Do you need to lose weight? If so, yo u’re not alone. Mo re than half of American
adults are ove rweight or obese, and more than one in three Americans are t rying to
lose we i g h t .

Perhaps yo u’re planning to try one of the many a vailable weight loss products or
services, but are n’t s u re which one is right for you. It’s easy to feel lost in the
maze of choices out there – each pro m i s i n g the best results.

Now there’s help in sorting through all these options. The Pa rtnership for Healthy We
i g h t Management encourages providers of weight loss p rograms to follow Vo l u n t
a ry Guidelines for Providers of Weight Loss Products or Se rvices* to g i ve you
basic information about their methods.

The first part of this booklet describes the type of information participating
programs provide and helps you ask the right questions to choose a safe and effective
weight loss method. The second part helps you tell whether your weight puts you at
risk for health pro b l e m s .

Be f o re you begin a weight loss pro g r a m , see your primary health care provider
for advice about your overall health risks and the weight loss options best for yo u .
Health experts agree that the best and safest way for most adults to lose we i g h t
and improve their health is to modestly cut calories, eat a balanced diet and be
physically active each day. Depending on your health and weight, your primary health
care provider may re c o m m e n d additional methods, such as medication or surgery,
which carry greater risks. Consider all your choices seriously.

When you start shopping for a we i g h t loss program, ask providers whether they f o
l l ow the Vo l u n t a ry Guidelines for Providers of Weight Loss Products or Se
rvices from the Pa rtnership for Healthy Weight Management. If a p rogram provider
doesn’t know about

the Guidelines, suggest they contact the Pa rtnership at the Federal Tr a d e C o m m
i s s i o n’s address on page 5.

Pa rticipating programs will answe r i m p o rtant questions about how their p roduct
or service works, how much it costs, how well it works and any risks i n vo l ved in
following the program.** On page 9, yo u’ll find a detailed Checklist for Evaluating
Weight Loss Products and Se rvices. Copy this to use as a discussion guide when
speaking with re p re s e n t a t i ves from weight loss

p rograms, whether or not they follow the Gu i d e l i n e s .

Ask for details about what foods and h ow many calories yo u’ll eat each day, and
whether the program includes re g ular physical activity. A weight loss program that
claims you can lose we i g h t and keep it off without changing the foods you eat or
increasing your physical activity is selling a fantasy.

A sensible program encourages you to f o l l ow advice from the Di e t a ry Guidelines
for Americans, such as eating at least five daily servings of fruits and vegetables,
and choosing grains (including whole grains), lean meats and l ow- fat or fat- free
dairy products.

People usually do best when they reduce their usual calorie intake or i n c rease the
calories they use by about

500- 1000 calories per day. This allow s you to eat enough for good nutrition and, if
followed daily, helps you lose about 1 to 2 pounds a week. For diets under 1500
calories, be sure to check with your health care provider to make s u re you meet all
your nutrient needs. Including low- calorie snacks in yo u r meal plan may help pre
vent you fro m becoming so hungry that you end up ove reating or binging.

If a program includes assistance fro m staff members, ask about their training,
experience and credentials. Find out what type of attention yo u’ll re c e i ve (for
example, individual counseling or gro u p s u p p o rt) and how often.

The Guidelines re q u i re part i c i p a t i n g p rograms to give you information
about d i f ficulties that many dieters experience with keeping weight off and how yo
u can increase your odds for success.

Ask whether the program can prov i d e studies that document its success. If so, ask
what percentage of all customers h a ve completed the program, how much weight they
lost, and how successfully t h e y’ve kept the weight off over a oneyear period or
longer. Although the Guidelines do not re q u i re providers to disclose detailed
program re s u l t s , p roviders may give you some of this information. Re m e m b e
r, information based on only some of the people in the p rogram probably re flects
those most successful at meeting their weight loss and maintenance goals. Some methods
for losing weight are

riskier than others. Diets that re q u i re drastic food restriction should be under
the supervision of a physician. Ge t details about side effects or risks that can
occur from using the product or serv i c e . Check with your primary health care p
rovider before you take prescription or over- the- counter weight loss drugs or d i e
t a ry supplements. Mention any side effects you experience from drugs or other
products that are part of the weight loss program. Steer clear of harmful “self help”
weight loss tactics,

such as smoking, fasting, purging, or abusing laxatives. Ask for an itemized price
list that

includes membership fees, fees for we e kly visits, and costs for items such as
diagnostic tests, food, meal re p l a c e m e n t s , d i e t a ry supplements, or
other pro d u c t s in the pro g r a m .

Being ove rweight, eating poorly, and being physically inactive all increase yo u r
risk for high blood pre s s u re, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and some forms of c
a n c e r. Other factors affecting your disease risk include your family and medical
history, and lifestyle factors such as whether you smoke or drink too much a l c o h o
l .

If you are ove rweight, losing just five to 10 percent of your weight and keeping it
off lowers your risk for deve l o p i n g most of these diseases. For example, an ove
rweight 200- pound person who loses 10 to 20 pounds may reduce risk for disease and
improve health problems, such as high blood pre s s u re or high blood c h o l e s t e
rol. Adopting more healthful eating habits and daily physical activity can better your
health, even if you don’t lose weight. This section helps you rate whether your weight
puts you at risk for health pro b l e m s .

The number you see on the scale doesn’t necessarily tell you whether you need to lose
weight. T h a t’s because two people of the same height and weight can have diff e
rent bone stru c t u res and carry differe n t amounts of muscle and body fat. Fo r
most adults, determining your Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist size are re l iable ways
to tell whether you are ove rweight and to estimate your risk for health problems.

Your BMI uses your height and weight to estimate how much fat is on your body. A BMI
of at least 25 indicates ove rweight. A BMI of 30 or more indicates you are obese. Ge
n e r a l l y, the higher your BMI, the higher yo u r weight risk.

Your waist size indicates whether yo u h a ve an “a p p l e” shape and tend to carry
fat around your midsection. Your health risks increase even further with incre a sing
waist size. A waist measure m e n t g reater than 40 inches for men or 35 inches for
women indicates a signific a n t i n c rease in health risk.

To tell whether your weight is a health risk, locate your BMI in the “ Find Your BMI”
chart on the facing page. Then, measure your waist at the point below your ribcage but
above yo u r n a vel. Use your BMI and waist size to determine your risk using the We
i g h i n g Your Risk chart.

If your weight puts you at incre a s e d risk for health problems, talk with yo u r p
r i m a ry health care provider about safe and suitable options for improving yo u r
health. Use the Checklist for Eva l u a t i n g Weight Loss Products and Se rvices on
page 9 to gather information about diff e rent programs so you can choose the best one
for yo u .

For more information on healthy weight management, get a copy of Setting Goals for
Weight Loss at h t t p : / / w w w. c o n s u m e r. g ov / we i g h t l o s s /
setgoals. htm or call 1. 888.8. PUEBLO ( 1 . 8 8 8 . 8 7 8 . 3 2 5 6 ) .

For a copy of the Di e t a ry Gu i d e l i n e s for Americans, go to h t t p : / / w
w w. o d p h p. o s o p h s . d h h s . g ov / pubs/ dietguid/ or write:

O D PHP Communication Su p p o rt Center P. O. Box 37366 Washington, DC 20013. 7366
301.468. 5960

My weight in pounds is: My height in inches is: My BMI* is: See the Find Your BMI
chart on page 7.

My waist size in inches is: My weight puts me at an i n c re a s e d h i g h

ve ry high e x t remely high risk for health problems. Use the Weighing Your Risk
chart on page 7 to calculate.

My blood pre s s u re is: My blood cholesterol is: My HDL cholesterol is: My LDL
cholesterol is: My blood triglyceride level is: My fasting blood sugar is: * If your
health care provider says these values are outside healthy ranges, you can improve
them by losing and maintaining a moderate weight loss goal of five to 10 percent of
your body weight, and increasing your physical activity leve l .

In this program, my daily caloric intake will be: My daily caloric intake is
determined by : I will will not be evaluated initially by program staff. The
evaluation will be made by (check all that apply):

Ph y s i c i a n Nurse Re g i s t e red Di e t i t i a n Other company- trained
employe e My pro g ress is supervised by (check all that apply):

Ph y s i c i a n Nurse Licensed Ps ychologist Re g i s t e red Di e t i t i a n
Company- trained employee I will will not be evaluated by a physician during the
course of my tre a t m e n t . During the first month, my pro g ress will be monitore
d :

Weekly Bi weekly Mo n t h l y Other After the first month, my pro g ress will be
monitore d :

Weekly Bi weekly Mo n t h l y Ot h e r My weight loss plan includes (check all that
apply):

Nutrition information about healthy eating At least 1,200 calories/ day for women or
1, 400 calories/ day for men Suggested menus and recipes Keeping food diaries or other
monitoring activities Po rtion control Liquid meal re p l a c e m e n t s Prepackaged
meals Di e t a ry supplements (vitamins, minerals, botanicals, herbals) Prescription
weight loss drugs Help with weight maintenance and lifestyle changes Su r g e ry Make
several copies of the blank form so you can fill out one for each

p rogram. A prov i d e r’s willingness to give you this information is an i m p o
rtant factor in choosing a program. If you need help to eva l u a t e the information
you gather, talk with your primary health care prov i d e r or a re g i s t e red
dietitian.

My plan includes regular physical activity that is (check both if both apply): Su p e
rvised (at the program site) times per we e k , minutes per session. Un s u p e rvised
(on my own time) times per week, minutes per session.

The physical activity includes (check all that apply): Walking Swimming St a t i o n a
ry cycling St rength training Ae robic dancing Other The weight loss plan includes
(check all that apply):

Family counseling Group support Lifestyle modification advice Weight maintenance
advice Weight maintenance counseling The staff explained the risks associated with
this weight loss program. They are :

The staff explained the costs of this program. (Check all that apply and fill in the
blanks.) I will be charged a one- time entry fee of $ . I will be charged $ per visit.
Food replacements will cost about $ per month. Prescription weight loss drugs will
cost about $ per month. Vitamins and other dietary supplements will cost about $ per
month. Diagnostic tests are re q u i red and will cost about $ . Other costs include
at $ .

The program gave me information about: The health risks of being ove rwe i g h t . The
difficulty many people have maintaining weight loss. The health benefits of weight
loss. How to improve my chances at maintaining my we i g h t .

Other information to ask for: Pa rticipants in this program have lost an average of
lbs. over months/ ye a r s . Pa rticipants in this program have kept off % of their
weight loss for ye a r ( s ) .

This information is based on the following (check one): All part i c i p a n t s . Pa
rticipants who completed the pro g r a m . Other

No t e s :

c o n t i n u e d

The Pa rtnership for Healthy We i g h t Management was organized in 1998 to promote
reliable methods

for healthy weight management. The partnership is composed of organizations and
individuals fro m i n d u s t ry, public advocacy organizations, government agencies,
scientific associations, and universities. The Pa rtnership issues Vo l u n t a ry

Guidelines for Providers of We i g h t Loss Products or Se rvices to encourage weight
loss programs to provide consumers with basic

p rogram information. Providers of weight loss products or services that choose to
follow these guidelines will give you information to help you make sound we i g h t
management decisions. To re c e i ve a copy of the Vo l u n t a ry Guidelines for
Providers of Weight Loss Products or Se rv i c e s ,

go to the Pa rtnership for He a l t h y Weight Management Web page at www. c o n s u m
e r. g ov / weightloss or write: Federal Trade Commission Consumer Response Center 600
Pe n n s y l vania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20580 Attention: Pa rtnership for He a l
t h y

Weight Ma n a g e m e n t

The Pa rtnership for Healthy Weight Ma n a g e m e n t