January 9, 2005
San Francisco, CA The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) established their position against dieting with the publishing of a policy against weight reduction diets in 1993. "Dieting" does not refer to attempts to lower fat, sugar, salt, or cholesterol intake, increase fiber intake, exercise or pursue a medically mandated nutritional regimen prescribed for specific medical conditions. Weight-loss diets have long been promoted as a permanent cure for "obesity," although they rarely produce long-lasting or permanent results. New studies have been released which only confirm what NAAFA has asserted for so long.
A new study published in the January 4, 2005 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, found little evidence that commercial weight loss programs are effective in helping people lose extra pounds. Hardly any rigorous studies of the programs have been carried out according to the researchers. Federal officials say that companies are often unwilling to conduct such studies.
Weight Watchers is the only commercial program that has published reliable data from randomized trials showing that people who participate weighed less a few months later than people who did not participate. Even Weight Watchers’ results were modest, with a 5 percent weight loss after three to six months of dieting, much of it regained.
Scientists want more. They would like to see carefully controlled studies that follow program participants over several years and compare their success with that of non-participants. About a decade ago, Dr. Wadden, director of the weight and eating disorders program at the University of Pennsylvania and the lead author of the new study, Mr. Cleland, the assistant director for advertising practices at the Federal Trade Commission, and others met with commercial weight loss companies at the Federal Trade Commission to discuss getting some solid data on the effectiveness of commercial. They could not reach a satisfactory agreement on the issue of outcomes disclosure and the F.T.C. could not force companies to do the studies.
There are experts who now say that patients might want to forgo commercial diet programs altogether. The modest and temporary weight losses with commercial diet programs are not a surprise, according to Dr. Wadden, because no one knows how to elicit permanent weight loss.
NAAFA knows that people of all sizes are misled about the extent and severity of the health risks associated with being fat. We are told that being thin is the only way to good health, and that dieting makes people thin. Many health problems traditionally attributed to "obesity," such as high blood pressure, heart problems, high cholesterol, and gallbladder problems, are often caused by the dieting process itself. Studies indicate that repeated "yo-yo" dieting may actually reduce one's life span rather than increase longevity.
Currently there are very few controls or regulations to inform and protect the dieting consumer. Weight loss "success" is only vaguely defined using short-term results and weight loss "failure” is always blamed on the consumer, and health risks are not disclosed. The few regulations that do exist are rarely, or at most, loosely enforced.
NAAFA ADVOCATES:
That regulations be adopted that require the diet industry to publish five-year (minimum) follow-up studies and "success" rates. All such statistics must be verifiable by objective outside researchers and clearly displayed on all diet products and advertising.
That consumer protection agencies such as Consumers Union, conduct biannual studies on the efficacy of diet products and programs.
That individuals considering dieting study available literature on long-term results and side effects and carefully weigh the possible benefits and risks of dieting.
That people who diet refuse to feel guilty or blame themselves for presumed lack of willpower if a diet fails.
Link to New York Times Article
Founded in 1969, the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance is a non-profit human rights organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for fat people. NAAFA works to eliminate discrimination based on body size and provide fat people with the tools for self-empowerment through public education, advocacy, and member support.
On the web: http://www.naafa.org
For more information contact:
Peggy Howell, Public Relations Chairman
National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance
E-mail: naafa_pr@yahoo.com
Phone: (707)246-6116