The world of weight loss is vast and varied, with numerous approaches and programs vying for attention. Among these is the Diet Workshop diet plan, an early entrant into the weight loss industry. This article will explore the details of the Diet Workshop plan, its historical context, and related weight-loss strategies.
Historical Context of Diet Workshop
Lois Lindauer founded Diet Workshop in 1965, a significant time as it was just a year after Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed employer discrimination based on sex. Just two years later, Lois became one of the first woman entrepreneurs in the United States to franchise her business. She employed hundreds of women, many of whom had never worked outside their homes, while others leveraged the opportunity to open their own franchises. Lindauer's success extended beyond Diet Workshop. Recognizing the benefits of matching talent with opportunity, sharing expertise, and building a strong talent pipeline, she founded Lois L. Lindauer Searches, focusing on executive searches for the nonprofit sector, which had a growing female employment base.
Continuing Lindauer’s position as a women-led firm, Chief Executive Officer Deb Taft, Senior Advisor Jill Lasman, and Senior Executive Vice President Libby Roberts became Lindauer co-owners in 2018. Senior Vice President Faith Montgomery and Vice President Maureen Huminik became equity partners in 2023. CEO Deb Taft brought her own professional expertise and life’s work to shape Lindauer’s next era. Recognizing Lindauer’s leadership role in the talent landscape, Lois and Deb effected a careful and ambitious leadership transition designed to build on and enhance Lindauer’s impact and reach.
Understanding Weight-Loss Programs
Weight-loss interventions vary widely in intensity, cost, the nature of the intervention, and the degree of involvement of health-care providers. These interventions can be categorized into do-it-yourself programs, nonclinical programs, and clinical programs.
Do-It-Yourself Programs
Do-it-yourself programs are individually formulated and varied. This category includes individuals losing weight on their own or with like-minded people through programs like Overeaters Anonymous, TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), or community-based and work-site programs. Individual judgment, books, products, and group therapy may offer advice, but these programs do not use outside resources in a personalized manner. Subcategories of self-help programs include:
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- Individuals following a personally formulated low-calorie program with or without exercise.
- Those guided by popular published materials such as diet books or magazines.
- Those using diet aids, low-calorie foods, and meal replacements.
- Participants in groups for counseling, advice, structure, or reinforcement.
- Participants in community-based and work-site programs.
Nonclinical Programs
Nonclinical programs are popular and often commercially franchised, with a structure created by a parent company. They often use instructional and guidance materials prepared in consultation with health-care providers. These programs rely on variably trained counselors who are not health-care providers to provide services to clients but are often managed or advised by qualified and licensed health-care providers. They may sell prepared food products, meal replacements, or other products. Many weight-loss centers offer advice on nutrition, physical activity, and behavior modification through weekly classes or meetings.
Clinical Programs
In clinical programs, services are provided by a licensed professional who may or may not have special training to treat obese patients. These programs may or may not be part of a commercial franchise system and can be further divided into two subgroups:
- Programs where an individual professional provider works alone, offering services such as very-low-calorie diets or medications.
- Programs that include a multidisciplinary group of professional providers working together and coordinating their efforts, records, and patient base, offering nutrition, medical care, behavior therapy, exercise, and psychological counseling, and utilizing very-low-calorie diets, medications, and surgery.
Approaches to Weight Loss Treatment
Weight-loss programs commonly employ five broad approaches: diet, physical activity, behavior modification, drug therapy, and gastric surgery.
Diets
Diets play a central role in most weight-loss programs. Different types of diets include:
- Balanced-Deficit Diets: These diets provide 1,200 or more kcal/day and are nutritionally adequate, requiring little medical supervision unless the diet or resulting weight loss might alter a person's underlying medical condition.
- Low-Calorie Diets: These diets provide approximately 800-1,200 kcal/day, using regular foods or specially formulated products and prepackaged foods. Commercial low-calorie diet programs like Weight Watchers, Diet Workshop, Diet Center, Jenny Craig, and Nutri/System use a multidisciplinary approach with combined diet, exercise, and behavior change. Weight loss averages approximately 0.5 to 1.5 kg/week (8.5 kg over 20 weeks).
- Very-Low-Calorie Diets (VLCDs): VLCDs provide 400-800 kcal/day and are medically supervised, typically based in hospitals or clinics. VLCDs are generally limited to individuals with a body mass index (BMI) of greater than 30 who have failed to lose weight by more conventional methods. In controlled clinical trials, VLCDs resulted in an average total loss of 20 kg over 12 weeks. However, the vast majority of patients regain the weight within 5 years.
Physical Activity
Physical activity is essential for weight loss and overall health. It ranges in intensity from walking to vigorous activities like jogging and bicycling. Individuals should develop realistic goals for increasing activity, starting at a comfortable level and progressing slowly.
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Behavior Modification
Behavior modification helps individuals identify and address problems interfering with weight loss and management. Principles used include self-monitoring, stimulus control, contingency management, stress management, cognitive-behavioral strategies, and social support.
- Self-monitoring: Involves self-observation and self-recording of eating habits and activity levels.
- Stimulus control: Identifying environmental cues associated with unhealthy eating and under-exercising.
- Contingency management: Using rewards for appropriate behavior changes.
- Stress management: Employing problem-solving strategies to reduce or cope with stressful events.
- Cognitive-behavioral strategies: Changing attitudes and beliefs about unrealistic expectations, appropriate goals, and body image.
- Social support: Maintaining motivation and providing reinforcement for appropriate behavior changes.
Drug Therapy
Medications can be used to treat obesity, recognizing it as a chronic disease with biological and genetic bases. Pharmacologic agents have been shown to result in an average weight loss compared to placebo.
Gastric Surgery
Gastric surgery is a more invasive approach for individuals with severe obesity.
The 7-Day Cabbage Soup Diet: A Quick-Start Example
One example of a quick-start diet is the 7-day cabbage soup diet, a short-term plan aimed at rapid weight loss. It involves eating unlimited cabbage soup along with specific foods each day. While results can be quick, it's essential to consult a doctor before drastically reducing calorie intake.
Daily Breakdown of the Cabbage Soup Diet
- Day 1: Eat nothing but fruit (except bananas) and as much cabbage soup as desired.
- Day 2: Eat only vegetables (except corn or other starchy veggies) and start the day with a baked potato.
- Day 3: Eat fruits and veggies (except bananas, corn, and other starchy vegetables).
- Day 4: Eat only bananas and milk/yogurt.
- Day 5: Eat only tomatoes (6-8) and protein like fish, turkey, and chicken.
- Day 6: Eat protein and veggies (other than tomatoes).
- Day 7: Eat fruits, vegetables, and juices.
Considerations for the Cabbage Soup Diet
- Hydration: Drink eight glasses of water each day.
- Flavoring: Use chicken or vegetable broth, seasoned canned tomatoes, salt, pepper, herbs, seasonings, olive oil, and a small amount of butter.
- Substitutions: While not recommended, some may try substituting foods, but the results may vary.
- Coffee: Only water, black coffee, or unsweetened herbal tea are allowed.
- Duration: It's not recommended to follow the diet beyond seven days.
- Exercise: Exercise is not recommended due to the low-calorie intake.
- Sustainability: The diet mainly eliminates water weight, so it's essential to pace oneself after the diet and adopt a balanced eating plan.
FTC Enforcement Actions Against Diet Workshop
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has taken action against Diet Workshop for misleading advertising. The FTC alleged that Diet Workshop made unsubstantiated claims about weight loss and maintenance.
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FTC Allegations
- Misrepresenting the performance of any weight loss program.
- Lacking scientific evidence to substantiate claims about achieving or maintaining weight loss.
- Misleading use of testimonials.
- Failing to disclose health risks associated with not consuming the total calories recommended.
Proposed Order
The proposed order to settle the charges would prohibit Diet Workshop from misrepresenting the performance of any weight loss program and would require that it have reliable scientific evidence to substantiate claims about achieving or maintaining weight loss. In addition, any ad claims the respondents make about maintaining weight loss would have to include the statement: “For many dieters, weight loss is temporary.”