Jenny Craig: Another View

 

The other grande dame of the commercial weight loss industry, Jenny Craig Inc. was founded in the 1980s by husband and wife team Jenny and Sid Craig, who oversaw its expansion into an international juggernaut of nutritional products, meals, weight loss consultation and celebrity spokespeople. The company was acquired by global food manufacturer Nestle in 2006 in a deal worth around $600 million.

So you've probably seen Valerie Bertinelli's ads, or magazine profiles, or television interviews - she's been a publicity machine this last year - for her dramatic weight loss and undeniably fantastic new look courtesy of the Jenny Craig program. Of course you may recall when Kirstie Alley took to the airwaves several years ago with the same Jenny Craig flag-waving, and if you've glanced at any tabloids in the supermarket checkout lane of late, you'll see that that hasn't worked out so well for her.

Regardless, will Jenny Craig work for you?

The basis of the Jenny Craig diet is its pre-packaged meals and food products called "Jenny's Cuisine," which you select with guidance from your personal Jenny Craig consultant. The program offers two options for participation - you can go the tradititional route and sign up at a physical Jenny Craig Center location, or you can go the at-home route with the Jenny Direct program. The Center program requests that you visit once a week, where you'll be weighed privately and have about a 20 minute meeting with your counselor to discuss your (all Jenny's Cuisine) menu. (You buy the Jenny's Cuisine at the location.) The Jenny Direct program requires you to call in once a week for a 15-minute chat with your counselor, who will collaborate with you on what Jenny's Cuisine you should order for delivery to your home. (Shipping cost is borne by you.) Note that the food is purchased separately from the program membership. 24 hour telephone and online support is available to meet any additional needs you may have.

Once you've decided to join Jenny Craig you will have to choose which diet program you want to follow. There are a variety of them - varying in how comprehensive and lengthy they are, as well as how expensive. These programs range from 30-60 days to a year in length (with discount incentives for renewal), and the additional bells and whistles - products, add-ons and discounts - available will be dependent upon the program.

Regardless of which program you choose, the fundamentals are a nutritionally balanced, portion-controlled diet laid out for you by your counselor, adequate exercise (it's encouraged at Jenny Craig, but they don't push it boot camp-style), nutrition guidance and behavioral modification guidance to steer you towards more positive, healthy lifestyle changes. The idea is that over the course of the program - where you should be losing 1-2 pounds per week - you will be equipping yourself with the tools and education necessary to eventually wean off of the (it's all taken care of for you) Jenny's Cuisine and start cooking for yourself (and also dining out) again, while still keeping the weight off.

This is a solid, sensible concept in theory, but whether it is in practice is another matter. It's important to note that the Jenny Craig consultants - who play the critical role in advising and guiding you through the process, equipping with you the tools and nutrition and lifestyle education to move from the regimented bubble that is life on Jenny Craig back to life where you call the shots - these Jenny Craig consultants are not required to have any nutritional or health professional certifications. They are merely "trained by the company" to provide that education and support. When you consider that Jenny Craig Inc. is a business recently valued at $600 million - one could surmise that the bulk of the education and support is mostly encouragement to stay on Jenny Craig. This is disconcerting when you consider that Jenny Craig is not an inexpensive venture - though it's difficult to specifically say what it will cost you, as the company doesn't divulge exact pricing until you've already waded into the sign-up waters. But in a nutshell, you'll pay membership fees, food costs for Jenny's Cuisine (including shipping if you go Jenny Direct) and the cost of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other supplements you'll need to purchase to round out your menu plans.

So will it work for you? For the short term - while you're on the program - of course. Will you be as successful as Valerie Bertinelli was? Perhaps - but remember that she is a paid spokesperson, a celebrity whose career has literally risen from the ashes since her splashy debut in a bikini. And don't think for a moment that she didn't get that bikini body without working out hard - boot camp-style hard - for it, and that she continues to do so. It's in Valerie's vested financial interest to stay in that shape, but then again it was in Kirstie Alley's at one time as well. As we noted above, the Jenny Craig program is great, and effective, in theory - when you're on it, in the bubble where they handle the food and you can coffee-klatch with the Jenny community - but it will probably not change your life. Once you've tired of, or can no longer afford, Jenny's Cuisine and membership fees you will need to dig deep within yourself to maintain a healthy weight on your own.