ISAGENIX: EXPENSIVE STARVATION

I asked my colleague, Professor of Nutrition Elaine Rush of Auckland University of Technology, to comment on the Isagenix diet that has currently raised controversy with the claim that it is "kid-approved".  She currently has students visiting from Mexico who have studied the diet and kindly suggested that, under her supervision, they could write a critique of the Isagenix diet.  The following is their article reproduced without change.

ISAGENIX: EXPENSIVE STARVATION

In the last few months Isagenix has been gaining popularity among New Zealand residents. The Isagenix products are branded as “an opportunity for health, wealth and happiness”. Its 30-day program is advertised as “the first step to managing your weight”. For those who haven’t heard about Isagenix, its program is based in two principles: shake days (meal replacements) and cleansing days, but is it really as healthy as it is branded? 

Evidence has shown that meal replacements and an individualized healthy diet can successfully achieve weight loss. Maybe Isagenix is a good idea, but let’s take a minute to look at it a little bit closer.

First of all, before a diet is started it’s important to know if it is affordable. The cost for the 30-day program is $457.75; suggested products (e+SHOT, Isadelight PLUS, and Want More Energy?) have an extra charge. If someone’s planning to follow the 30-day Isagenix Programme, they would be spending approximately $573.71. These costs don’t include lunch, making it around $600.00 for a month. Some people might not mind the cost if they’re losing weight very fast. However, what if we told you that rather than being healthy, it is more like starving yourself?

When analyzing the nutritional content of the 30-day program, we found the average energy intake for a shake day is 1300 kcal and for a cleanse day is 280 kcal. So, the rapid weight loss is attributed to the extreme calorie limitation, not to the products themselves. It is easier to quit when results are observed than to keep up with such a restrictive diet for a long period of time. This type of regimen doesn’t focus on healthy eating, leading to weight gain as soon as the diet is discontinued. Additionally, the continuing effectiveness of the programme hasn’t been studied in clinical trials.

Another important aspect about the products are their protein content; based on the Daily Recommended Intake (DRIs) for an average adult (0.8 to 1 g/kg/day), people under this plan are at risk of consuming less or more protein than needed. On the other hand, if a person is following the instructions as referred in the program, he/she would not be consuming the DRIs for various essential nutrients, such as zinc, vitamin C, vitamin A, and calcium. In the long-term, these deficiencies or excesses could develop into serious health problems. 

Cleansing days are also included on the program. For these types of diets, there is no evidence that explains its mechanism of cleansing or justifies its use. The human body has its own detoxifying system responsible for the elimination of waste products, making it unnecessary to look for other means of detoxification.

Based on the mentioned facts, it’s unbelievable that Isagenix promotes its products as a healthy way to lose weight, right? But, in addition can you imagine they promote their products as “safe for children”? If this kind of diet isn’t safe for adults, how can it be safe for children? 

Rocío Ayala Romero, María Fernanda Torres Ruíz

Students from Universidad de Sonora, México visiting Professor Elaine Rush, Auckland University of Technology.