Losing Weight, the Jenny Craig Way

Actress Kirstie Alley made headlines when she lost 50 pounds
following the Jenny Craig weight program. As a result, Alley has
become an outspoken advocate of this nutrition system. While
Alley’s weight loss may be surprising, you may be wondering
whether you could duplicate her success. But, to begin with, you
need to have an understanding of Jenny Craig, the company’s
claims, and whether the weight loss program is a sure-fire way
to lose weight.

The company website notes that Jenny Craig is one of the
biggest weight loss programs in the country. Company managers
say that the program stresses good nutrition and moderate
activity. As a result, company executives say, individuals can
achieve their weight loss goals by carefully following the
program. Jenny Craig has more than 600 locations in North
America, Australia, New Zealand, and Puerto Rico. If you enroll
in the program, you will receive a weight loss instruction book
and you’ll be able to locate a weight loss partner through an
online bulletin board. The program offers two general approaches
to weight loss. With the first approach, you report to a Jenny
Craig Center, where you’ll receive individual consultations. The
consultant will work with you to develop daily menus. You buy
the diet food directly from the company. The second approach is
an at-home program in which you have phone conversations with
your consultant.

You order your food every two weeks, with menus and other
materials delivered to your home, within five to seven days
after your order has been placed. Your consultant will take you
through the program, answer any questions you may have, and
attempt to ensure that your experience with Jenny Craig is a
positive one. Calorie counts on Jenny Craig depend on your
individual requirements, but the daily calorie level will be at
least 1200. Under the program, you should lose at least a pound
a week or one percent of your total weight. The menus are
designed according to the specifications of the Department of
Agriculture’s Food Pyramid. You can select from at least 70
different foods. The food has received the seal of approval from
Jenny Craig’s Medical Advisory Panel.

In her autobiography, entitled The Jenny Craig Story, Craig
wrote, “When somebody makes a decision to go on a diet…they
become almost totally preoccupied with food. We decided that if
we provided the food, it would let the clients focus on their
own bodies.”

According to dieticians at Northwestern University, the Jenny
Craig system does have its drawbacks. For instance, it offers
little in the way of fiber, and those who follow the program may
not consume enough iron and zinc. Consequently, the program may
be difficult for women of child-bearing age who need a great
deal of iron in their diet in order to prevent anemia.

Also, since Jenny Craig supplies the food, clients do not learn
how to prepare their own low-calorie meals. As a result, once
you stop using Jenny Craig, you could find your weight
skyrocketing upward. Moreover, Northwestern dieticians say that
the company’s counselors have limited training, meaning that the
individual consultations with clients are less effective than
they could be.

In addition, there’s little in the way of a support network for
Jenny Craig clients, since there are no regular support group
meetings. Because nine out of every ten Jenny Craig customers
are women, men may not be comfortable taking part. Jenny Craig’s
weight maintenance program is also expensive–$200 a year. Is
the Jenny Craig program appropriate for you? The answer depends
largely on your personal preferences. If you do not want the
hassle of having to shop for your own low-fat food, Jenny Craig
offers an attractive option. Also, if you believe in a
go-it-alone approach to weight loss, Jenny Craig may be
perfectly acceptable.

However, if you want professional weight loss advice, you do
not like the idea of buying company food, and you want to meet
and talk with other men or women who are trying to lose weight,
another program might be more appropriate. As always, talk at
length with your doctor before beginning any serious weight loss
program.

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