Health

Doctors call for Weight Loss Industry Regulation

by Mary Richard | February 18, 2009 at 09:49 am

585 views | 35 Recommendations | 4 comments

Governments should be regulating the diet industry, to help keep Canadians from falling prey to all the misleading claims of fad dieting, says this week's Canadian Medical Assiciation Journal.

"Although experts agree that obesity management requires long-term behavioural, medical or surgical intervention, the majority of commercial weight-loss providers manipulate vulnerable consumers with impunity, cultivating unrealistic expectations and false beliefs."

North Americans spend $50 billion a year on pills, potions, diets and programs promising nothing short of miraculous weight loss. "Before we can truly address the devastating obesity epidemic, we must first stem the centuries-old flow of snake oil," the editorial authors wrote.

"We call on governments to require formal accreditation of weight-loss providers to ensure quality and to provide consumers with an easily recognizable means of identifying evidence-based services."

Lead authors of the editorial are Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, medical director and co-owner of a weight-management clinic in Ottawa, and Dr. Arya Sharma, professor and chair of obesity research and management at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, and medical director of a weight-management program.

Neither public health agencies nor the medical community are doing enough to solve the problem of obesity. Those suffering with obesity are often desperate for solutions and hence prone to exploitation. It's time we put an end to this nonsense.

Watch Dr. Sharma's interview on CTV. He recommends reading the Systematic Review: An Evaluation of commercial weight-loss programs in the US, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine by Tsai and Wadden from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 2005.

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Amy Judd

at 10:49 on February 18th, 2009

I just love these ads that say 'lose weight without diet or exercise' - I mean, come on!

eastvanray

at 15:07 on February 18th, 2009

This is entirely possible and there are several suppliments that will easily accomplish this goal. Meth, crack, heroin...ever seen an obese junkie? Didn't "The Medical Community" prescribe amphetimines to housewifes in the 60's? Maybe we need more solutions from them?

Wina Van Dijk

at 12:08 on February 18th, 2009

'lose weight without diet or exercise'..........hhhmmm, Often my clients want with the same way, but not for all peoples.

I thought, The programme diet from many options should be supporting, the important key are motivation, healthy food and life style in personal for starting to get the best result (1:10). My Client successfull from Lose weight (shape and slim) after agree with then. The next steps maintenance with healthy life style byself.

So far, In Asia/Indonesia (where is, I am living and working) for Slimming Programme is number one and booming every years with many problems over weight, many character's client, and the best target client for lose weight with many solutions. I am learning and riset for them.

Uwe Paschen

at 16:22 on February 18th, 2009

I am not sure about all this, I think 90% is in once head and will. No Doctor nor any Drug or exercise can and will help if the mind is not set to do it all.