Losing weight has become a billion dollar business. According to a survey by Engage Mutual, the average woman will spend over £25,000 on diets during the course of her life. The average diet lasts only 19 days, showing that most diets truly do become a waste of money.
As Azmina Govindji, the spokeswoman for the British Dietetic Association said, “Quick-fix diets are alluring because they promise rapid weight loss with little effort. But it took time to put on weight and there is no easy solution to losing it.”
“Worst,” as she said, “are crash diets that offer a magic-wand approach to weight loss. They can be expensive and even dangerous if they miss out essential food groups such as protein, carbohydrates and healthy fat.”
Interestingly, dieters often think that their grocery bill will go down if they are eating less. But this isn’t always the case. Dieting actually adds £20, or almost 50#, to the average person’s shopping bill.
Here is the lineup of some of the expenses for that diet. Diet Chef costs as much as £245 a month. The LighterLife Total programme starts at £65.40 a week; and every session with an expert will cost £15.
There are a few ways, however, to find less expensive choices. You could ask your GP for a referral to a dietician, which could be free through insurance. You can also look at The British Dietetic Association Food Factsheet. And membership at Weight Watchers is also free if you get there through your GP.