1. HW220 U NIT 8 C ONTEMPORARY W EIGHT L OSS P ROGRAMS Kristin Henningsen Jennifer Koslo, MS, RD, CSSD, ACE-CPT

2. W EIGHT L OSS A DVERTISING Focus of tonight’s seminar is on current trends in weight-loss advertising Please be sure that you have downloaded and reviewed the FTC publication “Weight-loss advertising: An analysis of current trends” http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/reports/weightloss.pdf

3. T HE F EDERAL T RADE C OMMISSION (FTC) B UREAU OF C ONSUMER P ROTECTION Established in 1914 Independent agency Mission is promotion of consumer protection

4. F UNCTIONS OF FTC 1. Law enforcement 2. Regulate the industry 3. Protect the public

5. E NFORCEMENT H ISTORY First weight-loss case was in 1927: McGowan’s Reducine. Unsupported claims After 1994 DHSEA and shift of responsibility number of cases has increased exponentially – why is that? What did DSHEA do?

6. S URGEON G ENERALS C ALL TO A CTION December 2001 the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity was released Community & personal responsibility The media is a member of the community that can assist in implementation

7. T HE M EDIA The Surgeon General’s report charged the media with “encouraging truthful and reasonable consumer goals for weight loss programs and weight management products”

8. FTC R EPORT FTC and the Partnership for Healthy Weight Management Purpose is to promote sound guidance on strategies for achieving & maintaining a healthy weight

9. S EMINAR Q#1: Why is weight-loss advertising a concern of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Bureau of Consumer Protection?

10. FTC A CT Advertising of products and services for weight loss is governed by the same legal standards that apply to all other product & service promotions: 1. The ad must be truthful and not misleading 2. Advertiser must have adequate proof for all objective product claims

11. S EMINAR Q#2 According to the FTC report what are some of the results that are promised by weight-loss advertisers?

12. R ESULTS Pounds “melt away” “You continue to eat your favorite foods” “Quick results” “No exercise” “Guaranteed”

13. C LAIMS BY C ATEGORY Testimonials Before/after photos Rapid weight-loss claims Lose weight without diet or exercise Scientifically proven/doctor endorsed What are some others?

14. A DVERTISING P ATTERNS Most ads use one or more techniques Historical comparison 1992 to 2001: number of weight-loss advertisements increased 129% and products increased 157%!! Increase in consumer testimonials has increased as well as claims that are obviously false

15. S EMINAR Q#3 What role do evidence-based guidelines play in helping Americans maintain a healthy body weight?

16. E VIDENCE - BASED G UIDELINES FOR W EIGHT L OSS Issued by NIH Simultaneously reduce calories and increase physical activity Safe rate is 1-2# loss per week, 10% of body weight in 6 months One pound of fat = 3500 calories Create 500 to 1000 calorie deficit per day

17. E VIDENCE - BASED G UIDELINES FOR W EIGHT L OSS Very low calorie diets produce fast weight loss but low long term success Focus on a balanced diet with adequate nutrients, fiber and vitamins and minerals

18. E VIDENCE - BASED G UIDELINES FOR W EIGHT L OSS Focus on behavior changes Daily physical activity Stress reduction Lifestyle changes

19. O VERALL R EPORT F INDINGS AND R ECOMMENDATIONS There is considerable room for improvement in weight-loss advertising! What were some of their findings? What were some of their recommendations?

20. S UMMARY False and deceptive advertising puts the public at risk The public should make an effort to educate themselves on safe weight loss and how to recognize scams Public should follow evidence-based weight loss guidelines and not look for the “miracle cure” FTC regulates and enforces the law with the weight loss industry however it cannot keep up with the scams! Caveat emptor!

21. L EARNING A CTIVIES 1. Reading: In this unit you will read 378-379 in Food Politics; Chapters 2, 14, 15, and 23 in Williams; and visit a website provided by your instructor. 2. Key Concepts: You will review the key concepts for contemporary weight loss programs. 3. Further Notes: You will review the course material notes broken up by lessons under Unit 8. 4. Discussion: This week our discussion will focus on the weight loss medications to treat obesity. 5. Seminar: You will attend a seminar that deals with weight loss advertising. 6. Web Resources: You will review the links in this unit to learn more about contemporary weight loss programs. 7. Unit 8 Project: You will complete and submit the Unit 8 Project.