circle, but also managing or staying away from people
who sabotage weight loss efforts.
The book concludes with several appendices, such
as food lists, a workout diary, and a sample exercise
for stress relief and relaxation. Dr. Phil reminds read-
ers that weight is managed, not cured. He explains
danger zones that allow people to drift off course in
managing their weight, then discusses avoiding these
danger zones.Function
Dr. Phil’s weight loss solution is for people who
want to lose or manage weight. He presents the diet as
an alternative to crash andfad diets. As a psycholo-
gist, Dr. Phil approaches the diet from behavioral
aspects as well as from the nutritional aspects.Benefits
Dr. Phil says that in typical diets, the emotion
fades soon after starting the diet. In interviews about
his weight loss solution, Dr. Phil said that people have
better chances of succeeding on weight loss efforts if
they reprogram their lives and follow the seven keys to
success. He said that fear keeps people from address-
ing the emotions involved in overeating. The diet also
focuses on being healthy and having realistic expect-
ations for a person’s age.Precautions
Some nutritionists and scientists have questioned
the evidence quoted by Dr. Phil for the success rate of
his plan and nutritional products. Following any par-
ticular diet plan should be done only after consulta-
tion with a physician and/or licensed dietician. The
advice of involving a nutritionist comes late in Dr.
Phil’s book.Risks
Among concerns was the nutritional balance
of some of the Shape Up food products. Although
Dr. Phil’s diet does not lean toward one food group
and advises generally traditional diet advice of balanced
diet mixed with exercise, it is best to involve a health care
professional or registered dietary professional to ensure
that the strategies are healthful and successful.Research and general acceptance
In the book, Dr. Phil cites a bibliography, a con-
sulting nutritionist, and an 80% success rate. But there
are no specific scientific studies published or referred
to that prove the success of the program or its individ-ual strategies. After developing the Shape Up prod-
ucts, which consisted of herbal supplements, shakes,
and snack bars, a lawsuit was filed stating that Dr. Phil
had made false claims about their benefits. Reports
showed that although the nutrition shakes were in
good ranges forcarbohydratesand fat, the nutrition
bars were in relatively high carbohydrate and fat
ranges. The lawsuit was filed in 2004 on behalf of
three disappointed consumers. They said that that
Dr. Phil had defrauded fans, making false statements
about the supplement pills. CSA Nutraceuticals
agreed to stop making the supplements in early 2004
when it faced an investigation from the Federal Trade
Commission concerning false-advertising claims. The
plaintiffs sought class action status for the lawsuit and
reached a $10.5 million settlement in September 2006.
In an article inFood Processingmagazine, a diet
expert at the University of California at Berkeley was
quoted as saying that Dr. Phil’s diet advice was not
innovative. Yet she added that the advice was common
sense. A review in theTufts University Health & Nutrition
Lettersaid there were several flaws with the book’s advice
and that some of the advice contradicted other points in
the book or did not make sense. The review listed some
good points, including the fact that a dieter does not have
to be strong 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
An American Dietetic Association fact sheet said
that some of the book’s advice is good, such as behav-
ior modification strategies that have been used in
weight control programs for many years. But the
review said that the book also contained nutrition
and dietary recommendations that were mistaken or
outdated. The review also stated that the advice for
dealing with complicated emotional and other eating-
related issues is made seemingly simple, but that man-
aging these issues alone is not easy.Resources
BOOKS
McGraw, Phillip C.The Ultimate Weight Solution: The
Seven Keys to Weight Loss Freedom.The Free Press,
2003.QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR
DOCTOR What do you know about Dr. Phil’s diet and its
success?
How can I use the strategies in the diet but
incorporate more current nutritional
information?Dr. Phil’s diet