Weight Watchers tells Jenny Craig to lose the lies, and courts agree

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010 When it comes to dieting we all lie just a little. But Weight Watchers is taking issue with what they call a lie in Jenny Craig's advertising. But Weight Watchers is taking issue with what they call a lie in Jenny Craig's advertising. In a television spot, lab-coated Vallerie Bertinelli tells fans that in a major clinical trial, Jenny Craig clients lost, on average, over twice as much weight as those on the "largest weight-loss program." (See the commercial ) Weight Watchers, claiming that though it wasn't named it was the obvious target, took issue, and the courts agreed, at least for now. A United States District Court granted Weight Watchers International, Inc. a temporary restraining order in its lawsuit prohibiting Jenny Craig from broadcasting, publishing or disseminating claims of superiority over the Weight Watchers program, finding that such claims are not supportable. Jenny Craig, a division of Swiss-based Nestle, hasn't come back with a comment, however the punsters on Twitter are having some fun. As @alisond, a Boston-based copywriter, tweeted, "Anyone else find it funny that Jenny Craig is owned by Nestle, a company that made bank on chocolatey goodness?" Amlawdaily explains that "in its complaint, Weight Watchers argues that Jenny Craig's claim is based on two separate trials, conducted 10 years apart, and that the conclusions do not withstand scientific scrutiny. The complaint charges Jenny Craig with false advertising, deceptive trade practices and unfair competition. Both Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig have a major presence here in San Jose, as they do everywhere across the US. Weight Watchers makes it easy on its site to find a nearby meeting, but Jenny Craig requires a lengthy form before it gives up locations. Yelp, however, is more accomodating.