What Participating Providers Must Tell Consumers

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What Participating Providers Must Tell Consumers
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• Program Components
• Staff Qualifications
• Risks
• Costs
• Advice on Weight Maintenance

Required Information
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Program Components

• What foods are eaten?
• How many calories?
• Are there physical activity guidelines?
• Are there any drugs, dietary supplements, or
  devices used?

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Voluntary Guidelines

• Example Disclosure "Community Hospital Obesity
  Clinic"
• Program Components
• Medically supervised weight loss program for
  severe disorders related to obesity or whose
  obesity places them at risk
• Includes optional low or very low-calorie diet
  plans, exercise, and lifestyle education
• Protein supplement diet formula used to
  substitute for regular meals and a multi-vitamin
  supplement
• Program success rates

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Staff Qualifications

• Training
• Experience
• Credentials
• Type of attention
• Frequency of attention

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Voluntary Guidelines

• Example Disclosure Staff Qualifications
• One physician board-certified in endocrinology
• Two registered nurses (RN)
• Three registered dietitians (RD)
• One masters level exercise physiologist
• One clinical psychologist (Ph.D.)
• Patients visit with the dietitians and
  exercise physiologist. Other professional staff
  are available for consultation if professional
  intervention is indicated.

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Risks

• Health risks of being overweight or obese
• Improvements from modest weight loss

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Example of Risk Disclosure

• Overweight or obese at increased risk for heart
  disease, diabetes, some forms of cancer, gall
  bladder disease, osteoarthritis and sleep apnea
• Health risks may be reduced by losing just 5 to
  10 percent of your body weight, which is 10 to 20
  pounds for a 200-pound person
•  

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Risks

• Drugs
• Devices
• Dietary supplements
• Exercise plans

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Risks

• Medical conditions/medications
• Rapid weight loss
• Very low calorie diets
• Physical changes

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Costs

• Membership fees
• Periodic attendance fees
• Food
• Meal replacements
• Dietary supplements
• Discretionary costs (i.e., medical tests)
• Optional costs (i.e., maintenance program,
  re-entry fees)

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Cost Example "BYE-BYE BMI Weight Loss Centers"

• Mandatory charges
• One-Time Entry Fee
• Weekly Meeting Attendance
• Average (approximate) cost of food per week
• Nutritional Supplements (30 day supply)
• Discretionary additional charges
• Blood tests, Physician Exam, EKG
  
• Optional additional charges (if client
  chooses)

ALL COSTS NON-REFUNDABLE
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Success Rates

• Percentage completing program
• Amount of weight lost
• Amount of weight loss maintained

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Example
Text from Web site

• Patients under Dr. Doe's weight loss treatment
  lost, on average, 17.5 pounds, and after 18
  months, they kept off 55 percent of their weight
  loss. This measurement includes all patients who
  remained in active weight loss for at least three
  weeks.

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Advice on Weight Maintenance
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Example

• Long-term weight maintenance can be enhanced by
  frequent and regular physical activity of at
  least moderate intensity and eating according to
  the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (reducing
  total calories, fat consumption, and increasing
  vegetables, fruits and whole grains).

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What if Providers Dont Give Full Disclosure?

• Contact Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
• 877-FTC-HELP
• www.ftc.gov/ftc/complaint