NutriScam
I’ve read a couple of articles in the past few days about Tracy Morgan “unofficially” becoming a spokesman for NutriSystem, because he’s lost 10 pounds on their program, reportedly.
His diet entails “whatever I can eat” on NutriSystem, which is also favored by Tori Spelling, Marie Osmond and Boy Meet’s World Danielle Fishel. “Corn Flakes, Cheerios, Rasin Brand, they have nutrition bars that are delicious,” he says. “I have them in my house.”
It would make sense if we found out he was being paid, as one columnist speculated, since A) a celebrity can afford way better prepackaged food, if not a personal chef; and B) why would a savvy celebrity be a free spokesperson for a product that so many other celebrities have cashed in on?
But I wasn’t going to post about that, as it seems only marginally shady. However, this article, sent in by Ilse, tells a NutriSystem story that is way shady.
Talkmaster Dan Patrick explained why he left ESPN during his XM Radio show Friday.
According to Patrick, the network honchos wanted him to go on NutriSystem and lose weight with other talking heads like Mike Golic and Chris Berman. When the 6-3 Patrick protested he was happy with his weight of 205 pounds, a bigwig pulled him aside and said, ”We want you to gain 25 pounds, then lose it on NutriSystem.”
Patrick said thanks but no thanks, and walked away from the network.
One of the other ESPN talking heads, Mike Golic, apparently took the deal, since he has lost 51 pounds so far on NutriSystem. However, he admitted some of the food is “awful” and the portions are small.
TMZ: What’s the worst?
Golic: Some of the dinners.
TMZ: Is it all microwavable?
Golic: Yeah, it’s all like that.
TMZ: You can’t survive on that. No wonder you lose weight.
Golic: Yeah, and you know what, the portions are small.
I’m not suggesting a link to Tracy Morgan because I have no idea what’s going on there, but in the case of these ESPN anchors, they were apparently pressured to gain weight (probably moving them artificially above their natural set points) and then lose it by eating “awful” food and pretending NutriSystem is an awesome diet. Ilse points out it’s also setting these guys up “for a lifetime of yo-yo dieting.”
What a scam.
Posted by mo pie
Filed under: Celebrities, Diet Talk, TV, Weight Loss
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Disgusting
Hi Mo Pie
I was wondering if you would be interested in participating in an academic study about the Fatosphere blogs? If you are, could you drop me a line at fatosphere @ gmail.com ?
cheers
Bri
Tracy??? NOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
Also, many moons ago when I dieted, I tried NutriScamSystem. Trying to cancel it was how I imagine leaving a cult would be. I finally yelled at the woman to stop asking questions and cancel my damn account already and she was like “now now, there’s no need to get angry.”
Ugh. Yes there is.
According to something I saw on television a few years ago, this is very common practice in the diet industry. Apparently it’s pretty common to hire athletes and other naturally thin people to gain weight and then lose it on whatever program. Scary.
I know everyone’s going to hate me for this, but I do love this blog so please don’t!!!
I have had terrible, awful, and let me repeat awful experiences with binge/compulsive eating for years, and NutriSystem has been one tool in beginning to help me get it under control. I had so many terrible mental problems with food (I’m afraid to go grocery shopping. Like literally have anxiety attacks about having that many choices.) Having a box sent to me with my food for a month, always knowing what I would have breakfast, lunch, dinner, made me feel so much better. They also have you add in your own veggies, fruit, protein, dairy, etc., so I’ve been eating more of that than I have in my life.
For me, it wasn’t the weight loss I was so much worried about, but something to help me stop binging. I ordered because I saw how everything was planned. I can go to the grocery store and JUST worry about getting fruit, veggies, milk, and some proteins to add in, so I feel like I can do it. The food is packed with fiber so my cravings are much more stable. And it is expensive, but do you know how much money I spent binging on fast food most nights of the week? About 15-20 bucks a day.
I promise I’m not some sort of NutriSystem operative…haha. I’m just saying in my very specific situation, it helped me. I can’t tell you how much I’ve suffered with BED, and for the past 5 months it’s finally been under control. I know I will have to stop the program sometime, so I bought one of their cookbooks that tells you how to make food with similar fiber and sugar levels so I can keep up a similar schedule.
I’m really saddened by the shady things that they’ve done. It just shows that weight-loss corporations suck. I do feel embarassed about being on it, but I’m trying to get over that. I go to a therapist who specializes in eating disorders and he has supported me in my specific situation, although he probably wouldn’t recommend it for others.
Just thought I’d say that, since it’s been an interesting and unique experience for me. Once again, love this blog! I’ve followed for over a year and have commented before (I was the long-winded one about dating when overweight).
And Mo, if you think this comment harms more than helps, I wouldn’t be offended at all if you didn’t want it posted.
Oh, and I forgot to mention that I couldn’t imagine microwaving everything, so it helps that I got ver-ry creative. I add in everything they allow and bake, sautee, broil, etc. everything I possibly can.
And thinking about it, it helps that the food is not SO good that I desire to binge on it. I would sit there and eat a whole loaf of bread or pound of meat I bought at the grocery store for the week just because it was there, but what am I going to do, binge on 5 NutriSystem meals? Haha.
(Me, no hatred here!)
There was a case in which the FDA sued a diet pill manufacturer. 2 of the paid “clients” admitted their claims of weight loss were false: one was a professional body builder who, yes, put on 25 pounds for his “before” pictures, then used his own methods to lose the weight. The second was a fitness model who’d just given birth when her “before” pics were taken, then had the “after” photos taken a few months later.
Me – I think you’re an example of taking something negative and using it in a positive way. It is a tool for you, not a weight loss scam. Good luck.
@Me- I’m glad that you’ve found something that helped you (I can identify with grocery shopping anxiety), and I don’t know if you’re already seeing a counselor/nutritionist team that specializes in eating disorders, but if you’re able to find a good team, they help you through a lot better than NutriScam. And definitely help you through going off NutriSystem in the end.
On an unrelated note, I remember clicking something from a facebook ad or something (don’t ask me why, I think the picture was amusing) and I got to this website that had the most blatantly staged before/after picture I’d seen in my life. It was this woman from the side, and she was so obviously pregnant (not fat) that it just was laughable. It was like they didn’t even try. Terrible. The weight loss industry is such a racket – that I wish it would just go away.
Hmm, that’s pretty shady.
I wonder if they’re trying to get Tracy Morgan because of the success Jenny Craig seems to be having with Jason Alexander (by the way, I think that commercial where he “bares it all” is kind of awkward!). Maybe they want to find a well known guy to promote thier product.
I had a pretty good experience with Nutrisystem too. I was on it for a few months last year and I lost 20 lbs but I have since gained about 10 back. It did get mighty boring and some of the food was awful (but some was really good).
The only thing that miffed me was some rude jerks on the message boards saying the men on the program were losing more weight than the women because women are “not as strong mentally”. One flame war later and I was over the whole program.
@Bronwyn–a nutritionist is great advice, especially since I am very apprehensive about what will happen once I inevitably get off the program. And I just found out my health insurance covers some of it! I know deep down that a therapist and pre-made food program cannot undo all of the damage that’s been done to my “food psyche” over the years. And thanks you all for the support. This is a truly welcoming community :)
And it’s good to know that I’m not the only one with grocery shopping anxiety. I also started asking a friend to go with me to shop and that helped, so I would recommend that to others with that issue.
Me – I did something similar, although I stated for more nefarious reasons. I had a doctor (!) put me on one of those horrible liquid diets once. When I started it, yeah, I was still at a point where I wanted to lose weight. But as it went on (and I discovered FA) I realized that it was helping me, but not because it made me lose weight (which it did, but – surprise surprise – I’ve put a lot of it back on) but because it helped me overcome binge eating like NutriSystem has done for you. It was almost like I had to detox before I could eat normally again.
BUT. Big but(t?). I wouldn’t suggest anyone else do the same thing. I also recognize that I probably could have achieved the same end through other means. And I recognize the dangers of that lifestyle.
All I’m saying is, Me, you’re not the only one who has used a normally-shady diet thing and gotten something good out of it that wasn’t weight loss.
But again, I’m not recommending it for anyone else.
Mo, I’m so glad the links were of interest to you! I got the link from my blog partner, who is a sports fan; he heard the interview on the radio.
Our blog is dedicated to “muckraking the 12-Step Treatment Industry,” and as someone who has suffered from ED my whole life (I’m 42 now — mother had me on rigid, low cal – low fat, diets from the time I was 9 years old), and who avidly follows the fat-o-sphere, I find that the diet industry and the addictions treatment industry have so, so much in common. The most obvious is the success rate, which is identical: 0.
And there is a lot of overlap, considering that there are 12-Step groups for people who suffer from Eating Disorders. One of the most disasterous elements of the 12 Step approach is the fundamental idea that personal defects of character and spiritual failings are responsible. Not only that, but they follow a similar business model.
@me: I definitely get you. You know, one thing that both diets and addictions recovery have in common is that neither one of them focuses on an exit strategy. You’re either dieting or 12-Stepping forever, or you’re freefalling or relapsing. This is in their interest. Both are a revolving door, because failure is built into their program$.
I am a sub-type bulimic, in that I don’t tend to binge, but I will throw up whatever I eat, especially if I think it’s something I should not have eaten (and the “should not eat” list is pretty long). For instance, if I think I shouldn’t have had pizza for lunch — or that I shouldn’t have even had lunch — I will feel like I can’t breath until its gone. It’s a desperate feeling: I can’t function until I purge.
I’ve been able to get some control over that only in the past year. And in order to do so, I’ve taken advantage of certain tools that I have always resisted on principle, like food tracking and SSRIs, for instance. And because I’m learning to honor my body, as it is, by reading this blog and others, and taking a lesson from those who are actively fighting this good fight against shame and coercion, I have been able to shift my focus away from conforming to an ideal.
So, nowadays, I can log pizza for lunch, and see that I won’t freakin’ totally die of it. I can go to Zumba class, not because I should, but because I love to dance. I really Love To Dance! So why shouldn’t I be dancing?
Me, keep doing what you’re doing, and also *start now* planning and living your exit strategy. Figure out what the benefits are, and how to incorporate the benefits you’re getting from it into your life. Nutrisystem won’t help you with that, because they’re counting on your return business; they’re (ac)counting on dependence.
Well, so… I know that the subject of my blog tends to offend a lot of people (I mean, what kind of an asshole trashes Alcoholics Anonymous?), but I put the link in my reply in case anyone’s interested. I write there as “friendthegirl,” and I would be very happy to connect with other people who suffer from Eating Disorders. Eating Disorders often go hand in hand with substance abuse: I spent a lot of years drinking in order to pretend that there’s no such thing as food.
Ilse
Me and Liza, congrats for finding a way to deal with your issues and for sharing your stories.
It’s kind of awesome how when left to our own devices we, as humans, can fashion just what we need to survive a treachous path out of whatever is around, kind of like McGyver. Okay, that was cheesier than I intended, but I’m leaving it out there.
I totally believe it. And good for Dan Patrick!
@Alyssa, Nutrisystem does that too. I don’t know if they still show Jillian Barberie’s commercials, but they used to make me so mad. Her before pictures were either while she was pregnant or immediately after she gave birth. They’d claim how she lost 40 pounds (or something), but that sure as hell had nothing to do with Nutrisystem!
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