Have you heard the news? Americans are apparently getting fatter, according to a new national report.
No wonder then, that businesses seem to be producing a flurry of products to help with weight loss. There's everything from portion-control plates and pedometers to the ever-popular BodyBugg used on "The Biggest Loser."
But do these gadgets actually work?
It depends on whom you ask, and also the product you chose to buy. If a company promises you "instant success" in just "minutes a day," keep your money in your wallet, fitness trainers say.
"If you do (weight loss) the right way, it won't happen in a day or two days or weeks," said Rob Dunfield, owner of Holladay Health & Fitness in Salt Lake City. "The biggest thing is to get started exercising and to get on a nutrition program where you can tip the scale to where you will lose weight."
In his opinion, consumers should be careful about gadgets that promote weight loss. In most cases he's seen, they end up being unused.
Instead, Dunfield believes the best way to lose weight is to "eat less and move more." But if a gadget can help you achieve the right balance between intake and output, then go for it, he said.
For Charlotte Howe of Salt Lake City, the BodyBugg has helped her achieve that balance. She purchased one about three months ago, saying she has since lost about 14 pounds.
The key: It allowed her to track her food intake and also the calories she burned daily through exercise and activities such as housecleaning, Howe said.
"This really, it has just made it all so very plain," she said. "I think the main thing about it is it takes all the mystery out of the whole calories in and calories out kind of thing."
The BodyBugg came on the market in late 2004. In 2007, it was featured on "The Biggest Loser" and has since become one of the most talked-about gadgets on the market these days.
It works by using four sensors attached to a device on your arm to track your activity levels throughout the day. The device is 90 percent accurate at tracking calories burned, which makes it the most accurate on the commercial market these days, according to Kim Slover, BodyBugg Services Manager.
In addition to calorie monitoring, the BodyBugg also comes with a Web application where you can input your daily food intake. People are also given the chance to talk with a coach to ensure they are using the device correctly, Slover said.
"This is a tool that allows customers to make choices all day long and choose how they want to move and eat without sacrificing what they love," Slover said. "That is one of its successes."
Jacob Jones with Fitness Together in Cottonwood Heights said he believes people who do anything to stay healthy are a lot better than people who do nothing. The key is accountability — and making sure you stay active, he said.
Some people swear by devices such as Wii Fit, where you can use your Nintendo to do activities such as yoga and strength training. Others love the new Nike + iPod Sport kit that monitors the distance, pace and calories burned during your runs and other workouts.
Patty Cocchiarella, the founder and creator of the Meal Measure portion-control plate, said people have even found success with her product. It's a simple device that allows you a quick look at how many vegetables, how much protein and how much starch you should eat at a meal.
People just stick the plate atop their regular plate and scoop in correct amounts of each food group. Cocchiarella said she has heard from diabetics, and even her own garbage man, that her Meal Measure device has helped with weigh loss.
"If people make up their minds and use it, then it becomes a success story," she said.
And that is the key, according to Jones, with Fitness Together. Nothing will work unless a person wants it to.
At his gym, he encourages people to keep a daily accountability journal of their food intake and exercise. Working with a trainer can also add a level of accountability to a person's workout and can also help in determining the right workout for an individual, he said.
Jones said he would encourage people to try working with a trainer for a month to get a good jump-start on their workout.
"There is really nothing, not even medicine, that can replace consistent exercise," Jones said.
E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com