obesity
But in terms of our one- and two-
week residential lifestyle change
programme, I don’t really think there’s
another facility that competes with
us directly, because our programme is
more medical and results-orientated.
The dramatic health improvements
and weight loss results achieved by our
guests are not marketing claims: they’ve
been published in more than 110 studies
in the top peer-reviewed scientifi c
journals, like New England Journal of
Medicine and Archives of Internal Medicine.
It’s these results that set us apart from
others, and are in part why we have
such devotion from our guests.
How important is the
scientifi c research to
Pritikin’s exercise programme: Designed to be simple to follow wherever people are
Pritikin’s credibility?
Vitally important. Our money doesn’t
go into marketing. If you look in all of So how does the when you cut out salt, you can lower
the magazines where you see the top programme work? your blood pressure, and when you eat
spas advertising, you won’t see us. All Put simply, people go through the a better diet and do moderate exercise,
our money goes into science, because programme and they get results. In one you can control diabetes and heart
we’re trying to change the way America recent study, for example, 74 per cent of disease. It’s that simple.
and the world looks at nutrition and all diabetics, and 44 per cent of those on
exercise so they, rather than drugs and insulin, came off and stayed off their How does your programme
surgery, become the first line of medications. In another study, 83 per cent address obesity?
defence in healthcare. of people on hypertension medication We’ve been enormously successful in
Most of the studies are done at came off those medications. These are controlling and reversing obesity because
UCLA, some at Washington University medications that doctors have told them we’ve never taken the easy way out with
in St Louis and some are going to be they’ll be on for the rest of their lives. ‘magic pill’ or ‘quick fix’ cures that are
done at the University of Miami. They’re What happens is this. You go to the really just marketing hype with no
funded by outside resources or our doctor and get diagnosed with high blood proven success. Our doctors, dieticians,
non-profi t Pritikin Research Foundation. pressure. The doctor tells you to cut exercise experts and psychologists
And when there’s an important study salt out of your diet and come back in address all facets of healthy lifestyle
we wish to do that exceeds the funding 60 days. Sixty days later, you go back and change – food choices, fitness, stress
raised, then the Pritikin Longevity you’re still hypertensive, so the doctor management, behavioural education,
Center will fund it. It’s that important. says ‘salt clearly isn’t the problem’ and cooking classes, restaurant eating,
prescribes medication instead, telling you supermarket savvy, individual weight-loss
you’ll be on it for the rest of your life. counselling, goal-setting and so on.
So what’s the magic pill we offer at So our guests not only lose weight –
Pritikin that allows these people to get studies by UCLA have shown the average
off their medication? It’s not magic: to be 11 pounds in three weeks – but
it’s a healthy diet and lifestyle and the also change their lives. They discover
education to sustain it. Doctors don’t how do-able and delicious healthy living
learn about nutrition in medical school can be, which is the key motivator for
so they don’t know to tell people, for long-term success: in two long-term
example, that stopping using salt-shakers studies, more than 85 per cent of
will only cut 11 per cent of the sodium Pritikin graduates claimed a 50 per cent
from their diet. People don’t realise the or greater adherence to the Pritikin
rest of it’s in the processed food they’re Program after fi ve years, and the majority
eating – that there’s more sodium in continued to lose weight after leaving the
cornfl akes and bread than in crisps and Center. As Tim Gannon, the founder of
pretzels. We teach them about this, so Outback Steakhouse Restaurants, says:
they know how to avoid it in everyday life. “The food at Pritikin tastes great and you
We have our daily cooking school for can follow the programme in the real
those who like to cook, we take people world – and that’s saying something for a
to the supermarket and teach them to steakhouse guy like me.”
read labels, we show them how to read Often, what’s most compelling are the
menus at their favourite restaurant. With personal stories. People like Jim Manns,
the kids, we take them to the food court who lost 145 pounds after coming to
People don’t realise there can be
at the shopping mall. We teach them to Pritikin and was able to free himself of
more sodium in bread than in crisps
make better choices – and the fact is that his 28-year dependence on insulin shots.
44 Read Health Club Management online august 2009 © cybertrek 2009
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital
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