
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, October 1, 1993                   TAG: 9310010299
SECTION: NATL/INTL                    PAGE: A-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

3 DIET COMPANIES SETTLE, 2 TO FIGHT FTC CHARGES

Weight Watchers International Inc. and Jenny Craig Inc. vowed to continue fighting Thursday as three rivals agreed to settle federal charges that the diet industry has deceived consumers about weight-loss programs.

Nutri/System Inc., Physicians Weight Loss Centers of America Inc. and Diet Center Inc., all agreed to a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, which disclosed last March that it was investigating them for false advertising and unsubstantiated weight-loss claims. None of the three admitted to any fault in their practices, though they agreed to change the way they tout their products.

Four of the programs made unsubstantiated claims that their customers permanently kept off lost pounds, the FTC alleged. The agency also charged some of the companies with deceptive pricing in their programs, which can cost consumers thousands of dollars. - Newsday

by CNB