Look Out Jenny, Here Comes Kirstie!

(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»

Yo-yo dieter Alley 'not a failure,' fellow Jenny Craig alum says

(NEWSER) - Actress Valerie Bertinelli wants to help Kirstie Alley in the battle of the bulge, she tells ABC of her fellow Jenny Craig pitchwoman, who gained back all 75 lost pounds she lost on the weight-loss system, plus 10, and set off to start her own diet plan. “Let me mentor you this time,” she pleads to Alley. “You’re not a failure.” 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»

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»

Weight Watchers, Atkins make it in top 5

(NEWSER) - If one of your New Year’s resolutions just so happened to involve dieting, you’re in luck: The Daily Beast does your homework for you, analyzing 10 major diets for overall weight loss, change in BMI, and of course, whether the weight loss actually sticks. The result? A ranking of the most effective diets:

1. Volumetrics: It focuses on foods packed with water, like soup and non-starchy vegetables to make you feel more satisfied. The 6-month mean weight loss is 19.6lbs.
2. Low-fat diet: Pretty simple, really. Stick to a diet in which up to 30% of your calories come from fat and 10% from saturated fat, and eat 1,500 calories a day (women) or 1,800 (men). The 6-month mean weight loss is 12.9lbs.