Are you one of the more than 150 000 South Africans who use diet clubs to help lose weight? Can you afford to swallow their claims hook, line and sinker? Our diet experts weigh up the various clubs to see what they have to offer
By the Health24 team

YOU want to lose weight – your doctor has warned that you’re dangerously overweight, or perhaps just because you want a slimmer figure for summer and want to look good in your new swimsuit.

What do you do? Well, chances are you’ll do one of two things: go the do-it yourself route and buy diet pills, slimming drinks and appetite suppressants – or join a diet club that promises to help you lose weight.

South Africa’s three biggest diet clubs – Weight Watchers, Weigh Less and SureSlim – assure you they will see to it you lose weight. And judging by their hundreds of thousands of members these aren’t empty promises.

Besides the well-known diet clubs a new kind of club, where exercise is the main focus but with special attention to diet, is becoming increasingly popular.

Among these are Virgin Active Life Care, which concentrates specifically on a healthy lifestyle, and two exercise clubs especially for women, Shapes for Women and Curves.

On the surface it seems the clubs’ recipe – support groups, meal plans and definite goals for weight loss – is one that works. But are all their eating programmes equally healthy and good for you?

YOU Pulse compared the approaches of six diet clubs and subjected their eating programmes to strict scientific evaluation.

Health24’s DietDoc, Dr Ingrid van Heerden, and dieticians Irene Labuschagne and Celeste Naudé of the Nutrition Information Centre of the University of Stellenbosch (Nicus) give you the latest skinny.

Here we analyse six popular diet clubs:

What are the basic principles of the programme?

1. WEIGHT WATCHERS

• It’s not a diet but a ‘‘lifestyle eating’’ programme.


• It’s non-prescriptive and the food isn’t weighed.


• It’s based on a daily points system aimed at changing your mindset so you’ll start buying healthier food.


• The use of diet supplements and pills is discouraged.

2. WEIGH-LESS

• The Weigh-Less Target Plus Programme aims to help members follow a healthy eating plan and make wise food choices.


• The programme is based on a certain number of portions a day.


• Weighing of food is encouraged initially to teach members what size portions should be.

3. SURESLIM

• The Quick Loss Eating Plan is a high-protein, low-fat diet.


• It consists of three meals a day and five hours of fasting in-between.


• SureSlim says it increases the secretion of the human growth hormone (HGH) and serotonin and prevents the overproduction of insulin.

4. VIRGIN ACTIVE LIFE CARE

• Virgin Active Life Care’sVOOMA programme combines exercise with eating plans based on personal needs and goals.


• The plan encourages you to exercise for 30 minutes a day.


• You receive a personalised eating plan after completing a questionnaire.


• Members can monitor their weight, fat percentage and blood pressure at a large network of HealthZones.

5. SHAPES FOR WOMEN

• This weight-loss programme for women has two aspects: exercise and a healthy eating plan to increase your metabolism.


• You can follow one of two eating plans: a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet for people who’re carbohydrate-sensitive; or one with limited kilojoules.


• Through the Metabolic Mover this plan helps you gradually eat more without gaining weight.

6. CURVES

• This exercise and eating plan for women is based on studies conducted at Baylor University in America.


• The gyms are already in South Africa and the eating plan will be available soon.


• It increases your metabolism so you don’t have to stay on a low-kilojoule diet forever to ensure you don’t regain weight.


• Wholewheat products, lean protein, fruit, vegetables, healthy fats and low-fat dairy products form the basis of this eating plan.

How are members supported?

1. WEIGHT WATCHERS

• Weekly weighing sessions.


• Support groups.

2. WEIGH-LESS

• Weekly weighing sessions.


• Support groups.

3. SURESLIM

• Weekly weighing sessions.


• Support groups.

4. VIRGIN ACTIVE LIFE CARE

• Online support.


• Biokineticists are available.


• A weekly telephone call from a dietician.


• Self-monitoring.

5. SHAPES FOR WOMEN

• Exercise in the group’s gyms.


• Weekly weighing sessions and encouragement.

6. CURVES

• Exercise in the group’s gyms.


• Weekly weighing sessions.


• Measurements are taken every three weeks

Are blood tests required?

1. WEIGHT WATCHERS

2. WEIGH-LESS

3. SURESLIM

4. VIRGIN ACTIVE LIFE CARE

5. SHAPES FOR WOMEN

6. CURVES

How much does the programme cost?

1. WEIGHT WATCHERS

2. WEIGH-LESS

3. SURESLIM

4. VIRGIN ACTIVE LIFE CARE

5. SHAPES FOR WOMEN

6. CURVES

Does the programme include exercise?

1. WEIGHT WATCHERS

2. WEIGH-LESS

3. SURESLIM

4. VIRGIN ACTIVE LIFE CARE

5. SHAPES FOR WOMEN

6. CURVES

Are there tailored weight-loss programmes for special groups such as children or diabetics?

1. WEIGHT WATCHERS

2. WEIGH-LESS

3. SURESLIM

4. VIRGIN ACTIVE LIFE CARE

5. SHAPES FOR WOMEN

6. CURVES

Contact details:

1. WEIGHT WATCHERS

2. WEIGH-LESS

3. SURESLIM

4. VIRGIN ACTIVE LIFE CARE

5. SHAPES FOR WOMEN

6. CURVES

What the experts say

Do weight-loss programmes deliver what they promise?
We put diet clubs under the microscope

JUDGING by their membership figures it’s clear all these diet and exercise clubs are successful in helping people lose weight – but do they follow a healthy approach to help you stay slim?

1&2 WEIGHT WATCHERS AND WEIGH-LESS

The approach used by Weight Watchers and Weigh-Less has a solid scientific basis. They know if you want to lose weight you need to reduce your energy intake and increase your energy output – and you need to lose weight slowly. They include all food groups in their diet plans and don’t offer instant solutions or fad diets.

Their diet plans are balanced and don’t require supplements or special products. Weigh-Less puts special emphasis on the promotion of good food choices and healthy eating patterns. With Weight Watchers it’s possible to manipulate the points system: you can choose foods that aren’t so healthy and still arrive at the recommended number of points – but that would be to your own detriment.

DIETICIANS’CONCLUSION:
These two programmes can definitely be recommended.

3. SURESLIM

This club promises extremely rapid weight loss within a very short time. Its claim – that its Quick Loss Eating Plan is designed to increase the secretion of human growth hormone (HGH) and serotonin while suppressing the overproduction of insulin – may be based on solid scientific research but is used out of context.

SureSlim maintains that not eating during the five hours between meals stimulates the production of HGH and serotonin and suppresses the production of insulin. But Professor Tessa van der Merwe, specialist in weight loss at the University of the Free State and one of South Africa’s leading experts in the field, says, ‘‘Your diet cannot influence the secretion of growth hormone or its relationship with insulin.’’

Many people who follow the SureSlim diet complain that they get headaches and feel shaky as a result. The Quick Loss Eating Plan contains too much protein and not enough carbohydrates, dietary fibre and calcium to be regarded as balanced. The energy content of this diet is so low people start having food cravings and feel weak.

The comprehensive – and expensive – blood tests required before clients may start with SureSlim are also unnecessary.

This eating plan is regarded as a ketogenic diet and like the Atkins diet is unbalanced and unhealthy. In the case of such a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet an undesirable and unhealthy reaction takes place. Ketones (waste products formed when proteins are broken down) are used as the primary source of energy because you’re not eating nearly enough carbohydrates.

This is dangerous for the body, especially in the long run. Side-effects that may appear include severe exhaustion, insomnia, dehydration, constipation, gout, bad breath, shakiness, dizziness and vitamin and mineral deficiencies, especially of the B vitamins, calcium, folate and magnesium. Initially you do lose weight quickly but that’s mainly because of dehydration and fluid loss. If you eat no or very little carbohydrate the moisture stored in the cells is lost.

DIETICIANS’ CONCLUSION
It’s difficult to stick to a highprotein (ketogenic) diet for long and most people regain much of the weight they lost as soon as they return to their normal eating pattern.

4. VIRGIN ACTIVE LIFE CARE

This eating plan is based on solid scientific principles and takes your sex, age, weight, length, level of activity and food choices into account. The eating plans, worked out by dieticians from the Sports Science Institute of SA and other organisations, are healthy and balanced.

The Virgin Active Life Care programme uses a holistic approach and gives people the opportunity to improve their lifestyle and lose weight in a safe and healthy way.

DIETICIANS’ CONCLUSION
This programme can definitely be recommended.

5. SHAPES FOR WOMEN

This fitness group offers a choice of two eating plans – one for women who’re ‘‘carbohydrate-sensitive’’ and another for women who’re ‘‘kilojoule-sensitive’’. These labels are exclusively used by Shapes for Women and don’t have a scientific base. The first eating plan, for women who’re ‘‘carbohydrate-sensitive’’, contains very few carbohydrates – just 20 g a day during the first week. A diet consisting of less than 100 g of carbohydrates a day is regarded as a ketogenic diet.

In the short term people lose weight quickly on this high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet but it’s very difficult to keep up and you tend to gain weight as soon as you return to a normal eating pattern. The initial weight loss of 2-3 kg is caused by a serious loss of fluids.

Both eating plans contain more protein than is usually recommended for low-kilojoule diets. Unfortunately the fat content is also high because the eating plans contain few carbohydrates but lots of protein. Ketogenic diets can be dangerous for diabetics and people with kidney problems and are definitely not recommended for children and pregnant women.

Research has shown people on this plan do lose more weight during the first six months (mainly because of fluid loss) but when their weight loss after 12 months was compared with that of people on a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet with high fibre and limited kilojoules, it became clear the second group managed to wipe out their backlog within six months.

A low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet is good for one’s health while a ketogenic diet has many disadvantages. There’s also no proof a diet can permanently change one’s metabolism.

DIETICIANS’ CONCLUSION
These eating plans are ketogenic and unbalanced. They may cause quick weight loss but will soon lead to weight gain.

However Shapes for Women gets its members to exercise, increase their fitness levels and speed up their metabolism through muscle exercises which is a definite plus.

6. CURVES

This American company is currently setting up a number of gymnasiums throughout South Africa and is also expected to make its eating plans available locally in the near future. These eating plans are based on the results of studies conducted by sports scientists at Baylor University in the US. The diets are mainly low-kilojoule and high-protein – in other words, ketogenic.

The programme also recommends the use of supplements such as the Curves Glucose Control Formula. Because of a lack of solid scientific research proving they work, the effectiveness of these supplements is doubtful.

DIETICIANS’ CONCLUSION
We can’t recommend the use of a ketogenic eating plan and the use of supplements. However it’s a good thing Curves encourages and gives women the opportunity to become fit since fitness and muscle exercises help one lose weight.

SOMETHING TO CHEW OVER
Healthy weight loss may require time and perseverance but the chances the loss will be permanent are much greater than if you were to follow an ‘‘instant’’ programme. Exercise combined with a healthy eating plan remains your best solution.

YOU Pulse SUMMER 2007/2008

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