, which is why the diet business, unlike the rest of America, has never been in better shape.

[lonestartnow]

Consider that there are more than 29,000 diet supplements on the market, and that we spend more than $18 billion on them each year. At the same time, consider that more than a third of Americans are considered obese, and that two-thirds are overweight. Obviously, the supplements aren't working. It's costing all of us, in higher medical premiums and in hidden costs (as an example, the extra poundage packed on by the average American in the last decade required airplanes to use an extra 350 gallons of fuel at a cost of $275 million).

This isn't about the best "diet." It's about changing lifestyle behavior, becoming more physically active, eating moderate portions, and eating healthy foods rather than pre-packaged and fast food. It's about personal responsibility and making the "right" choices.

[hermit22]

Gluttons!

Selfish Gluttons!

World full of hungry, homeless and the Gluttons spend 35 BILLION of their fat selves.

Gluttons!

[tucson23]

This is just another sign of how ignorant Americans are about almost all subjects. There's only one way to lose weight: Eat fewer calories and exercise more. If you do this, you'll lose weight. Notice that this method does not require buying any pills, books, programs, or pre-packaged food, all of which do nothing for you except (maybe) cause you to eat less and exercise more. The root of the problem seems to be that people are looking for a way to lose weight without any effort on their part. That will not happen, because it takes effort to but down the burgers and work your fat *** out once in a while.