than 25 years. There are centers located in area of
Denver, Colorado, Minneapolis Minnesota, and Kan-
sas City, Missouri. The Web site offers minimal infor-
mation about the program, but there is no Web-based
support program. This means that dieters who do not
live near the three cities in which the Slim4Life centers
are located may have significant problems accessing
this program.
Description
The Slim4Life program is based around weight-
loss centers. At these centers, dieters meet one-on-one
with counselors to receive personalized advice, sup-
port, and guidance. The Slim4Life Web site says that
its programs focus on supervision, individual counsel-
ing, and behavior education. The centers offer pro-
grams for men and women, as well as children ages 10
and up.
Dieters interested in participating in the Slim4Life
program can set up a free 30-minute meeting and con-
sultation with a diet counselor. If the dieter decides to
enter the program, he or she will meet regularly with
counselors, sometimes as many as two to three times a
week. Dieters do not have specifically assigned personal
counselors, and do not need to make appointments.
Instead, dieters may come into the center whenever it
is open (usually Monday through Saturday) and see
counselors on a first-come first-served basis.
The focus of the Slim4Life program is the individ-
ual needs and preferences of the dieter. The program
offers dietary guidance for people with diabetes, high
blood pressure, and other health conditions, as well as
for vegetarians and people with serious dietary limita-
tions. The guidelines set by the dietary counselors allow
dieters to make many choices about the foods that they
eat each day. The program is designed to allow dieters
to prepare foods from the supermarket, and does not
require that prepackaged meals be purchased.
Slim4Life emphasizes a diet high in vegetables and
fruits and includes whole grains and other healthy
foods. Sugar andfatsare limited, and some dieters
have reported restrictions on dairy or other foods. In
general, Slim4Life, tries to help dieters stay away from
processed foods and eat healthier, fresh foods. The
counselors can also provide dieters with suggestions
for how to choose healthy foods when eating out.
Slim4Life tries not only to teach dieters about
what foods to eat, but also how much to eat. An
important part of helping dieters prepare to maintain
their weight loss is through focusing on being able to
visually identify what constitutes an appropriate por-
tion size. Most Slim4Life diet plans restrict the dieter
to fewer than 1500 calories per day. The specific num-
ber of calories determined for each dieter based on age,
weight, activity level, and other factors.
Slim4Life does not provide specific exercise rec-
ommendations. Although the program does encour-
age its dieters to be active and promises increased
energy levels, dieters do not receive a personalized
exercise plan or guide. Although Slim4Life does not
require the dieter to buy prepackaged meals, many
dieters have reported being encouraged to buy various
nutritional supplements such as bars and mixes, as
well as variousdietary supplements. The cost of the
program varies, but may exceed $600.00, much of
which may be due up front. This cost may be prohib-
itive for many dieters.FunctionSlim4Life is intended to produce significant
weight loss while helping dieters change their eating
habits and behaviors to make the weight loss easier to
maintain. Slim4Life says that dieters will lose weight at
a rate of 3–5 pounds (1.3–2.3 kg) per week, and that
the average weight lost per week is 3.3 lb (1.5 kg). The
one-on-one counseling is intended to allow dieters toKEY TERMS
Dietary supplement—A product, such as a vitamin,
mineral, herb, amino acid, or enzyme, that is
intended to be consumed in addition to an individ-
ual’s diet with the expectation that it will improve
health.
Mineral—An inorganic substance found in the
earth that is necessary in small quantities for the
body to maintain a health. Examples: zinc, copper,
iron.
Obese—More than 20% over the individual’s ideal
weight for their height and age or having a body
mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater.
Type 2 diabetes—Sometime called adult-onset dia-
betes, this disease prevents the body from properly
using glucose (sugar), but can often be controlled
with diet and exercise.
Vegetarian—A diet containing no meat, but usu-
ally containing other animal products such as milk
and eggs.
Vitamin—A nutrient that the body needs in small
amounts to remain healthy but that the body cannot
manufacture for itself and must acquire through diet.Slim4Life