AIBU to wonder what's going on with Diet Companies

[Cutecat78]

I know it's January and the media is inundating us companies selling us diet plans (Weight Watchers and Slimming Worls seem to be bombarding ATM).

Admittedly I have never been on a diet (I am not overweight but I could do with exercising more, eating more healthily and losing maybe half a stone).

I just feel like these companies recruit people to become almost evangelical about their certain plan and have quite a few colleagues who have followed a certain plan, lost weight, hit their target weight and then gone back to eating as before and within a year being back to where they started.

Also have several friends who have used the plans, succeeded and now running their own groups and all FB posts about how amazing their life is etc - and it feels a bit like people that get caught up in pyramid selling.

It's no secret that it's a massive industry and generated millions - but what was "fat club" at the local village hall almost seems to be brain washing when really we need to get behind the reasons why we overeat, and then eat less exercise more and change our lifestyles forever (ideally).

AIBU to think that it's preying on vulnerable people with low self esteem, offering a quick fix not a long term solution then either leaving them back where they started or recruiting them to recruit more people (the food associated with these diets does not seem cheap).

It makes me uneasy - I dunno I am happy to be told I am wrong.

[GiraffesAndButterflies]

In fact I've told you that before Giraffes

You have? sorry been through all our posts twice now and I'm not seeing that, point me to it?

the same members losing the same two stones over and over again is a crappy business model because new members would leave after their first session

Maybe. I would have thought that the repeat business and attitude of "this worked for me last time so it will work again" outweighed that (sorry, appalling pun...).

I admit to being sceptical in general about anything that makes people pay for some kind of lifestyle change, because there are so many charlatans out there. And I have watched a number of friends yo-yo diet with the aid of SW, WW, Rosemary Conley et al and it feels like watching them get conned. I know anecdotal evidence is a contradiction in terms but if I knew anyone who had lost weight permanently with the aid of a slimming club I think I'd probably feel differently. They all put it back on though and it doesn't take long.

[tabulahrasa]

"You have? sorry been through all our posts twice now and I'm not seeing that, point me to it?"

I've had this conversation about their business model before...and I remembered giraffes being in the user name - but it may not have been you right enough, sorry if it's not.

Yoyo dieters are drawn to organisations though, I'd not have lost weight alone...so I'm not as convinced the cause and effect is the right way round if that makes sense?

I know people that have been target members for years without regaining weight. My DP has been for just over a year, he had less to lose than me.

But SW's business model is to use those members staying at target to basically be their marketing, it's why they don't do things like TV campaigns, it's more effective to have people successfully staying at their target than to spend money on adverts.