the estimated 70 million adult Americans on a diet at
any one time, 20 million are men. To attract male
customers, NutriSystem emphasizes the inclusion of
pizza, hamburgers, pasta, and other ‘‘guy foods’’
among the choices available on the two subprograms
designed for men. It also emphasizes sex in its adver-
tising, using such testimonials as one from a man who
claims that his ‘‘sex life is excellent’’ since he began
using NutriSystem and shedding 62 pounds. Last, the
company stresses the benefits of privacy in dieting at
home in its male-oriented advertising, as its focus
groups indicated that many men are embarrassed to
admit that they want to lose weight and regard dieters’
support groups as an indication of weakness.
Interestingly, the company’s advertising that is
aimed at women differs from that of its competitors
innothiring celebrities. The company president has
been quoted as saying, ‘‘Celebrities are risky. If they
don’t lose the weight, it can work against you.’’
The next demographic that NutriSystem is seek-
ing to attract is older customers. Two of the com-
pany’s six subprograms are designed for people over
60, and offer such options for health-conscious seniors
as green tea and gingko biloba supplements to
improve memory.
Description
NutriSystem does not ask customers to sign a
contract. To begin the program, the client either choo-
ses one of the six programs online and continues to fill
out the order form for their 28-day supply of prepack-
aged foods, or calls the company’s toll-free number to
order over the phone. As of early 2007, the six subpro-
grams are:
Women’s Program.
Silver for Women (women over 60). This program
includes a free multivitamin supplement.
Men’s Program.
Silver for Men (men over 60). This program also
includes a free multivitamin supplement.
Type II Diabetic Program.
All-Vegetarian Program.
To complete the first order, the dieter selects one
breakfast, one lunch, one dinner item, and one dessert
(dessert choices include non-sweet snacks like pretzels
or nacho chips) for each day of the 28-day package.
The total meal plan is designed around eating five
times a day—three meals and two snacks. The Nutri-
System foods do not require refrigeration; they are
prepared by a ‘‘soft canning’’ process and can be
stored at room temperature. Some items, such as the
snack bars and nacho chips, are ready to eat; the
others are prepared on the stovetop or in a microwave
oven. Some require the addition of hotwater. There
are at least 120 different items for the dieter to choose
among in each program, with new items added from
time to time. In addition to such predictable standbys
as cinnamon oatmeal, chocolate pudding, and tuna
casserole, the food choices include thin crust pizza
with cheese, pot roast, vegetarian chili, chicken caccia-
tore, fettucine Alfredo, and almond biscotti.
The prepackaged foods, however, constitute only
about 40% of the dieter’s total intake; he or she is
expected to add yogurt, skim milk, salads, breads,
fresh fruit, and similar items to the base meal. The
company recommends an intake of 4 1/2 cups ofKEY TERMS
Gingko biloba—A deciduous tree native to north-
ern China whose leaves are used to make an extract
thought to improve memory and relieve
depression.
Glycemic index (GI)—A system devised at the Uni-
versity of Toronto in 1981 that ranks carbohydrates
in individual foods on a gram-for-gram basis in
regard to their effect on blood glucose levels in
the first two hours after a meal. There are two
commonly used GIs, one based on pure glucose
as the reference standard and the other based on
white bread.
Saturated fat—A fat that has no room for additional
hydrogen atoms in its chain-like structure. High
levels of saturated fats in the diet are thought to
increase the risk of heart disease.
Trans fat—A type of unsaturated fatty acid that
takes its name from the fact that its alkyl chains
are arranged in the so-called trans configuration
(in which the carbon atoms that have double
bonds form a long chain rather than a kinked
shape). Trans fats occur naturally in small quanti-
ties in meat and dairy products; however, the larg-
est single source of these fatty acids in the modern
diet is partially hydrogenated plant oils, used in the
processing of fast foods and many snack foods.
Trans fats are not necessary for human health and
increase the risk of coronary artery disease.
Very low-calorie diet (VLCD)—A term used by
nutritionists to classify weight-reduction diets that
allow around 800 calories or fewer a day. None of
the NutriSystem meal plans are VLCDs.NutriSystem