Weight Loss to the Power of Celebrity

I haven’t posted a Question of the Week lately, so I thought I’d kick off this week with one. After I posted this note about Fergie yesterday, I stumbled across more news about Larry The Cable Guy losing weight with Nutrisystem. Larry The Cable Guy?! I have to honestly tell you I’m a little surprised.

While we could probably all spout off a list of celebrities who could stand to lose a few, I’m beginning to wonder about all this. I wonder about companies who pay well-known faces to promote their weight loss products or programs. I mean, does it really take a celebrity telling us that it worked for them for us to be gullible enough to buy into it?

Nutrisystem’s Men’s Program page touts a lean Dan Marino on the front page. The caption in his picture reads, “Dan Marino lost 22 pounds.” Am I crazy? Since when has Dan Marino ever been anything but fit and healthy-looking?

I’m not saying any of these programs are shams. I know Weight Watchers works. I’m sure Nutrisystem and Jenny Craig works, too. But this really has me wondering if some celebrities are selling out.

I saw Queen Latifah say one time that she [paraphrasing] loved who she was and embraced her body as-is. I respected and admired her for that. Yet, now she’s jumped on the celebrities-losing-weight-with-Big-Name-Companies, too.

I don’t knock her, or any other celebrity for getting healthy. We all need to live healthier lives. I just wonder if it’s really about getting healthy with these people, or if it’s about the all-mighty dollar.

Roundtable

• Are these celebrities selling out?
• Do you think they really want to get healthy?
• Are they just losing weight for the money?
• Does the power of celebrity entice you more to try weight loss programs or weight loss products when you otherwise wouldn’t?

Images: Newscom