It's the beginning of the year and dieters are trying to live out their resolutions. Low carbs. Exercise. Special vitamins. You name it. All over the country, weight-conscious people are risking it all in order to slim-down to their ideal size. So, all of this frenzy brings me to one big question. At what price?
I used to think the high price of dieting was moodiness, a whacked out metabolism or potential death due to undue strain on the body. However, now I realize it reaches more than these areas. It reaches deep into the dieters pocket.
According to the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA), the diet industry makes billions of dollars each year. How? It does it by riding on the hopes and dreams of people who want to fit into a pair of jeans they wore when they were teenagers or people who have real weight issues that require more comprehensive help involving a doctor and therapist to resolve. Yet, both parties have one thing in common. They want to lose weight now.
The desire to lose weight fast and easy is a common thread amongst most dieters. And, they're willing to sacrifice oodles of dollars in order to do it. Below are the approximate prices people are willing to pay in order to reach their weight loss dreams.
Alli
This fat-blocker is all the rage now. Expect to take a pill a few times a day and pay $50 per month plus the cost of a good multi-vitamin and low-fat food.
Weight Watchers
Be ready to pay a flat fee to join at approximately $30 along with a weekly rate between $10 and $15 depending where you live.
Jenny Craig
Weight loss hopefuls pay a sign-up fee of a minimum of $20 which changes depending on the time of year and a monthly food bill at around $320.
Lap Band and Bariatric Surgeries
Expect to pay $10,000 and up for either surgery. You can take on a couple thousand more for surgeries to tighten up loose skin afterwards along with special food.
Multiply these charges with millions of desperate people and you'll understand why the diet industry is so rich. So the question remains. At what price are people willing to pay to lose weight? The answer is sadly apparent. People are willing to pay a high one.
Americans are willing to empty their bank accounts to lose weight fast and easy. However, the truth is that the most successful way to do it is slow and hard. It's proven that when people diet in this way that their weight loss results last. So the real question most dieters need to ask themselves is am I in this for the long haul? If you can answer “yes” to this, you don't need to pay a fee to lose weight.
