I'll Help Kirstie Lose Weight: Bertinelli

The latest weight-loss spokesman: former Spice Girl Mel B

(NEWSER) - Russell Crowe has apparently lost a lot of weight recently. To the tune of nearly 45 pounds, reports Australia's News Limited . He's doing it the old-fashioned way—weights, swimming, biking—and he's sharing the details with his nearly 300,000 Twitter followers (a lazy day for him apparently consists of a walk and 300m swim ). He's certainly not the first celeb to lose a ton of weight, but unlike Crowe, many other stars have picked up big bucks while dropping big poundage. Former Spice Girl Mel B is the latest to jump on the celebrity weight-loss spokesperson wagon; she's trying to lose her baby weight while acting as the face of Jenny Craig in Australia and New Zealand. Other paid celeb losers, courtesy of Fox News : More»

Do we really need to tune in to Alley's weight loss struggle?

(NEWSER) - Kirstie Alley’s Big Life is the actress’s second shot at losing weight on reality TV, and enough is enough. Maybe once “everyone thought it was cool that you weren't afraid to play an insecure, self-involved, overly-catered-to celebrity,” writes Mary McNamara in an open letter, but “we're in a recession now, and obesity is considered a medical epidemic”—meaning shots of Alley’s “ample rear” sitting around a “tricked-out gym” surrounded by “fluffy princess cats” are, well, tacky. More»

Alley's 'Organic Liaison' has links to church

(NEWSER) - Kirstie Alley’s new weight loss program may just be one more way for the church of Scientology to make money. An anti-Scientology campaign group first uncovered a link between the two: “Organic Liaison” combines an organic diet with “organic and natural diet supplements,” but critics believe it is based on Scientology’s “purification rundown,” a detox program. Ravi Somaiya describes the “rundown” as “at best bullshit, at worst dangerous” on Gawker . More»

(NEWSER) - Dr. Huxtable would be proud: Phylicia Rashad has shed 35 pounds since December with a little help from Jenny Craig, reports the New York Daily News. Filling the shoes of past spokeswomen Kirstie Alley and Valerie Bertinelli, Rashad decided to take action after getting winded while walking up stairs. The 61-year-old reveals her new frame in a commercial set to air Saturday—but you can check it out right now via the link below. More»

Millions drop Weight Watchers

(NEWSER) - Millions of Americans are getting fat on the economic downturn—but not in a good way. As prices for essentials like gas and food spiral, the 20% of the population on a diet are turning away from highly structured weight loss programs like Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers in search of less expensive—and likely less effective—solutions, reports Advertising Age. More»