Kirstie Alley to Launch Weight Loss Program

Three years ago, Kirstie Alley became a spokesperson for Jenny Craig. She dropped 75 pounds in the role, and now she's dropped Jenny altogether to start up her very own weight loss program. While its launch is not anticipated until 2009, the media has already begun buzzing about this B-list star's entrepreneurial plans. And not everyone is predicting success...

Millions of viewers tuned in to Oprah's November 2006 show wherein Kirstie Alley appeared for her big bikini-clad weight loss reveal. Underwhelmingly, Kirstie was donning a pair of not-even-sort-of-discrete support hose that were pulled all the way up to her bust! Who's wearing those to the beach? Viewers were left feeling that her journey had not been as successful for her figure as the endorsement deal with Jenny was for her bank account. Why would consumers want to buy into a weight loss program created by someone who doesn't seem to be able to maintain a slender physique herself? Aren't you supposed to practice what you preach? What's next... is Michael Vick going to replace Cesar Millan as the Dog Whisperer?

How will Kirstie Alley's diet plan be different than all of the others? That remains to be seen, but in a statement made to the press, the actress/businesswoman said she wants to "create something new that will help millions of people end the seemingly never ending fatty-roller coaster ride," and that she expects it to be "the healthiest, yummiest, easiest and most effective weight-loss program on the market," according to the Associated Press. None of these statements seem revolutionary when compared to claims made by other popular plans-but if she can deliver what she describes, she is certainly in an industry that Americans open their wallets to in a major way.

While only speculative, it is fair to posit that Kirstie's plan will utilize a lifestyle approach to weight loss. Creating a "healthy lifestyle" that incorporates diet and exercise has become integral rhetoric for many popular programs, such as Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig. Weight Watchers is currently using an ad campaign that says: "Diets don't work. Weight Watchers does." Jenny Craig's slogan is "We Change Lives." The message that these programs are sending to dieters is that weight loss and weight maintenance are about changing patterns of behavior and thought.

The true test of Kirstie's success in the weight loss industry will likely hinge on her ability to maintain a healthy body weight herself. She has to ensure that the public sees her as a success story to aspire to. If the paparazzi capture her with a close lens in an unflattering position, her credibility, which is already shaky, as well as the credibility of her program, could be seriously damaged.

Associated Press. "Alley to Develop Own Weight Loss Brand."