Toward that end, a coalition of government, academic, and commercial weight-loss organizations last week announced new guidelines to provide consumers with better information on the risks, costs, and track records of commercial diet programs. Concerns about weight-loss programs have been growing since the early 1990s, when the Federal Trade Commission cracked down on programs that promised more than they could deliver.
Full disclosure. Participants in the new agreement, including Weight Watchers International and Jenny Craig, have agreed to abide by provisions aimed at helping dieters to comparison-shop among programs. Among other terms, participants must disclose the qualifications of their staffs. They must reveal health risks associated with obesity, such as high blood pressure, as well as the risks of rapid weight loss, such as dizziness, hair loss, and gallstones. Finally, they must outline all the costs of their regimes, including payments for diet foods.
