Article by Anne Emerick
What is the LA Weight Loss program? Once it was the talk of the town, or at least some towns. With hundreds of locations, none are actually in the vicinity of Los Angeles, so it’s hard to say why the name “LA” weight loss.
LA Weight Loss soared in popularity when People Magazine wrote several articles about LA Weight Loss customers who had lost 60, 103, even 173 pounds. These are the happy endings that we all love to hear – decent caring people transformed from the ugly duckling into a beautiful swan.
The LA Weight Loss program was built around the idea of frequent visits to a LA Weight Loss center where each customer gets coaching and cheerleading from a trained diet/nutrition specialist. But somewhere in this world of positive reinforcement and helping others help themselves, things turned sour.
First, LA Weight Loss statements about their program fees are unclear. Customers reported it being difficult, perhaps impossible, to get a cost estimate over the phone and being told, “we really need you to come in, so we can talk.” The idea being that people have a much harder time resisting sales pressure in person.
Today the LA Weight Loss website still states, “Your total cost is determined by a number of factors: a) there are several basic program packages designed to fit into your budget as well as a number of finance options; b) how much weight you want to lose; and c) your personal profile plays a key role in which program, menu plan, etc., is right for you. Some centers even offer trial programs. You can obtain the most accurate price by scheduling a free consultation with an LA Weight Loss counselor at your local center. It takes only 20 minutes and there’s no obligation. Working together, you’ll be able to determine the precise cost of your program.”
Initially low enrollment fees were offset by LA Weight Loss employees pushing the sale of protein bars and nutritional supplements after consumers had enrolled in the program. LA Weight Loss has repeatedly had to pay fines in Washington State for misrepresenting program costs and making unsubstantiated claims about nutritional supplements or special foods they sell. These and other legal fees caused LA Weight Loss to restructure their operations into centers that were owned and operated by the company, which renamed itself Pure Weight Loss and LA Weight Loss Franchise operations. Pure Weight Loss went bankrupt in early 2008, leaving many members with paid-for but not delivered goods and services and employees with unpaid wages.
The LA Weight Loss program still has its fans, mostly those who managed to have a positive experience and lost weight (not just from their wallet). The weight loss concept seemed solid, but the execution was flawed.
But don’t worry, there is no shortage of experts giving advice on the best, fastest, easiest or healthiest way to lose weight. The long-standing industry giants of Medifast and NutriSystem offer free counseling with their meal plans. Given people’s busy schedules, both of these programs emphasize the fact that you don’t have to drive to a center, but can get support online or over the phone. People want something they can easily integrate into their lives.
The trend in weight loss programs that don’t require spending a lot of time in the kitchen cooking special meals or running to the gym can be seen in the growing popularity of programs that offer solid results with minimal time invested, such as Fit Yummy Mommy which specifically targets new moms and how to lose pregnancy weight while still taking care of your children and Turbulence Training, whose creator, Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS, compares his fat-loss program to the old business principle whereby 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts.
Almost all weight-loss programs, including LA Weight Loss, have some common principals. Weight-loss involves rethinking your attitude towards food and/or increasing the amount of exercise you get. Remember that losing weight is easiest when someone can spark your excitement about setting new goals and trying new things and support you when you are discouraged, whether those helpful words come from a counselor, an author, or just one of your buddies.
About the Author
Tubby-no-more, I’ve been writing about some of the more popular weight-loss programs. Everyone is different, so look