Rating Alternative Diets for Seniors
Quick Take
- Offers a loosely knit support system of TOPS chapters
- Meetings vary from chapter to chapter throughout the country
- Provides no official diet plan
- Lets dieters develop the approach that works best for them
This Diet Is Best For
People who prefer to go solo while still having a support group to fall back on
Who Should Not Try This Diet
Dieters who know from experience that
they need more clear-cut menus and day-to-day guidance on what they
should eat and how they should change their eating behaviors
The Premise
Founded in Milwaukee more than 55
years ago, the nonprofit organization has none of the traditional diet
plan offerings: There's no official diet, no prepackaged foods, no
supplements, and no counseling.
But for $24 a year plus local chapter
dues, members can attend weekly support meetings at one of about 10,000
local TOPS chapters, where they will weigh themselves, discuss
problems, and even exchange recipes.
Chapter leaders are volunteers from the TOPS membership. In addition to
weekly support meetings, the national organization offers incentives
for weight loss.
Once you become a member, you'll
receive TOPS News, a monthly magazine that offers contests, weight-loss
incentive plans, self-help articles, and recipes. TOPS members who reach
their goal weight, which is supposed to be set with the help of a
health care professional when you join, are eligible for maintenance
membership in KOPS (Keep Off Pounds Sensibly).
Though TOPS membership is generally
comprised of older adults, kids and teens are welcome, too. TOPS now has
online help, too, at www.tops.org. The cost of joining TOPS online is
$25.50 a year, and you will also receive TOPS News.
The Rationale
For people who feel more comfortable
figuring out their own path to weight loss, TOPS offers a loose system
of support but little more. Exactly what kind of support you'll get from
your local chapter is impossible to predict, since chapters vary quite a
bit from one to another. In fact, the organization prides itself on the
individuality of its chapters.
TOPS weekly meetings always begin
with a confidential weigh-in, which is followed by a program that
sometimes includes presentations by health professionals who volunteer
their time to speak. Through group support and some weight-loss
competitions, TOPS provides incentives for weight loss. There are
national contests as well as local chapter contests. Participants
compete only within their own age category and weight class.
Eating on the TOPS Diet
Because there is no official diet
plan or even preset calorie intakes, there are no typical meals. TOPS
recommends that its members go to a health care professional for
personalized diet and physical activity plans.
In addition, the organization does
offer an optional diet planning book called The Choice Is Yours, which
contains simple guidelines for planning diets of 1,200, 1,500, and 1,800
calories a day, based on the USDA Food Guide Pyramid and the diabetic
exchange list, and it offers a sample 28-day menu and exercise guide.
What the Experts Say
Because there is no single TOPS
program or diet plan, experts say it's hard to make any kind of judgment
as to its safety or effectiveness. However, there's nothing to indicate
that the program is unsafe, and for some people, it could be helpful.
Just keep in mind that there is no counseling offered and group leaders
are untrained volunteers who are also TOPS members.
With no set TOPS diet and everyone
pretty much on their own in planning their diets, it's hard to say how
much you might lose or how quickly you can expect to lose it. Neither
the TOPS organization nor the individual chapters make any claims about
an expected rate of weight loss. The organization leaves this up to the
discretion of each dieter and his or her physician.
While this freedom may work well for
some people, it carries some risks as well. It could lead some
ill-informed dieters to unwittingly cut back too far on calories or to
follow an unbalanced diet. However, if you stick with the sample plan
provided in TOPS's The Choice Is Yours booklet, you should meet most of
your nutrient needs while lowering blood cholesterol and controlling
blood sugar.
It's still a good idea, however, to
take a calcium and vitamin D supplement, since it's tough to include
enough calcium-rich dairy foods in a 1,200- or 1,500-calorie diet.
Though physical activity is recommended and some local chapters
incorporate group walks into their weekly meetings, exercise could be
emphasized more.
Calorie quota: There is no
calorie quota provided, though the optional booklet TOPS offers gives
guidance for 1,200-, 1,500-, and 1,800-calorie-a-day diets, using
standard food exchange lists.
Yes: Attendance at meetings
No: None, since no uniform guidance is provided
Other similar diets: Overeaters Anonymous
On the next and final page of this article, read about Volumetrics for Seniors and learn how it works.
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