Results Not Typical

I had 14 weight/health-oriented newsletters in my inbox this morning. (Subscribe to one or two lists and they will multiply -- the rabbits of the Internet!)

Several contained testimonials from rabid fans of their particular diet program. Five contained before-and-after pictures or verbal descriptions.

What fabulous results! I've got to try this!

Wait, what are all those asterisks?

Ah, the phrase that turns the blood of the most motivated desperate dieter to ice: "Results not typical."

Now what exactly does that mean? Did they specifically select the greatest outlier to mislead us about results? Is it only the freaks who are willing to rave about the program? Does the plan only work for certain people? Should I assume that I, too, will reach the dizzying heights of the featured role model?

Lose the hype, please. Talk to me as if I'm intelligent as well as overweight. Being fat does not equate with being stupid!

Show me "typical" results and I'll assess your program with honesty and respect. If most folks lose 5 pounds, publicize that. If not, all those unhappy overwieghters who sign up for your diet will expect to lose the poundage of your featured dieter.

The last thing the desperate, guilt-ridden, and self-critical dieters of the world need is to be misled into unreal expectations. That direction will only result in a magnified loss of self-esteem and self-respect. Your marketing misinformation is psychologically destructive and emotionally devasting.

E-Diets, Atkins, Zone, South Beach -- Shame on you!

Virginia Bola is a licensed psychologist and an admitted diet fanatic. She specializes in therapeutic reframing and the effects of attitudes and motivation on individual goals. The author of The Wolf at the Door: An Unemployment Survival Manual, and a free ezine, The Worker's Edge, she recently published a psychologically-based weight control e-workbook, "Diet with an Attitude" which develops mental skills towards the goal of permanent weight control. She can be reached at http://www.DietWithAnAttitude.com. She provides support and guidance in use of the workbook through her regular blog, http://dietwithanattitude.blogspot.com

---

Want To Lose Fat? Eat More of This

If you've been working out with weights for any length... Read More

Lose Fat by Choosing The Best Weight Loss Plan For You

Are you sick of the hype? Wondering what diet products... Read More

Weight Loss Product Warnings -- How to Spot Bad Pills

There are numerous ways to make a bad weight loss... Read More

Dieting - Healthy Dieting Tips

If you are among the millions of people searching for... Read More

Obesity & Weight Management Is a Social Issue

Much has been written about obesity and globesity. Obesity is... Read More

Super Sizing: Money Shrinks While Waist Lines Grow

"Your Eyes are Bigger Than Your Stomach""Your eyes are bigger... Read More

A Look at Bariatric Surgery Patients

Individuals who are interested in bariatric surgery need to be... Read More

Technology & Weight Loss: Putting An Online Tool to Use

Because the Internet allows so many millions of people to... Read More

Weight Gaining

I learned about gaining weight when I heard the question... Read More

Why Do All Diets Fail?

There's a dirty little secret in the diet industry. The... Read More

Are You Losing Weight and Getting Fatter?

Your Can Turn Fat into Muscle......Fact or Fiction???Completely False!!!!First of... Read More

The Papaya Diet: A Guaranteed Loser

Search Yahoo for "papaya" and "kirstie" and you'll find at... Read More

Resist that Snack Attack and Keep Your Diet on Track

When on a diet, snack attacks can hit hard and... Read More

Weight Loss Success with the South Beach Diet

The South Beach Diet was not created by your typical... Read More

Diet Pills, Products, and Dieting Supplements - Can They Help You Lose Weight Quickly?

Fighting obesity has become one of the most important issues... Read More

Yes, You Can Lose Weight!

Weight loss is one of the biggest industries in the... Read More

Conquer Those Carbohydrate Cravings

Are you a hopeless carbohydrate addict? Let's conquer these cravings... Read More

What are Fats?

Fat is fuel. That is basically what it is. A... Read More

Weight Loss Myths Exposed

As a weight loss coach I speak will people regularly... Read More

Do You Need To Cut Down 100 Calories A Day? But Dont Know What 100 Calories Is?

The difference between weight loss, and steady or weight gain,... Read More

Lose Weight and Get Fit by Getting Fat

Getting enough of the good fats will help you lose... Read More

Want to Succeed on Your Diet, Find a Diet Buddy

If you're like most people who tried losing weight on... Read More

How to Select the Best Diet for You?

In the old West tricksters sold a snake oil to... Read More

Obesity:The Gateway to Diseases

Do you know the name of that one disease which... Read More

Hydrate to Lose Weight: Drinking Water & Its Relationship to Weight Loss

It all begins with water .... Water makes up 75%... Read More

The Three Simple Steps to Fat Loss

More than 70% of US adults are overweight and that... Read More

Could False Memories Be An Efficient Diet Helper?

Speculating on the scientifically proven memory unreliability, the memory specialist... Read More

Top 10 Weight Loss and Fitness Myths

WARNING: Don't weight train until after you've lost weight! No,... Read More

Binge Eating: Will This Cycle Ever Stop?

Here's a letter from my email:Dear Carol,I took your teleclass... Read More

Gastric Bypass Surgery Alternative

I am considering Gastric bypass surgery because I am overweight,... Read More

Holiday Eating: Party Hearty Without Putting on the Pounds!

The holidays are definitely a special time of year. These... Read More

The Top Ten Things You Dont Want to Hear About Losing Weight

(But What You Need to Know if You Want to... Read More

Successful Weight-loss Pointers

Well we're at it again, trying to honor our promise... Read More