Meet Our Experts

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Susan Kleiner, PhD, RD, FACN, CNS

A registered dietitian, author, and consultant, Dr. Kleiner is the owner of  HIGH PERFORMANCE NUTRITIONTM, a consulting firm specializing in media communications, industry consulting, and personal counseling, on Mercer Island, Washington. She is also an Affiliate Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical History and ethics at The University of Washington School of Medicine.

Dr. Kleiner is the author of POWER EATINGŇ, 2nd Edition ( Human Kinetics, 2001) rated as Muscle & Fitness Magazine’s #1 Diet Book of the Year (1999), and the only diet book in Shape Magazine’s “5 Great Books for Your Fitness Library” ( May 2001). She has also authored High-Performance Nutrition: The Total Eating Plan to Maximize Your Workout ( John Wiley & Sons, 1996), The POWER EATINGTM AND FITNESS LOG (Get Pumped, 1999), The Be Healthier Feel Stringer Vegetarian Cookbook (Macmillan, 1997), The High Performance Cookbook (Macmillan, 1995), and The High Performance Online Cookbook.

Dr. Kleiner's newest book published January 4, 2007 is:

THE GOOD MOOD DIET
Feel Great While You Lose Weight
By Susan Kleiner, PhD with Bob Condor

Sunday Today Show - video and article
March 25, 2007
Click the Launch button to watch video

Dr. Kleiner is the nutrition consultant to The Seattle SONICS and the Seattle SEAHAWKS. She was the nutrition expert for Encarta.com and the lead nutritionist in the development of the GymAmerica.com site. She is the media spokesperson for the BRITA Company, and she was a nutrition science expert and the media spokesperson for Royal Numico/GNC’s new research-based Pro Performance sports nutrition supplement system and Nutricia’s SCAN Diet supplement line.

A national columnist and speaker on the subject of nutrition, sports, and fitness, Dr. Kleiner is also the sports nutrition editor for the SCAN website, former nutrition editor for Athletic Therapy Today, and advisory board member for Shape, Let’s Live, and Physical magazines. Other publications include: The Physician & Sportsmedicine; Training & Conditioning; Consumer Reports on Health; Fitness Rx for Women; Fitness Rx for Men; Men’s Health; Men’s Fitness; Muscle & Fitness; Muscle & Fitness Hers; Shape; Shape Cooks; Healthline; IDEA Today; Female Bodybuilding; Bodybuilding Lifestyles; Swimming Techniques; Executive Health’s Good Health Report; chapters in medical textbooks; and professional research articles. Dr. Kleiner has twice contributed to the Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Education and Awards

Dr. Kleiner earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Hiram College (1979) a Master of  Science in Nutrition (1982) and Doctor of Philosophy in Nutrition (1987) from the Department of Nutrition at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. In 1982 she became a Registered Dietitian of the Commission on Dietetic Registration, and in 1992 she was one of the first Certified Nutrition Specialists recognized by the Certification Board for Nutrition Specialists.

A former North Carolina Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year, Dr. Kleiner also received the American Dietetic Association Outstanding Service Award in 1990. She is a fellow of American College of Nutrition, and a member of the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Dietetic Association and its Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutritionists (SCAN) Practice Group, and the National Strength and Conditioning Association.  

Dr. Kleiner maintains a website (www.powereating.com) through which she can be reached via email.

You can read about her latest book here: The Good Mood Diet            


 

Brenda L. Wolfe, PhD

Dr. Wolfe is a Clinical Psychologist in private practice, consultant, lecturer, and author, based in Albuquerque, NM.  She has a general practice in which she treats the full spectrum of emotional disorders, and in particular, specializes in obesity and eating disorders.  She is a sought-after speaker in this area.

In the past, Dr. Wolfe has served as a curriculum designer and faculty lecturer at the nationally renowned LEARN® Institute, Dallas, TX where she trained health professionals in the administration of wellness programs for obesity and stress management.  In addition, she wrote The Lifestyle Counselor’s Guide to Weight Control, which is the official textbook for the Certified Lifestyle Counselor training program.

From 1989–1994, Dr. Wolfe was the Director of Research & Client Relations at Jenny Craig International, one of the largest commercial weight loss programs in the world. There, she directed research and development for cognitive-behavioral weight management programs. She also wrote the Jenny Craig Personal Weight Management Program and Lifestyle Stabilization Program. She recruited members for the company’s Advisory Board and served as a member herself. Dr. Wolfe also co-authored Jenny Craig’s What Have You Got To Lose? A Personal Weight Management Program, published by Villard Books.

Website: http://www.brendalwolfe.com

Education

Ph.D. University of California, Santa Barbara (Psychology), 1985

M.A. University of California, Santa Barbara  (Psychology), 1982

B.A. McGill University, Montreal (Psychology), 1980

Research (partial list)

Current:

Psychosocial and physical changes following Bariatric surgery.

1996-current:

Obligatory exercise and body image.

1998-99:

Adaptation of cognitive-behavioral obesity management program for the male population.

1998-99:

Integration of body acceptance therapy with obesity management.

1989-94:

Jenny Craig Weight Loss Centers, Inc. – Conducted a large number of studies and surveys focused on identifying contributing factors to successful weight loss.

1982-1985:

Food consumption as a function of dietary restraint and perceived loss of control.

1978-1980: 

Comparison of stimulus control and cognitive behavioral treatments for weight control.

Publications (partial list)

Books:

  • Craig, J., & Wolfe, B.L.  (1992).  Jenny Craig's What Have You Got to Lose?  A Personalized Weight Management Program.  New York:  Villard Books.

  • Meyers, R.J., & Wolfe, B.L.  (2004) Get Your Loved One Sober:  Alternatives to Nagging, Pleading, and Threatening.   Center City, MN:  Hazeldon Press.

  • Wolfe, B.L.  (Editor)  (1996).  The Lifestyle Counselor's Guide for Weight Control.  Dallas:  American Health Publishing.

 Journal Articles:

  • Meyers, R.J., & Wolfe, B.L.  (1998).  Community Reinforcement and Family Training for Families of Substance Abusers:  Everybody Can Win.  The Counselor, 16(6), 24–29.

  • Smith, J.E., Wolfe, B.L., &  LaFramboise, D.  (2001).  Body image treatment for a community sample of obligatory and nonobligatory exercisers.  International Journal of Eating Disorders, 30, 375-388.

  • Wolfe, B. L.  (1992).  Long term maintenance following attainment of goal weight:  A preliminary investigation.  Addictive Behaviors, 17(5), 469–477.

  • Wolfe, B.L., & Meyers, R.J.  (1999) Cost-effective alcohol treatment:  Why not use what works!  Treatment protocol description of Community Reinforcement Approach.  Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 6(2), 105–109.

  • Wolfe, B.L., & Smith, J.E.  (2002)  Different strokes for different folks:  Why overweight men do not seek weight loss treatment.  Journal of Eating Disorders, 10, 115–124.

Current Memberships:

  • Academy of Eating Disorders Member

  • American Psychological Association

  • Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy

  • Society of Behavioral Medicine Member

 


 

John S. LaRosa, BS, MBA

Mr. LaRosa is a graduate of the State University of New York with a B.S. in Education in 1976, and earned his M.B.A. in Marketing from Hofstra University in New York in 1979. He has worked for 27 years in the fields of Marketing Management and Marketing Research, and resides in Tampa, Florida. He is President of Marketdata Enterprises, Inc., and is a consultant to small, mid-sized, and Fortune 500 companies.  

During his career, Mr. LaRosa has personally authored more than 70 major industry studies, primarily covering service and healthcare sectors. The diet market is his specialty, and Mr. LaRosa is the nation’s leading business consultant in this field. He performs frequent custom studies and consulting assignments for Fortune 1000 corporations, and writes articles for a variety of trade association publications, newsletters, magazines and journals, including The Bariatrician (the main trade journal of the American Society of Bariatric Physicians -- MDs that specialize in treating obesity). Mr. LaRosa has appeared on CNN, Nightline, ABC, CBS, FOX-TV, and other stations, and is frequently interviewed by the media.

About Marketdata

The company has published a variety of in-depth market research studies about weight loss programs (authored by Mr. LaRosa), since 1989. These include:

  • “The U.S. Weight Loss & Diet Control Market”, biennial editions published in: 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002

  • “The U.S. Weight Loss Market: A Year 2000 Status Report”

  • “The U.S. Weight Loss Market: A Year 2001 Status Report”

  • “The U.S. Weight Loss Market: A Year 2002 Status Report”

Information and Tables of Contents for these studies can be found at: www.marketdataenterprises.com

In addition, Marketdata has sponsored seminars exploring the future of the U.S. weight loss market. Mr. LaRosa periodically performs custom research projects and consulting for existing weight loss companies, pharmaceutical companies, advertising agencies, venture capitalists, and entrepreneurs involved in start-ups in the weight loss field.

Marketdata’s diet industry market research has been quoted since 1989 by... The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Newsweek, USA Today, Forbes, Fortune, Business Week, Entrepreneur, Research Alert, The Bariatrician, Nutrition Business Journal, LA Times, Boston Globe, Chicago Sun Times, as well as dozens of national trade groups, and hundreds of local newspapers nationwide.

Marketdata is the ONLY market research firm to regularly track activities in the U.S. diet/weight loss industry and ALL of its segments: commercial franchises like Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig; medical programs based in hospitals and clinics; diet drugs; diet soft drinks and dinner entrees; diet books and self-improvement cassettes; exercise videos; artificial sweeteners; diet programs offered by health clubs; meal replacement shakes like Slim-Fast; dieter demographics; franchising; "cyberdieting" (web-based diet companies/programs), and more.

Note: Marketdata’s diet industry research is NOT and has never been funded or commissioned by any weight loss company.  It is completely unbiased and independently prepared. Marketdata has no financial connections to or interest in any weight loss company.

Marketdata knows the most about this market because we were the first to analyze and define this market in 1989.  Marketdata’s research was used as background for 1990 Congressional hearings about the industry’s marketing practices, and it has been quoted extensively in all national periodicals. Mr. LaRosa speaks with journalists and writers every week of the year who seek information on weight loss trends and programs, and Marketdata has more "inside" contacts than anyone. The company is unsurpassed in its ability to obtain hard-to-find information via phone interviews, detailed research, analysis of company press releases and UFOC Franchise documents, etc. Most competitors in this market are private firms, with no annual reports, and, there is no national trade association or magazine covering the industry. In addition, only four publicly owned competitors exist within the industry -- Weight Watchers, Nutri-System, eDiets.com, and Medifast.

Following are some of the companies that have purchased Marketdata’s weight loss studies…

Abbott Laboratories, Amway, Avon Products, Bally Total Fitness, Bristol-Myers Squibb, CBS News, CIGNA Behavioral Health, Consumer’s Union, Cornell University, Dr. Pepper/Seven Up, eDiets.com, Federal Trade Commission, General Mills Corp, General Nutrition, Herbalife, Jenny Craig, J.P. Morgan, Kraft General Food, Lipton Foods, McDonald’s Corp., McKinsey and Company, McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Merck & Co., Metabolife International, Nestle, NuSkin International, Nutrisystem, Pepsi-Cola Co., Roche Diagnostics, Shaklee Corporation, Slim-Fast Foods Corp., The Boston Consulting Group, Unilever, Weight Watchers. Also, Marketdata reports are often purchased by physicians seeking more in-depth information on the current trends within the industry, for use in their private practices.

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