LA Weight Loss Diet Review

Diet Review

By Myatt Murphy

LA Weight Loss clients are basically paying for a lot of common sense nutritional advice about portion control and recipes. One major problem with the program is that when clients make their frequent visits to the center to meet with counselors, they're often given the hard sell, encouraged to purchase the company's exclusive line of weight-loss supplements. In fact, many of the counselors aren't certified nutrition experts or dieticians, but employees who work on commission from the supplements they can sell you during your check-ins. This can make it impossible to judge if dieters are being supported or preyed upon with each visit. It's also the reason the company paid a total settlement in 2006 of $100,000 to past clients who felt misled.

Is the LA Weight Loss Diet healthy?

Yes and no. Essentially, their approach to eating more protein, fruits and vegetables and less fat is very similar to what many nutritionists already recommend. However, if you're asked to use a plan that limits your caloric intake below 1,500 calories a day, you could miss out on certain key nutrients.

What do the experts say?

Although most of the nutritional advice they stress is sound, basic, albeit expensive advice (such as eating smaller portions, drinking plenty of water, watching your salt intake, adding more fruits and vegetables), "you really don't need the special products they offer to lose weight," says Milton Stokes, M.P.H., R.D., spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. "You simply need to adopt smarter eating habits that they can stick with for the long haul." His advice: "If you ever see 'special' products being offered or 'suggested' as part of any weight-loss plan, that's an immediate red flag."

Who should consider the LA Weight Loss Diet?

Dieters with money to burn.

Bottom Line

If you can fend off the high-pressure sales pitches and accept that you're paying money every week to check in with a counselor that may be no more qualified to issue nutritional advice than you are, then feel free. The truth is, any diet that requires you to restrict your caloric intake will cause weight loss. The real question is, can you afford to pay a lot, just to be told to eat less?

See the LA Weight Loss Diet at a Glance
See What You Can Eat on the LA Weight Loss Diet