From the Los Angeles Times

Cookie-diet cookies get a taste test

Reviewed: Dr. Siegal's Cookie Diet, Hollywood Cookie Diet, Smart For Life, Soypal Cookie Diet cookies

By Karen Ravn
January 19, 2009

Putting them to the taste test

Tempted to try a cookie diet? You have several to choose from, all designed to replace one -- or, more likely, two -- meals a day with cookies. Still, these aren't exactly cookie-cutter plans. Here are some vital statistics on each, plus comments on texture and taste from a panel of four unbiased cookie-loving consumers during an unscientific test of the cookie-eating experience. One caveat: None of our panelists was overweight and eagerly searching for a new diet to try.

 

SMART FOR LIFE

Daily plan: Instead of breakfast and lunch, eat six cookies and then have a balanced dinner. It's recommended to eat one cookie every two to three hours. With 60% of the ingredients organic, the cookies contain omega-3 fatty acids and no preservatives. A patent is pending on the company's blend of amino acids, fiber and complex sugars intended to curb hunger.

Flavors: chocolate chip, piña colada, Boca banana, Maine blueberry, cinnamon oatmeal raisin, garden pizza.

Nutrition: Per one 34-gram cookie: 105 calories, 1.5 grams of dietary fiber, 5 grams of protein and 2.5 grams of fat.

Comments: Texture: "Spongy." "More sponge-like than spongy." "Rubbery really." "Not rubbery, slightly crumbly."

Taste of nonchocolate chip cookies: "Sort of a chemical taste." "The taste isn't good, and it stays with you."

Taste of chocolate chip cookies: "This actually has real chocolate chips, or real-enough-for-me chocolate chips, and some sweet." "Pretty good."

 

DR. SIEGAL'S COOKIE DIET

Daily plan: Instead of breakfast and lunch, eat six cookies and then have a reasonable dinner. The cookies contain a secret blend of amino acids that are supposed to curb hunger.

Flavors: oatmeal raisin, chocolate, blueberry, banana and coconut.

Nutrition: Per one 24-gram cookie: 90 calories, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 5 grams of protein and 2.5 grams of fat.

Comments: Texture: "Moist and spongy." "Sort of like a scouring pad."

Taste of nonchocolate cookies: "No flavor whatsoever." "Sawdust comes to mind."

Taste of chocolate cookies: "This actually smells chocolaty." "I like this one."

HOLLYWOOD COOKIE DIET

Daily plan: Instead of breakfast and lunch, eat four cookies and then have a sensible dinner. It's recommended to space out the cookies -- breakfast, midmorning snack, lunch, mid afternoon snack. Suggestions for dinner recipes are given.

Flavors: chocolate chip, lemon, oatmeal raisin, variety pack.

Nutrition: Per one 40-gram cookie: 150 calories, 3 grams of dietary fiber, 5 grams of protein and 4.5 grams of fat.

Comments: Texture: "Chewy." "This has the texture of a Fig Newton."

Taste of chocolate chip cookies (the only ones provided for the test): "I like this best." "This could pass for a regular cookie!" "Hands down, this has the most flavor." "It's quite chocolaty. Nonetheless, it doesn't taste good."

SOYPAL COOKIE DIET

Daily plan: Replace one meal -- preferably your highest-calorie meal -- with a packet of seven cookies. Made in Japan, the cookies are hard-baked and contain no preservatives.

Flavors: original, sesame, chocolate.

Nutrition: Per one serving of seven cookies: 33 grams total: 150 calories, 6 grams of dietary fiber, 4 grams of protein and 4 grams of fat.

Texture: "Crisp." "Like a cracker."

Taste of nonchocolate cookies: "My overall impression is a total lack of flavor." "This tastes exactly like Zweiback, and I love Zweiback."

Taste of chocolate cookies: "I'm so grateful for the chocolate, albeit so faint." "This tastes like a chocolate Zweiback."

From the Los Angeles Times

The science behind those cookie diets

Research is sketchy, but protein and fiber in cookies might help curb appetites.

By Karen Ravn
January 19, 2009

Some diets just sound like they ought to work: the spinach diet, the grapefruit diet, the cabbage soup diet.

But the cookie diet? Not so much.

It would be sweet if they did, of course. Observes Judith Stern, obesity expert and professor of nutrition at UC Davis: "Wouldn't everybody like to go on a cookie diet?"

While scientific studies of cookie diets are notably lacking, research does offer limited support for some of their claims.

Proteins

Several promoters of cookie diets say their protein content helps to curb hunger, and two -- Smart for Life and Dr. Siegal's -- chalk this up, at least partly, to the particular amino acids they contain. A number of studies imply that this claim could be true. It has been shown that proteins can help suppress appetite and lead to weight loss, and that in some cases proteins can be more effective than either carbohydrates or fat in reducing the number of calories eaten at the next meal.

The exact mechanics of how proteins have these effects aren't always known. But proteins are formed by chains of amino acids, and some research suggests that certain amino acids may be involved. For instance, a 2006 study in the journal Science found that an amino acid called leucine, which is in meats, grains, nuts and cottage cheese, can have a dramatic effect in reducing appetite and consequent weight gain. Rats that received high doses of leucine ate about 83% as much food over the next day as those who didn't. And if they had fasted for 24 hours, those who received the leucine gained only a third as much weight back the next day as those who hadn't.

The leucine study is far from definitive with respect to cookie diets though. For one thing, it's not even known if leucine is contained in either Smart for Life or Dr. Siegal's cookies, because the companies do not make their amino acid formulas public. Besides, the rats had their leucine injected directly into their brains, near the hypothalamus, the center that regulates hunger and its satisfaction. They didn't just scarf it down in, say, an oatmeal-raisin confection.
Fiber

With some cookie diets, it's claimed their fiber content helps to curb hunger, and a good deal of research has shown that this is feasible. A 2001 article in the journal Nutrition Reviews summed up the results of studies to date on the effects of fiber on hunger. The authors found that when calorie consumption stays constant, eating more fiber makes people feel more satisfied after a meal and less hungry later. Also, when people can eat as much as they want, they eat 10% fewer calories and lose 4.2 pounds over about four months if they eat an extra 14 grams of fiber per day. And these effects are greater in people who are overweight than those who are not.

Still, none of these studies prove anything about cookie diets. There is no official recommended daily amount for fiber, but a number of health organizations recommend from 20 to 35 grams a day. The amount of fiber a person gets per day from cookie-diet cookies ranges from 6 grams a day to 12. Of course, cookie dieters should be eating fewer calories a day than most people, and they should be getting additional fiber in the one or two other meals they eat.

Small meals

Broad support also exists for the notion that small frequent meals can stifle hunger pangs more effectively than the standard big three. For example, two studies in 1999, one with obese men and one with non-obese men, found that such downsized dining took a large bite out of appetites. In both studies, the men were fed the same amount of food either in one big breakfast or divided into five small ones eaten at hourly intervals. Afterward, for lunch, they could have however much food they wanted. In both cases, the men who ate the big breakfast consumed 27% more calories than the men who ate the five small meals. Surprisingly, this difference was not reflected in hunger ratings.

When men ate the single big breakfast, their blood insulin levels spiked and then fell. Insulin levels rose for frequent eaters too, but not nearly so sharply, and they never dropped as low either.

One purpose insulin serves is to "open" cells and let in blood sugar to provide fuel. This lowers blood sugar levels, and that makes you hungry. But in the brain, insulin actually acts to curb appetite. Ideally, this would make you eat just the right amount, but it's easy for the balance to get out of kilter -- in the direction of eating too much. Many nutrition experts believe that the spiking and falling of insulin levels contribute to things running amok and that a steadier state of insulin levels keeps things in line.

Others believe just the opposite. They argue that frequent smaller meals lead to frequent releases of smaller amounts of insulin, and those in turn lead to frequent releases of leptin, a hormone thought to send messages to the brain that the body is full. This means the leptin is hanging around almost all the time, which might sound like a good thing, but unfortunately, the theory goes, it's not. The leptin receptors get so used to it that they no longer feel inspired to tell the brain to tell the mouth to stop eating.

That view would seem to support the rather maverick-y position Dr. Eric R. Braverman takes in his book "Younger You: Unlock the Hidden Power of Your Brain to Look and Feel 15 Years Younger." He says frequent small meals aren't all they're cracked up to be and recommends "eating large breakfasts and dinners with little else in between."

A middle course might be best, says Susan B. Roberts, a professor of nutrition at Tufts University and a leading nutrition researcher. Three meals and up to two snacks a day are a good routine for dieters, she says, and the routine part is actually important. "If you eat at regular times, your body learns not to expect food at other times," she writes in her book "The Instinct Diet."

Related research

Although there's a dearth of cookie-diet research, a 2004 study asked 108 participants to rate their hunger and stomach fullness after eating a meal-replacement bar designed for overweight people. Hunger ratings remained significantly below a previously established baseline for five hours, while fullness ratings remained significantly above the baseline.

The authors compared these results to an earlier study finding similar changes for liquid meal replacements, but only for three hours. They noted that the bar had 30 more calories than the liquid but believed that the increased hunger-suppression time was more related to the difference between solids versus liquids.

The bar in their study had 250 calories, with 4 grams of dietary fiber, 14 grams of protein and 8 grams of fat. In terms of nutrient content per calorie, cookie-diet cookies don't have an extremely different profile for the most part. But in absolute terms, the differences in nutrient content between the bar and the cookies may be significant. For instance, the cookies have just 4 or 5 grams of protein, instead of 14.

Besides, the difference in calorie content itself is major -- with the bar providing two-thirds more than even the highest-calorie cookies, Soypal and Hollywood Cookies. (For Soypal, that's for a packet of seven cookies meant to be eaten as one meal.)

So the bar had a big advantage over all the cookies to the extent that hunger satisfaction is related to calorie consumption.

And -- alas -- that's one theory no one really doubts.

From the Los Angeles Times

The cookie diet

Trade meals for cookies, and lose weight -- it's a dieter's fantasy.

The lesson here is portion control. But will results stick?

By Karen Ravn

4:38 PM PST, January 16, 2009

So you ate a few more cookies over the holidays than you should have, and now you're weighing in at a few more pounds than you'd like. What to do?

Perhaps you should eat more cookies.

Purveyors of several all-the-rage "cookie diets" say you can lose as much as 15 pounds a month on their programs, and they boast of a sizable batch of already sized-down cookie dieters -- reportedly including Jennifer Hudson, Mandy Moore, Howard Stern, Kelly Clarkson and former Madonna husband Guy Ritchie.

But before visions of sugar cookies (or rum balls, pfeffernuesse, gingerbread men . . .) start dancing in your head, be warned: On a cookie diet, you can't eat just any cookies. You have to eat special cookie-diet cookies.

These cookies have been the toast of fan magazines and TV talk shows; on Friday, the granddaddy of them all -- Dr. Siegal's Cookie Diet -- is opening its first full-fledged store in Beverly Hills.

"That's where all our customers are," says Dr. Sanford Siegal, who invented the original cookie diet more than 30 years ago. "That's why it's there, for their convenience."

The basic notion of these diets -- Smart for Life, Hollywood Cookie and Soypal, as well as Dr. Siegal's -- is to replace one or two meals a day with cookies that are much lower in calories than the meals would have been. Although the regimens vary, they are often very low-calorie diets designed to lead to rapid weight loss.

Because all the cookies are standardized in size and calorie content -- and dieters are usually told how many to eat and when -- the diets eliminate the problem of out-sized portions, generally considered a major culprit in weight gain.

James Pacella of Boston adhered to the Smart for Life diet for seven months, and the 23-year-old engineer for Procter & Gamble, lost about a third of himself -- scaling down to 225 pounds from 335.

He thought the cookie diet was as easy as pie. "It's hard to explain," he says, "because it just happened . . . I can't say enough about it. I really believe in it."

But others think the whole concept is nuttier than a fruitcake.

"It's a classic fad diet," says Judith Stern, a UC Davis nutrition professor and diet expert who co-directs the Collaborative Obesity Research Evaluation Team, an international board that reviews published obesity papers. "If it weren't serious, I would just laugh. But people spend money on these things."

Diet's origins

In 1975, Siegal was an obesity doctor in South Florida, and his goal in devising the first cookie diet was to make his patients' poundage plummet. He believed patients did best when their results were fast and obvious. "You go to the doctor's office and see the weight coming off every week," he says. "That's a tremendous motivating factor."

Siegal settled on 800 calories a day as the optimum number for weight loss. And he came up with a plan in which dieters got those 800 calories by eating his cookies for breakfast and lunch and then lean meat and vegetables for dinner.

He says it's safe, under supervision -- "I've never seen a problem with too low a calorie diet. Staying obese, that's the danger." And he says it's very effective: "No one fails on 800 calories a day, believe me."

The trick with any diet is sticking to it, and proponents say cookie diets are highly stick-to-it-able. After all, cookies are convenient, portable and, hey, they're cookies.

But the main reason people manage to stay on the diets, manufacturers believe, is because the cookies keep them from getting ravenous.

Hunger suppression is crucial, Siegal says. "Any diet will work if people can follow it, but they can't follow it if they're too hungry."

It's no problem to curb hunger by eating a lot of calories. It's a lot harder if you get only 800 calories a day (or even a few hundred more as some plans allow). Manufacturers say cookie diets pull this off by using special ingredients -- including certain amino acids and soy byproducts -- or by prescribing small, frequent meals instead of three big ones, or by doing both.

A secret blend of amino acids -- known only to him and his wife -- is supposed to do the trick in Dr. Siegal's Cookie Diet. Dr. Sasson Moulavi, founder and medical director of Smart for Life, says a patent is pending on his appetite-suppressing blend of amino acids, fiber and complex sugars. And Larry Turner, president of the Hollywood Cookie Diet, says the protein and fiber in his cookies make them so satisfying that people often don't even eat as many as the diet allows.

Taking a very different tack, Soypal Cookies -- said to be the most popular diet in their native Japan -- are designed simply and literally to fill you up. Their crucial ingredient is okara, the soy pulp left after soybeans are processed into soy milk and tofu. Dieters are instructed to drink plenty of liquids with the cookies because, according to Winnie Shepardson, customer service support representative for Soypal, "When okara absorbs water, it expands two to three times its original size."

Some of the diets also rely on the notion that it's not just what you eat, but when you eat that matters. "Primitive man used to eat small meals many times a day -- find some berries here, go on, find some more there," says Moulavi, who recommends that dieters eat one of his cookies every two to three hours. "The intestine was designed for small meals throughout the day."

Turner, of the Hollywood Cookie Diet, believes cookie dieters can learn valuable eating habits. "We're teaching people to maintain calorie balance and portion control," he says.

Pacella says that happened for him. "It empowered me to learn how to portion out my day to have smaller meals," he says. "Now I can stay on the same schedule, but instead of cookies, I make smart choices, like fruit." After dieting for seven months, starting last February, Pacella has maintained his weight loss the past four months and is still using the cookies.

The facts

Nutrition experts agree that very low-calorie cookie diets, when used as directed, can make the weight evaporate. But they say research has shown that most people won't stick with a very low-calorie diet for very long.

"People go on a rapid weight loss diet and find they get tired of it and then go back to eating the way they did before," says James Hill, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado Denver, nationally known for its research on obesity prevention and treatment. "The key . . . is finding a way to eat and exercise that you can do forever."

Hill also doubts that cookie diets give most people any useful practice in portion control. They're too low in calories, he says. That is, over the long term, it's unrealistic to expect people to control their portions that much.

"It is not a portion-control message, but rather a quick-fix message, that comes from these diets," Hill says.

And how do the cookies taste? Four unbiased (albeit nondieting) cookie-lovers performed an unscientific taste test of four brands of diet cookies: Dr. Siegal's Cookie Diet, Hollywood Cookie Diet, Smart for Life and Soypal Cookie Diet. None of the cookies won raves, but some were deemed not bad. Comments ranged from "Sawdust comes to mind" and "Sort of a chemical taste" to "Pretty good" and "This could pass for a regular cookie!" (See related online story for the complete taste test results.)

Cookie diet inventors have tried their products out in various settings -- on friends or patients, in diet clinics, etc. And they experimented till they were satisfied the cookies lived up to their claims.

But no one has conducted -- let alone published -- any randomized controlled trials to test these claims in a valid way. (See related story.) That's the kind of evidence scientists such as Hill and Stern crave -- to prove whether cookie diets really are a recipe for success or just another half-baked diet scheme.

Let's face it. You promised yourself you would be good over the holidays (so did we) and somehow, it just backfired. And now, you realize you have that wedding dress to fit into. Take it easy. Have a cookie. Or six.

The Smart For Life weight loss program is one of the most manageable and easy diets we have tried in a long time. Here's the deal. You eat six of their scientifically formulated cookies ( with organic ingredients!) as meal replacements throughout the day and hae a sensible dinner at night. You can do it yourself by ordering them online, or go to one of their weight loss centers weekly. Either way, you lose up to 3-4 pounds a week. Seriously.

Across America Teenage Boys Are Encouraged to Engage in Extreme Eating So They Can Become Giants on the Field. But This Behavior Comes at a Price—Especially When They Stop Playing
By AMY ELISA KEITH
People Magazine
November 10, 2008 Vol. 70 No. 19

Like many kids who grow up in rough urban neighborhoods, Lysander Amado spent his childhood looking for a way out. But it wasn't until age 14, when the 5'7" freshman hit 190 lbs., that he found it. Showing up for football tryouts at Somerville High School outside Boston, Amado walked into the locker room and caused a stir. "The coaches saw me," he recalls, "and said, 'Oh—you look big!'"

There was just one problem: Amado—who saw football as his ticket to a college scholarship—wasn't quite big enough. Never mind that according to the government's body-mass index (BMI) he was already overweight. Today the average NFL lineman is nearly 30 lbs. heavier than 20 years ago. And as this bigger-is-better mentality has trickled down to youth leagues, the average lineman in a top high school program now weighs in at a hefty 232 lbs.—with coaches and parents encouraging teenage boys to engage in extreme eating so they can adapt to this new body standard (see box).

Across the country, weekly "carbfests"—enormous buffet dinners piled high with seemingly unlimited quantities of fried chicken, pasta and mashed potatoes—have become commonplace for teams before game day. "If you see it, eat it," was one coach's mantra at Monrovia High outside of Los Angeles, says former player Brian Salazar, while James Pacella, who starred at Longmeadow High in Longmeadow, Mass., recalls participating in frequent burger-eating contests with his fellow linemen. "It was very animal kingdom," he says, describing the scene. "We took pride in being big guys."

Over the past year or so, however, obesity researchers and doctors have begun sounding the alarm about this practice of overfeeding high school football players. In January '07 a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that looked at more than 3,600 high school linemen found that 45 percent were overweight (only 16 percent of the national teen population is overweight). Another 9 percent had "adult severe obesity," a condition rarely seen in teens and one that places them—at the age of 18 or younger—at high risk for developing high blood pressure and diabetes.

And those risks grow even higher once these teen athletes stop playing. "It's alarming; we see these guys become sedentary after high school but still eating the same foods," says Dr. Tom Peterson, a childhood obesity expert. "And then because they're so big, it's very difficult for them to stay active." Adds Joe Vilaine, Amado's former coach at Somerville High: "Being big is encouraged, because you need that weight on the field. But we as coaches don't look at the ramifications of gaining 70 lbs. in four years on the health of a teenager."

If they did, the picture would not be a pretty one. Take Amado, who says he followed his coaches' advice that he "get bigger" by downing two steak-and-cheese sandwiches for lunch and adding a pre-practice snack of either three slices of pizza or a couple of burgers and fries. His high-calorie eating plan paid off in one respect: By the start of his senior year, Amado stood 5'11" and weighed 265 lbs.—a 75-lb. gain in only three years. "I told him, 'That's a lot of weight,'" recalls Amado's father, Greg, who works as a hospital attendant at Boston Medical Center. "He said, 'Dad, I know—but it's for football.' I didn't see it as a problem."

It quickly became one: After colleges failed to recruit Amado, he stopped playing and packed on another 20 lbs. His doctor recently told him he is at risk for diabetes. "I'm only 21," he says, "so that scares me."

Pacella, too, faced health problems from the weight he gained to play football. At Longmeadow High, "feeling that we needed to be bigger was an unspoken code," he says, and thanks in large part to those burger-eating contests, by the end of his senior year in 2003, the 6-ft. Pacella weighed in at 300 lbs.—100 lbs. heavier than when he was a freshman. "Weight never really came up," he says. "If you could move, the coaches didn't care."

But weight started to matter a lot after Pacella hung up his shoulder pads while a student at Cambridge's Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "I went from being muscular to being fat," he says. At a routine doctor's visit in November 2007, Pacella, who by then had gained another 35 lbs. from inactivity, learned that he was at risk for high blood pressure. "My doctor told me I had to lose weight," says Pacella, 23, who has since shed 110 lbs. on the Smart for Life diet plan. "I thought I was going to die by the age of 50."

Roger Shultz says that the poor eating habits he learned as a football star at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa stayed with him for so long that it's part of the reason why he ended up on the fifth season of NBC's weight-loss reality show Biggest Loser. "There aren't a lot of sports where you have to put on weight," points out Shultz, who estimates that to gain weight in high school he typically ate about 12,000 calories a day. "Not with basketball or soccer, but with football you have to."

Now a motivational speaker, Shultz, 41, is talking to the NCAA about providing information to college players about keeping the weight off when football is finished. "I was with some guys I played with, and we talked about how we'd eat snacks at 10 o'clock at night, like a large pizza," Shultz says. "You think 300 lbs. is a sign of strength—but you're just fat."

In fact, many high school coaches insist their players can be healthy even when their BMIs classify them as overweight or obese. Over at top-ranked Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, Calif., Coach Raul Lara says that his linemen "usually are already big guys. We try to train them to be quick and agile." Take his star player Tyller Robinson who at 6'4" and 305 lbs. has a BMI of 37. That puts the high school senior in the high end of the obesity range—but Lara doesn't see a problem. "He's the most athletic offensive lineman we've had in a very long time—which tells you that the kid is not fat, he's just a big kid," Lara says. "In fact, we think that he should put on more weight."

Experts like Dr. Peterson dismiss that attitude: "Putting on weight is seen as a positive," he says, "when really it's [just] fat." And with that degree of fat comes health risks ranging from sleep apnea to high cholesterol to early-onset diabetes. John "Big Boo" Eatman was already obese as a 5'5" lineman at Dorsey High School in L.A., where he tipped the scales at 300 lbs. as a senior. But in the three years since graduation, he has packed on another 75 lbs. and suffers from chronic asthma so severe that his mother wanted him to undergo gastric-bypass surgery to slim down.

Trouble is, his doctor thinks the 21-year-old is too unfit for any surgery. "To have Boo sit next to me and hear him breathing like that—it's really scary," says Eatman's mother, Terri Gaines, 43, a homemaker. Explains Dr. Kelly Laurson, the head researcher for the JAMA study on high school linemen: "At the levels of BMI we're talking about, there's an important impact on quality of life."

Amado knows that firsthand. In a desperate attempt to try and regain his health, he is, ironically, back to playing football. "The sport keeps me big," he admits, "but it also keeps me in the gym"—something he found difficult to do without game day as incentive. "I thought I would just lose the weight, but it wasn't that easy," says Amado, who's a senior at Becker College. "I tried to work out, but cutting my food was difficult."

So difficult in fact that Amado is seriously thinking about enrolling in Army boot camp, viewing it as his last best chance to shed the pounds. "If I lose the weight, I'll be a new person," says Amado, who dreams of getting down to 200 lbs. "I could start over."

Lose Weight and Save on Gas

SEPTEMBER 9, 2008,

Boca Raton, FL - Smart For Life™, the all natural weight management program, is challenging 50,000 people to use their smarts and lose 20 pounds by the end of 2008. Smart For Life is meeting this challenge “pound per mile” with an accompanying offer that could earn consumers up to $300 in free gasoline in a year. If the challenge is met, consumers will be contributing to reducing gas consumption by $500,0001 and taking one million pounds off the road.

“Our philosophy at Smart For Life is to help people lead a healthier lifestyle everyday – and that means, not only losing weight and learning to eat right, but also being considerate of the environment we live in,” stated Dr. Sasson Moulavi, Founder and Medical Director of Smart For Life™ as well as a board-certified bariatric physician.

About Smart For Life’s Challenge In order to take advantage of this opportunity, consumers simply have to sign up for Smart for Life™’s 5-week lifestyle changing program either online or in one of the participating centers. Once enrolled, consumers are eligible to participate in a gas rebate program, which offers savings on gas of up to $300 a year. The five week program (at a cost of $279) includes high-quality, all natural, 60 percent organic food.

“We’ve worked hard to ensure that all of the ingredients that make up our Smart Products are of the highest-quality and are 60 percent organic,” stated Dr. Sass. “In order to eat like this each day, consumers would be spending much more time and money to assemble the all-natural ingredients, triple filtered water and preservative free meals that we provide.”

ABOUT SMART FOR LIFE™

Smart For Lifei's a comprehensive weight management approach to health and wellness which utilizes natural, hunger-controlling foods to deliver visible results. The company was started by Sasson Moulavi, M.D., “Dr. Sass,” on the principle of improving people’s lives by providing a quick, safe, easy and affordable means of weight control. Since Smart For Life's creation in 2002, the company has grown from 2 to 48 centers in , each with a dedicated physician. Over the past 6 years, the program has helped hundreds of people lose millions of pounds - improving their health, appearance and happiness. To sign up go to www.SmartforLife.com or call 1.866.821.THIN.

Smart for Life™ Programs Further Demonstrates Commitment to High Standards

September 16, 2008 – Boca Raton, FL – The weight management program, Smart For Life™ Eat Cookies. Lose Weight. It’s that Simple™, received the highest level of kosher certification, Orthodox Union (OU) certified for its at-home Smart Products. The Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers, the medical cookies, maintain its Kosher Diary certification. The “U” enclosed in a circle printed on Smart for Life™ Eat Cookies. Lose Weight. It’s that Simple™ packaging indicates the company’s production facilities have been reviewed by a mashgiach, a supervisor from one of the oldest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the U.S., and has been deemed compliant with halacha, Jewish Law.

The combined Smart for Life™ companies sought the highest level of kosher certification to make the program accessible to people strictly following Jewish dietary laws. The United States is home to one of the largest Jewish populations in the world with a total of 5.3 million self-identifying Jewish citizens. Smart for Life™ companies’ kosher efforts illustrates its commitment to creating weight management programs that are accessible to a variety of religions and cultures, and produced with the highest standards possible.

Dr. Sasson Moulavi, Founder and Medical Director of the Smart For Life™ programs as well as a board-certified bariatric physician, commented, “The Smart for Life™ companies continue in its commitment to create the most natural weight management program. The food is all natural, 60% organic, Kosher, contains only triple filtered water and has no toxins or preservatives.”

Smart For Life™ Eat Cookies. Lose Weight. It’s that Simple™ is one of few OU Kosher certified diets available to consumers, with a higher kosher rating than both Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig. Diet plans with kosher certification ensure the highest level of quality assurance and alleviate consumer concerns around health and safety of the products. Smart For Life™ Eat Cookies. Lose Weight. It’s that Simple.™ has the highest rating among other cookie diets.

ABOUT SMART FOR LIFE™

The Smart For Life™ programs utilize a comprehensive weight management approach to health and wellness which uses natural, hunger-controlling foods to deliver visible results. The companies were started by Sasson Moulavi, M.D., “Dr. Sass,” on the principle of improving people’s lives by providing a quick, safe, easy and affordable means of weight control. Since Smart For Life™ Weight Management Centers creation in 2002, the company has grown from 2 to 46 centers in North America, each with a dedicated physician. Due to the success of the program, the company has increased its offerings to include an at-home program, Smart for Life ™ Eat Cookies. Lose Weight. It's That Simple™

July 24, 2008 – Boca Raton, FL - Smart For Life™, the all natural weight management program, announced today the opening of a new office next to the family practice office of Dr. Howard Shapiro, author and medical professional for over thirty years. The office will be located on next to Madison Avenue.

Dr. Howard Shapiro is the author of NY Times bestseller “Dr. Shapiro’s Picture Perfect Weight Loss: The Visual Program for Permanent Weight Loss” as well as “Dr. Shapiro’s Picture Perfect Weight Loss 20 Day Plan” and “Dr. Shapiro’s Picture Perfect Weight Loss Cookbook” and “Dr. Shapiro’s Picture Perfect Weight Loss Shopper’s Guide: Supermarket Choices for Permanent Weight Loss.” In 1998, he created a weight-loss program for the New York City Police Department. Following the success of the program, Dr. Shapiro was asked to develop an additional program for the New York City Fire Department in which participants lost between 22-45 pounds.

“Smart For Life is an easy and convenient way of eating the foods I recommend,” stated Dr. Shapiro. “The fact that the program is 60 percent organic is an added benefit to the weight loss results.”

Smart For Life has two programs for individuals to choose from: a Medically Supervised Program and a Home Program. Each program features the use of unique Smart Products. The hunger-controlling foods work as a natural appetite suppressant and include Smart Cookie Squares, muffins, shakes, soups and desserts. The Smart Cookie Squares, available in six flavors, are made with all natural, 60 percent organic ingredients which are scientifically formulated to be a perfect balance of fiber, protein and amino acids - absolutely no drugs or toxic preservatives are included. Eaten six times a day with a sensible dinner, participants lose approximately 10-15 pounds a month. Regardless of what program consumers choose, they receive ongoing support and information from either the center or online/phone sessions.

Dr. Sasson Moulavi, Medical Director of Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers, stated, “I have always found Dr. Shapiro’s books to be excellent and a great resource for people aiming to lose weight.”

ABOUT SMART FOR LIFE™

Smart For Life is a comprehensive weight management approach to health and wellness which utilizes natural, hunger-controlling foods to deliver visible results. The company was started by Sasson Moulavi, M.D., “Dr. Sass,” on the principle of improving people’s lives by providing a quick, safe, easy and affordable means of weight control. Since Smart For Life's creation in 2002, the company has grown from 2 to 48 centers in North America, each with a dedicated physician. Over the past 6 years, the program has helped hundreds of thousands of people lose millions of pounds - improving their health, appearance and happiness. Please visit www.smartforlife.com for more information.

BOCA RATON, FL (July 7, 2008) – In keeping with the Smart for Life commitment to the environment, all boxes and bags used throughout the company will be environmentally friendly starting this summer.

By August 1, recyclable small and large shopping bags and mini Rx bags will be available on the web cart. These will replace our current plastic bags. Made with Kraft paper with our logo in white, these shopping bags will be used and re-used by clients. Remember that they will also serve as a brand builder to get the Smart for Life name out there.

Another change you will notice is that the new product boxes are going to have the Sustained Forestry Initiative (SFI) logo and certification stamp! This symbol represents that we are buying our boxes from a source that only uses SFI certified paper when manufacturing our corrugated products. The SFI symbol is awarded to companies that meet their environmental standards: 100% replanting and managing forests in a way that ensures abundant, healthy, diverse forests in the future, long-term protection of wildlife, their habitat, and threatened and endangered species, water quality, plants and soil. Eventually, the boxes will have a logo displaying the Smart for Life, Smart for the World messaging.

As you know, people care about protecting the environment and they want the companies and brands they do business with to care also. Please join us in our commitment to the environment and doing our part for generations to come.

MAY 8, 2008 – Smart for Life™ Weight Management announced today it has entered into an exclusive strategic sponsorship with Indy Health & Fitness of Indianapolis, IN, a mobile on-site provider of health-related services to IndyCar Series events worldwide. Smart for Life will offer a wide variety of services to the participants and followers of the IndyCar Series through the 2009 season.

Contracted with the Indy Racing League, the Indianapolis-based sanctioning body for the Indycar Series and Firestone Indy Lights Series, Indy Health & Fitness is a full service unit that travels to each IndyCar Series event providing drivers and support crews with a state-of-the-art strength and conditioning facility, physical and massage therapy as well as a chiropractic office. Sasson Moulavi, Chief Medical Director of Smart for Life™, stated, “This sponsorship provides an ideal opportunity for Smart for Life™, as health and overall wellness are at the center of the program’s core philosophy. Indy drivers are fast and so is weight loss with Smart for Life™. It’s a great way for fans to get slim and healthy just like the drivers”.

IndyCar Series drivers are considered some of the leanest, fittest and best conditioned athletes in professional sports as a whole and remaining at optimum driving weight is key to their continued success, on the track and off. It goes without saying that these world-class athletes don’t trust just anybody with their equipment or with their health and Smart for Life™ has proven itself to be not only a great weight loss vehicle but an ideal way to keep the weight off. Dr. Rob Schroeder, president and founder of Indy Health and Fitness states “Smart for Life is a natural extension of the values and services that we provide to the IndyCar Series teams and drivers. We are always looking for healthy ways to stay fit and maintain peak performance for our athletes and clients.” Throughout the season, Smart for Life™ will have the opportunity to get its brand presence in front of millions of viewers, in home and at events, allowing the company introductions into markets it previously had little to no exposure to.

ABOUT SMART FOR LIFE™ – Today, Smart for Life™ is ideally positioned to become a household name – and the weight management program of choice. They have helped thousands of people to lose weight quickly, safely and affordably through the use of their proprietary all natural Smart products. Clients can choose the convenience of the online program or visit any one of our 42 locations. With today’s high-pressured, fast-paced lifestyles, the online approach is an ideal way to undertake the program. Perfect for the self-starter, one receives the resources and support of the “in-center” experience but on a timeframe that works for them. For even more personalized, one-on-one support, dieters can take advantage of our medical center program.

Strictly adhering to American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP) Guidelines, the skilled physicians and staff of each Center guide patients through the life-transforming weight loss experience quickly, safely, inexpensively – and all without hunger. Our Smart Cookies and foods are all natural and made with 60% organic ingredients and provide maximum appetite suppression. The cookies are manufactured in two locations: AIB-certified Harlan Bakeries, one of the largest privately held baked good manufacturers in the U.S. and a South Florida operation. For more information, please visit: www.SmartForLife.com.

Hungry for growth, bagel maker tiptoes into healthy food segment

Sam Stall Special to IBJ

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (MAY 5, 2008) - Since its founding 17 years ago, Indianapolis-based Harlan Bakeries LLC has built its reputation, and its fortune, on making bagels. Untold millions of bagels. The four production lines at the company's flagship Avon facility, where 600 of the firm's 1,800 employees work, churn out everything from full-sized bagels to mini-bagels to partially cooked bagels to raw bagel dough. Those legions of savory rings are used to supply grocery store chain bakeries, private-label brands (including numerous Einstein Bros. stores), and fulfill contract manufacturing arrangements for clients worldwide.

Considering the number of conventional treats Harlan turns out, it might be easy to overlook the company's newest project: producing a non-medical "diet cookie" for Boca Raton, Fla.-based Smart For Life Weight Management Centers. Yet the work could be a key step in the firm's drive to diversify out of the well-worn traditional baked goods category into the less familiar (but potentially highly profitable) "good for you" niche. "Strategically, this is a channel that we want to grow in," said Dennis Daniels, chief operating officer of Harlan Bakeries. "It's a relatively fast-growing channel. And in a grain-based business, fast growing is not something you hear very often."

Not that bagels haven't been very, very good to the company. The firm began in August 1991 as a lone retail establishment run by brothers Hugh and Doug Harlan and their father, Hal. Their timing was impeccable, because they opened their doors just as the craze for bagels took off. "In Indianapolis at the time, I used to try to explain bagels to people, and they'd say, 'Do you mean beagle?'" recalled Executive Vice President Doug H. Harlan. "We started with a focus on bagels, but we didn't call the company Harlan Bagels because we always knew we wanted to get into other products."

And so they did. Bagels were popular, but selling them retail soon became a competitive nightmare. Though the company still offers a handful of grocery store products (including Harlan Giant Gourmet Bagels), it phased out most such efforts to concentrate on the more profitable wholesale baking niche. The firm grew by baking products for a range of clients, from groceries to restaurant chains like Steak n Shake. Harlan now ranks among the largest privately held baking firms in the country. Robust profits allowed the firm to attract financing for expansion without going public-a situation that won't change anytime soon. "

At this point in time, we like having it as a private company," Doug Harlan said. "I think there are certain times when you may need that, but at this point we don't."

A series of acquisitions transformed it from a simple bagel baker (albeit a large one) into a multifaceted producer offering everything from cream pies to angel food cake. The company has production facilities scattered across the country from Hope, Ark., to Denver. Harlan declined to reveal revenue, though Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery, a trade magazine, estimates it topped $300 million last year.

"We've diversified so that we can be more stable as economic times change and different trends come and go," Harlan said. "There are lots of trends out there. Some last a long time and others go away rather quickly."

Healthy growth

Diet cookies could be their first step into the dieting and healthy eating niche-a market segment Harlan values at $60 billion a year.

"Getting a small percentage of that offers some very large potential," he said. "I think that's what we're looking at and what we're excited about."

The cookies are sold in packages of six, all of them packed in nitrogen to avoid the use of conventional preservatives. The Smart For Life company is all about avoiding preservatives. Each cookie contains 105 calories, with one package (a day's worth) designed to substitute for breakfast, lunch and snacks.

"You feel like you're eating 300 to 400 calories [per cookie]," said Smart For Life's medical director, Dr. Sasson Moulavi. "The reason we've been able to do this is because of the unique amino acid combinations we use in the cookies, which is patent-pending."

All those trace elements also make it a much bigger headache to manufacture than the typical poppy seed bagel or coconut cream pie. Which is part of the reason Harlan got the job. "It's a very complicated project," Moulavi said. "We had six or seven vendors look at it, and they had no idea even where to start. The Harlans were the only ones who actually sent one of their experts down here to spend a couple of days with us. They invested in some pretty sophisticated equipment in order to get the bakery ready to produce the product."

Harlan currently makes three of the six cookie flavors (chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and Maine blueberry) and will make all six as soon as production is up to speed. The packs, available at the Smart for Life's 42 diet centers (none of which is in Indiana) and online, cost about $8 each. "That replaces your breakfast, lunch, and snacks, so it's actually more economical than what most people spend in one day on breakfast and lunch," Moulavi maintained. "Plus, it's 60 percent organic. I don't have to tell you how expensive organic food is." Bagels are king.

It may be expensive, but it's also one of the hottest categories in baking right now-and one of the reasons Harlan is interested in exploring the niche. Not that it will dethrone the company's bagel business anytime soon. The cookies roll off the Avon assembly line to the tune of about 100,000 a day-an impressive number, until one considers that the same plant churns out about 250,000 dozen bagels a day.

"That's 3 million versus 100,000," Daniels said.

However the category, variously called the "good for you" or "healthy eating" niche, could get a lot bigger. It's been gaining traction since the carb-eschewing Atkins Diet craze fizzled, an episode bakers remember with the same horror that Londoners recall the Blitz.

"It's kind of like the Atkins Diet gave birth to the nutritional whole grains movement," said Dan Malovany, editor of Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery magazine. "I think now people are thinking, instead of taking something out of the product, maybe if they added something to it, they might get some benefits. Even if they're eating a cookie."

Perhaps not surprisingly, this isn't Harlan's first foray into the health market. During the Atkins' heyday, it rolled out a low-carb bagel, a stumble that didn't discourage the company from trying again.

"Our overall business strategy is to grow into the weight loss category and the better-for-you category," Daniels said.

While skyrocketing commodities prices have played havoc with Harlan's costs, the slowing economy hasn't affected sales for its bagel and pie lines one bit. Daniels said slowdowns never do.

"Recessions for most kinds of pantry staple companies [are] a good thing," he said. "When the dollars start tightening up, people tend to eat out less. People tend to spend less money on the higher ticket items, like a new LCD TV. But they will still spend money on groceries." That includes healthful foods-as long as they don't taste that way. "The worst thing we can say at our office about a new product is, 'Wow, this tastes healthy,'" Malovany said. "It shouldn't. It should taste delicious and have some health benefits."

NEW YORK, NY (April 21, 2008) – Madonna was recently interviewed by Johnjay, KISS-FM 104.7 Arizona radio personality, and mentioned that her husband, writer/director Guy Ritchie, had been on a cookie diet. Although the Today Show and other media are reporting Ritchie was on a cookie diet, Madonna never specified the diet her husband was actually using.

But are these diets just fads or is there medical benefit? Johnjay, who was on the Smart for Life cookie diet program and lost over 85 pounds, swears by Smart for Life’s cookie diet program (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApZVbxNiDmI). He was attracted to the Smart for Life cookie diet program because the cookies are 60 percent organic and contain all-natural ingredients, setting these meal replacements apart from other cookie weight loss products in the marketplace today.

“Smart for Life is a medically-supervised program, for real, that makes all the difference,” says Johnjay. “You take off weight; you learn healthy eating habits.”

More and more, stars have admitted to using cookie diets. Counting Crows lead singer Adam Duritz recently announced on the “Howard Stern Show” that Smart for Life’s cookie diet, a doctor-monitored diet regimen helped him shed sixty pounds.

Unlike other fad diets, Smart for Life’s cookies do not contain preservatives and instead consist of organic fruits, vegetables and dairy products. The Smart for Life Cookie Diet (www.TheCookieDiet.com) has two programs to fit clients’ needs for safe and effective weight loss: A 1200 calorie per day Self-Help program supported by the 42 Smart for Life Centers nationwide; and the 800-calorie per day Medically Supervised program that is strictly dispensed by these 42 Smart for Life Centers.

“The real problem is that dieters hear ‘cookie diet’ and think that they’re all the same,” says Smart for Life founder Dr. Sass (Dr. Sasson Moulavi, M.D.). “People using Smart for Life’s cookie diet (www.TheCookieDiet.com) are legitimately trying to lose weight; they aren’t just jumping on the bandwagon. This is a proven system. And in my opinion, our cookies are delicious!”

About Smart for Life™

With 42 clinics in North America, each with a physician dedicated to patients, Smart for Life™ is poised to become a household name. The Smart for Life™ program uses the American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP) Guidelines. The ASBP is a 50-year old organization teaching physicians the fundamentals of weight loss.

The dedicated physicians and staff in each Center will guide you through our life-transforming experience quickly, safely, easily and inexpensively – all without hunger. You receive one-on-one physician support throughout your weight loss program, utilizing our proven and highly successful, natural, hunger-controlling foods. These include the Smart Cookie squares, muffins, soups, shakes and desserts. The cookies are manufactured in two locations that are both AIB certified: Harlan Bakeries, one of the largest privately held baked good manufacturers in the U.S. and a small South Florida operation. We are not just a do-it-yourself diet with a gimmick, but rather, a national chain of serious, professional, medically supervised Weight Loss Centers. For more information, please visit: www.TheCookieDiet.com or www.SmartForLife.com

It’s not just about one day, it’s how you make a difference every day! In celebration of Earth Day, let me share some of the environmental choices Smart for Life is proud to make on a daily basis.

Plastic wraps and bottles, like all forms of plastic, create significant environmental and economic burdens. They consume growing amounts of energy and other natural resources thereby destroying the environment. Plastic products create litter, hurt marine life, and threaten life on Earth. We are producing over 25 million tons of plastics per year; a trivial fraction of which is recycled.

Plastic packaging does not decompose, straining landfills. When burned, it emits harmful chemicals. In October, became the first jurisdiction to ban use of foam packaging by fast-food restaurants. We need more of this legislature passed.

Many weight loss companies use large amounts of plastics to wrap and ship their products. At Smart for Life, our goal is to reduce this waste. When you use our Smart Products, you will use up to 50 times less plastic then if you ate Nutrisystem or Jenny Craig foods. Your cookies are packed for one day and wrapped in one light re-sealable pack. Our wrapping per Smart Cookie meal is about 2 gm. Many other companies wrap per meal and exceed 50 gm. Quite a difference!

We all know that drinking water has many health and weight loss benefits. But instead of drinking from plastic bottles, drink your water from a glass or reusable container. If you choose to use a plastic bottle, use it multiple times by filling with filtered tap water. Always drink at least 64 ounces of water with your Smart Cookies for optimal weight loss.

At Smart for Life Weight Management Centers, you’ll become thin and healthy. Plus, you’ll help to save our Earth.

Get Cookie Thin, and Recycle!

Dr. Sass

AVON, IN (March 6, 2008) — Harlan Bakeries, one of the largest privately held baked goods manufacturers in the U.S., announced today that it has been selected to manufacture the new non-medical cookie line recently introduced by Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers. Smart for Life offers a weight loss program based on all-natural meal-replacing cookies that are specially formulated to suppress hunger.

Harlan will produce three flavors of the new Smart for Life Diet Cookies. Manufacturing will take place at Harlan’s Georgetown Road production facility in Indianapolis.

The all-natural 60% organic cookies, available in Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin and Maine Blueberry flavors, contain a blend of protein, fiber and amino acids that help naturally suppress a consumer’s appetite. Each six-cookie package provides a one-day supply intended to replace and eliminate the need for breakfast, lunch and snacks with just 105 calories per cookie.

“Smart for Life has developed an innovative product that will have broad appeal to the millions of consumers who need to lose weight. They expect strong demand for the product, and so do we,” said Doug H. Harlan, Executive Vice President, Harlan Bakeries. “This agreement is a validation of our capabilities, an important expansion of our contract business, and a diversification into the weight loss space with strong potential for growth.”

About Harlan Bakeries

Harlan Bakeries, LLC, founded in 1991, is an international wholesale supplier and distributor of products for in-store bakeries and private label baked goods, and manufacturer of Harlan Bigger Better Bagelsâ and Harlan Giant Gourmet Bagelsâ brands. Harlan supplies customers with bagels, pies (meringue, crème, fruit and specialty), cakes, cookies, muffins, granola and breads. In addition, Harlan is a contract manufacturer for some of the most well-known and trusted names in the baking and food service industries. Harlan operates seven facilities comprising more than 1,000,000 square feet of production, warehousing and distribution space, including its production facility and corporate office in Avon, Ind. Other production facilities are located in Indianapolis, Ind.; Effingham, Ill.; Denver, Colo.; Hope, Ark.; Wichita, Kan.; and Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada.

BOCA RATON, FL – (February, 2008) – Smart for For Life™, the Weight Management Centers, today announced it has hired SS|PR, a top 20 U.S. independent public relations firm, to handle its system wide media relations. SS|PR, with offices in seven cities, will generate coverage for the fast-growing company at both the national and local levels.

Founded in 1978 and based in Chicago, SS|PR has served hundreds of clients over its history. The company’s uniquely targeted approach, combined with its extensive media relationships, has made it successful at creating high-level exposure in broadcast, print, and online outlets. In addition to its franchise industry clients, SS|PR specializes in PR for the high-tech, consumer goods, food, financial and healthcare firms industries.

“SS|PR is a seasoned and savvy PR firm with proven success in our field. It also became clear to us, as we reviewed different PR firms, that SS|PR could clearly communicate the goals and direction which make Smart For Life™ totally unique,” said Dr. Sasson Moulavi, spokesperson for Smart for Life. “Working closely with SS|PR, we intend to aggressively broaden the awareness of our Medical and Non-Medical weight loss programs.

“Smart for Life™ is an ideal brand from a PR perspective—it’s unique, healthy, and is based on an all natural meal replacement.” said Steve Simon, CEO.

“ About Smart for Life™

Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers, offer a Medical and Non-Medical weight loss programs based on all-natural meal-replacing replacement cookies that are specially formulated to suppress hunger naturally. These programs are based on eating six Smart Cookies a day plus a low fat, high protein dinner like chicken and vegetables. For more information, please visit www.smartforlife.com.

Boca Raton, FL, January 30, 2007 - Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers warns parents against giving high-sugar energy drinks to children as these supercharged drinks are adding extra pounds to the continually growing obesity rate among children and adolescents in the United States.

Dr. Sasson Moulavi, Chief Medical Director of the Boca Raton based weight loss company explains, the number of overweight children coming to our centers continue to grow. When I review the child's current diet, I am finding an alarming trend - energy drinks. Not only are these drinks loaded with extra caffeine, which is not healthy for children, but also packed with empty calories.

With more than 500 different drinks on the market, the 3.4 billion dollar energy drink industry is willing and able to target young people with a barrage of marketing messages which includes using these drinks as a weight loss tool. This message can be misleading as just two cans can contain as much as 14 teaspoons of sugar.

In addition to gaining excess pounds, continual use of these drinks can lead to other health issues such as diabetes. Dr. Moulavi warns that parents, teachers and public officials should be aware of this growing, and very dangerous trend among our young people. Many current and future health related issues can be avoided if we teach our children to make healthy choices now, such as reaching for bottled water.

Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers specialize in medically supervised weight loss programs and has 32 locations throughout the United States and Canada. The Smart for Life™ Weight Management program helps clients make positive changes in their lives by helping them reach and maintain their weight loss goals.

BOCA RATON, FL (July 30, 2007) – After 8 years of heart-wrenching attempts, Laurie and Steve Brasner are now expecting their first child due to Smart for Life™ Weight Management Center’s thorough exam and treatment by its on-staff physician.

In October 2006, the Brasners received a wake-up call as they watched Laurie’s brother being rushed into surgery for a triple coronary bypass operation. Only 39 years old, her brother was mildly overweight with no signs of heart disease. While visiting the hospital, Steve thought, “We must do something about our weight; we love life and family too much to jeopardize our health.” With approximately 200 pounds to lose between them, Steve and Laurie realized that to get to their optimal health and weight, Smart for Life™ in was their best option.

The couple felt confident and comfortable on the program under Dr. Naveed Shafi’s supervision. On their first visit to the center, Laurie and Steve received a complete medical evaluation including a physical exam, EKG, body mass composition analysis, and comprehensive lab work to assess metabolic and health status.

“We always perform a complete and thorough exam to ensure the safety of our patients and to assess any metabolic factors that may affect the weight loss process. If present, we treat the metabolic abnormalities as the patient loses weight to maximize the effectiveness of the diet. Our evaluation includes assessment of cholesterol, triglycerides, thyroid function, electrolytes, liver enzymes, and kidney functions,” said Dr. Shafi.

And that was the case for Laurie who had an undiagnosed thyroid condition affecting her health. For years, Steve and Laurie tried and were unable to conceive a baby. It is well known in medicine that obesity alone or in combination with thyroid abnormalities can affect fertility. “By identifying and correcting Mrs. Brasner’s thyroid condition, her weight loss efforts became much more effective, and most likely the combination of the two contributed significantly to their successful pregnancy,” said Dr. Shafi.

Starting the program the next day, the Brasners were amazed at how easy it was to follow, and were impressed by the constant attention from the Center staff.

“I liked the way the diet gave me a structured, manageable routine to follow that worked well with my personal and hectic business schedule. I had no problem dining out and loved the way I could take my Smart for Life™ Cookies with me everywhere without worrying about finding a refrigerator or microwave,” raves Steve.

The revolutionary Smart for Life™ Weight Management Program is a science-based program for safe, rapid weight loss. The delicious, proprietary cookies suppress hunger without drugs, and are baked with natural, organic ingredients. The one-on-one physician supervised weight-loss program empowers clients with the knowledge, guidance, and motivation they need to lose weight. The experienced staff monitors and encourages the client’s progress until the goal weight is achieved, and then follows the client on a long term maintenance plan. Smart for Life™ physicians address metabolic and health-related problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and under-active thyroid. The combination of smart foods and professional supervision enables the Smart for Life™ client to safely and quickly lose 12 to 15 pounds every month.*

Steve’s confidence grew over the months as he shocked friends and family with his own dramatic transformation. According to Mr. Brasner, Smart for Life™ has really changed his life. “I am now active and healthy; two words that could never describe me just 6 months ago. I’m in the life insurance business, and am embarrassed to say, I could not qualify for life insurance last year. Today, I am considered a preferred risk.”

Laurie adds, “Once my thyroid condition was treated at the Smart for Life™ Center, I was able to lose 70 pounds and qualify for In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatments. Now we are expecting our first child in January. Thank you Smart for Life™ for changing our lives.”

About Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers: Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers, with corporate headquarters in Boca Raton, Florida, is an international company with 36 locations in and an additional 15 slated to open in 2007. The company has helped hundreds of thousands of people make positive changes in their lives by helping them reach and maintain their weight loss goals.

* Results may vary.

MARPLE — Jack Lawler of Drexel Hill was used to being the heavy guy. As a fourth grader, he played on the football team filled with eighth graders because of his size. At 220 pounds, he learned to live with pained knees, borderline blood pressure and the inability to run. Then, he started to eat cookies. Lots of them. And, he shaved more than 60 pounds, having gone past his original goal. “I know,” he said. “It’s hard to believe".

But, his snack of choice isn’t any old cookie. It’s the treat being offered by the Smart for Life™ Weight Management Center, which just opened its first Delaware County location at 1974 Sproul Road.

“It’s basically a blend of amino acids, protein and fiber,” Dr. Allan Magaziner, the Cherry Hill, N.J., doctor and Philadelphia-area franchise owner, said about the cookie. He added the 2½-inch square treat is made of organic ingredients with no added sugar and no chemicals.


He was drawn to the program after seeing a friend lose a significant amount on it. Then, based in Florida, he flew down to see how it worked.

There, he was inspired to open his first office in Cherry Hill two and a half years ago. Magaziner described what he liked about it: “safe, effective, healthy, changing behavior, medically supervised, moderately priced, with a track record.”

Clients come to the center and are administered a physical exam by a doctor, an EKG and a body composition analysis. Vitamins and medications are administered, if needed.

Then, clients meet weekly with a nurse and meet with a support group once a month, although there are also long distance programs. They can also meet with a doctor as often as they like. The initial cost of the program is $250 and there is a $100 monthly fee. The cookies cost $6 per day. The medical support is integral to the program’s success. “There’s a lot more to it,” Magaziner said. “It’s not just about the cookie.” He said the cookie does help to curb the appetite, but clients are encouraged to learn the difference between hunger and feeling stuffed. Lawler said his favorite is the chocolate flavored one, although there’s also “Maine Blueberry,” “Boca Banana” and “Garden Pizza.”

His inspiration came a year ago after he injured his arm and he found himself at a rehabilitation center. There, he saw himself in the mirror. “I’m looking around saying, ‘That can’t be me,’” Lawler said. After hearing about the diet on the radio, he thought he’d give it a try, planning to lose 40 pounds. He started his program Nov. 1 and by last Thursday, had lost 64 pounds, reaching his maintenance phase.

Lawler admitted there were challenging times, as when co-workers would offer him a slice of pizza or when ice cream beckoned. “Inside, you’re dying for a piece of pizza,” he said, adding, “When you see results, it’s easier to say, ‘Thank you very much, but I’ll pass.’”

Besides buying more clothes, he finds he’s more energetic and he’s more attentive to his work and his family, having abandoned the couch crashing.

“You feel better about yourself,” he said. “Other than getting married and having my kids, it’s probably the best thing I ever did.” Magaziner said he plans to add another seven stores in the Delaware Valley over the next 18 months. “My goal, number one, is to cut down on some of the illnesses that we’re seeing,” he said, adding that he wants to get people to feel optimally healthy as well.

The Smart for Life™ Weight Management Center at 1974 Sproul Road in Broomall, across from the Lawrence Park Shopping Center, is open Monday and Thursday from 8 a.m.-7 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday from 8 a.m.-4 p.m., and Friday from 8 a.m.-noon. The phone number is (610) 359-0333. Cookies can only be purchased by program participants.

Boca Raton, FL - Innovation pays off! In its May special edition devoted to Innovation, Baking & Snack Magazine, the premier trade publication in the Baking industry named Smart For Life™ Weight Management and its supplier, Doctors Nutrition™ as innovators in both product development and packaging in the weight loss industry.

“In the crowded, competitive, weight loss industry, you have to be creative and use continual innovation to separate yourself from the competition” said Dr. Sasson Moulavi, CMO of Smart For Life™ Weight Management Centers.

One “giant step” taken by Smart for Life™ was to create broadly flavored appetite suppressing cookies using natural and organic ingredients. As an integral component in their weight management system, the company worked diligently to create healthy and socially-conscious products using all natural ingredients and no additives.

Next, in order to provide their clients a convenient way to carry the 6 cookies that must be eaten during the day as part of Smart For Life™ Weight Managements Centers' program, the company went to a new, convenient, re-sealable package unique in the U.S.

“The packaging machine, equipment and film used by our bakery operation is the first of its kind in the U.S.” said Antony Ciotti, Plant Manager for Doctors Nutrition. “There may be less costly ways of packaging our cookies; however, none that offers the notoriety and edge over our competition that will keep us in an industry leadership role”.

The article goes on to further discuss Smart For Life™ Weight Management’s explosive growth in franchises across the U.S., adding…”If you haven’t heard of Smart For Life™ Weight Management Centers yet...you will soon.”

Smart For Life™ Weight Management Centers now has 37 locations open in upscale communities across the U.S. and Canada, with many more under contract.

Dr. Sasson Moulavi, Medical Director of Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers and member of the American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP) is extremely alarmed at the increasing number of low and very low calorie diets offered to the public without doctor supervision.

Early use of very low calorie diets with poor quality protein and little or no physician supervision resulted in about 60 deaths* attributed to unsupervised weight loss programs. A very low calorie diet is generally less then 800 calories a day. Before anyone should engage in this type of diet program, they should have complete blood testing, a medical examination, and regular follow-up visits, preferably weekly.

The public needs to protect themselves, as they are being preyed upon because they are desperate to lose weight fast. “What we’re seeing now are low calorie diet programs and products being offered on the internet and in retail stores offering dangerous diets. Also, certain weight loss chains market themselves as doctor supervised, but the clients never see a doctor,” says Dr. Moulavi.

With rapid weight loss you must have medical supervision by a physician or you can deplete vital body electrolytes and develop problems with the heart. You do not know who is a good candidate for this type of program until they are tested. For example, if you purchase a diet program or product on the internet and your body potassium is already low, you will not be aware of this deficiency and by beginning the diet without the proper supervision; you can lower this essential electrolyte even more, and cause severe health problems.

Low calorie diets under the proper medical supervision are effective, safe and give fast results. With medical supervision a person can safely lose 5 pounds the first week and about 2.5 pound every week after. This amounts to approximately 12 to 15 pounds a month. These results keep people motivated and on-track towards goal.

“We have had great success with our Smart for Life™ Weight Management Center Program and our clients do very well. A typical client has a medical examination by one of our staff physicians, a diet history is taken, EKG and BMI performed, complete blood profile, and weekly one-on-one counseling sessions. We also teach our clients that to maintain their weight loss will be a continuing life-long project,” says Dr Moulavi.

The task begins with the unique, scientifically, doctor-formulated cookies that people eat during the day on the Smart for Life™ program. These cookies contain natural and organic ingredients and teach clients to consume smaller meals more frequently during the day. This behavior modification technique has been found by experts to help people attain their proper goal weight and help maintain that weight for long periods of time. Even after people are taught healthy eating habits and how to maintain their weight, we ask them to come back to visit us one month a year, once they reach their goal weight.

“A 1999 study from the University of Florida, on ‘the effects of exercise-focused versus weight-focused maintenance programs on the management of obesity’ found that; during the year following initial weight-loss treatment, participants in the weight-focused only program demonstrated significantly greater reduction in fat consumption and significantly better maintenance of weight losses than subjects in the exercise-focused program.”

Moulavi urges all persons who want to lose weight and need the motivation and fast results provided by lower calorie diets, to do so, only under competent medical supervision. “Would anyone who is going to lose 40 to 50 pounds over a three-to-four month period feel comfortable about doing so without having the proper follow-up by a doctor? Would anyone undergo weight loss surgery without using a doctor. Why would anyone consider undergoing a program that yields weight loss results comparable to a surgical procedure, do so, without the proper medical supervision?” asks Dr Moulavi.

* Reference: PMID:1784876 [PubMed-indexed for MEDLINE] Human Performance Laboratory, University of Nebraska, Kearney, NB

Boca Raton, Florida - Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers with 34 locations throughout the U.S. and Canada has received the prestigious Consumers’ Choice Award for outstanding achievements and standards of excellence in consumer satisfaction.

The winner of the Consumers’ Choice Award is unique in North America, as the winners are determined by consumers and not by a panel of judges. It covers a broad range of categories of interest to the public and to the business community. The purpose of the award is to publicly identify those establishments which have been voted by consumers as being their choice for excellence.

The award considers the elements of quality, service, value and appearance. For recipients the award not only constitutes the crowning achievement of their efforts, but more importantly, it also represents the most valuable reward of all, the knowledge that they have earned the trust and loyalty of consumers.

The popular Smart for Life™ Program, that includes medical supervision, and one-on-one counseling, also features their proprietary cookie, which contains both all natural and organic ingredients, and keeps the client hunger-free and satisfied all day. Also, the cookie helps clients develop smarter eating habits by teaching them to eat smaller meals more frequently during the day. Along with eating their 6 cookies, and drinking 8 glasses of non-caloric beverages during the day, the client will have a substantial, healthy, high protein, low-fat dinner in the evening. This combination of foods and professional supervision enables the Smart for Life™ client to safely and quickly lose 12 to 15 pounds every month.

“In business, there is no greater compliment than earning the trust and loyalty of your clients and the respect and admiration of your peers. I congratulate everyone for receiving the prestigious Consumers’ Choice Award” said The Rt. Honorable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, at the Toronto Gala 2006.

This year's gala awards presentation event will take place on Monday, April 30, 2007 at the Cabaret of the Montreal Casino in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Joan Hamburg of WOR Radio and Gail Wiley area director of the Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers at the annual WOR Radio “Bridal Show with Joan Hamburg” on March 3, 2007.

The event which hosted more than 600 attendees showcased everything needed to enjoy a perfect wedding. Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers had their booth visited by hundreds of prospective brides looking to shed those extra pounds before their “Big Day”.

Gail Wiley offered advice on losing those extra pounds by starting the Smart for Life™ Program and losing their weight using the quick, safe doctor-supervised program.

Attendees were invited to the Smart for Life™ Center to sample the cookies and receive a free consultation.

Attendees also had the opportunity to meet Greg Bilotta and Odaliz Rivera of the WOR staff. Greg has already lost 30 pounds and Odaliz 15 pounds on the program.

The Smart for Life™ Program has been designed by Bariatric Physicians to help individuals lose 12 to 15 pounds per month quickly and safely, under physician supervision.

Smart for Life™ has three centers in Manhattan, Scarsdale and Westbury. For more information call 866. 821. THIN or www.SmartForLife.com

For More Than Four Years The Team Of Dr. Sasson Moulavi and wife Renata has helped thousands of clients lose millions of pounds. Their Smart for Life™ Weight Management Center on Glades Road has attracted all types of clients throughout South Florida.

Renata Moulavi, who supervises the Boca center says, “Some of our clients are looking to lose just ten to fifteen pounds and some want to lose as much as fifty or more pounds, we help them lose the weight with our program. The diet is very simple – six cookies throughout the day, eight glasses of water or other no calorie drinks and a low fat protein dinner consisting of six ounces of fish, chicken, turkey or shellfish and two vegetables. With this program they can lose as much as twelve to fifteen pounds a month.”

The cookies, which come in five flavors, are exclusively available at Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers. The cookies are full of nutrients, amino acids, and fiber which suppress hunger while still supplying the body with the protein it needs. They are also all-natural, with organic ingredients and have no chemical appetite suppressants or artificial sweeteners. Clients praise the diet for its excellent hunger control and rapid weight loss. “I lost one hundred twenty-five pounds so far, with another twenty-five to my goal weight. The doctors and staff at the center are caring, friendly, encouraging and I refer my clients to them all the time,” says Ralph Ruggiero, Delray Beach Moda Salon III.

According to Dr. Moulavi, “We medically supervise patients throughout the weight loss process and work closely with their primary care physician which helps them make positive changes in their lives by helping them reach and maintain their weight loss goals. We also address issues such as high blood pressure and diabetes – hopefully decreasing, and in some cases eliminating, their need for prescription medications as they lose weight.”

“Renata is great with the clients, she treats them like family. She always makes them feel comfortable even if they aren’t losing the weight they want. The whole staff works hard to help our clients stay dedicated and keep on track to their target goal weight. We know our clients are concerned about their weight and we take this very seriously,” said Dr Moulavi.

Dr. Sasson Moulavi is also Chief Medical Officer of U.S. Medical Care Holdings, the emerging growth weight management chain doing business as Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers, with corporate headquarters in Boca Raton and 32 locations throughout the United States and Canada with another 40 either under construction or contracted for.

Visit the Smart for Life Weight Management Center at 190 Glades Rd., or call 561-338-3999.

Buzz Park of CBS Radio-KFWB News 980 and Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers, team up to create a “BUZZ” In LA.

Los Angeles, CA, March 23, 2007 – Brian “Buzz” Park, Account Executive with KFWB Radio, has created a lot of excitement by losing weight and letting all of LA know about it with commercials on the radio. He is spilling his guts everyday with live commercials and a web BLOG on www.kfwb.com.

Buzz Park, as he is known, has struggled to lose weight since his days as a Navy Pilot. “I flew Seahawk helicopters for seven years with two deployments in the Persian Gulf. I have always had to struggle with my weight, coming from a family of overweight people. The disciplines and regimented schedule as a Naval Aviator kept me in shape. However, with my hectic career and my family with three active kids, I was not able to workout as much, and my weight has crept up to an unhealthy 300 pounds,” Buzz confides.

Buzz tried several popular diets, and had been on a nationally advertised diet for about three months prior to discovering the Smart for Life™ Weight Management program. “I lost some weight on those diets, but got tired of all the food preparation and “TV Dinner” quality of the entrees. None of the other programs could offer me the quick results I was looking for, nor did they prepare me for the proper eating habits, that were the real root of my problems,” said Buzz. Discouraged with the other weight loss options, he almost gave up and resolved himself to always being overweight.

Although, initially skeptical that you could lose weight eating cookies, the Smart for Life™ Program soon turned Buzz into a believer. “I like the fact that the program is medically supervised and offers a thorough physical examination by a physician, with a metabolism profile, and one-on-one counselor supervision,” said Buzz.

Eating the six Smart Cookies™ each day, that are made from natural, organic ingredients and a low fat, high protein dinner in the evening kept Buzz hunger-free, and helped convince him to stick to the program. During his first 3 weeks on the Smart for Life™ Weight Management Program, Buzz lost as much weight as he had reached on his previous diet. Since being on Smart for Life™, Buzz has lost over 33 pounds in 6 weeks, and is well on his way of reaching his goal weight of 220 lbs.

Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers battles the health problems and associated costs that come with obesity.

Boca Raton, FL (PRWeb) March 13, 2006 -- Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers has the answer to win the war on health problems and expense associated with obesity.

“Obesity has become a crucial health and economic problem for our nation. Medical costs alone reflect the significance of the challenge,” said Dr. Sasson Moulavi, Chief Medical Officer of OS Medical Care Holdings, the emerging growth weight management chain doing business as Smart For Life™ Weight Management Centers.

Obesity and its associated health problems have substantial economic consequences for the U.S. health care system. In 2007, it is projected to cost individuals and the government an additional whopping $140 billion. According to a Surgeon General report, most of these costs are due to Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and hypertension.

“Being overweight can be dangerous to your wealth,” said Jay L. Zagorsky, an economist at Ohio State University who has looked at the relationship between various economic and sociological factors and a measure of obesity called the body mass index.

In a report published in the New York Times, in Florida alone, an additional $4 billion is spent on Medicare and Medicade only. These costs are ultimately paid for by the consumer in the form of taxes and higher insurance premiums.

And there are still other ‘invisible’ costs. The airline industry has been hit hard in recent years by the additional weight its passengers are carrying. The industry has had to revise their approach to policies such as baggage weight limits to account for the rising adiposity of their customers.

The airline industry had to purchase an additional 350 million gallons of jet fuel in 2005, which resulted in an additional $275 million in expenses due solely to the increased weight of passengers. Thus, the increase may not concern the individual with their own overeating; however, with the increase in airline ticket prices they may be affected as a consumer.

Moulavi’s recommendation? The Smart For Life™ program, the popular diet of the national weight management chain. Smart for Life’s system, which offers a medically supervised program with on-staff physicians, require clients to eat cookies all day long. When clients follow the program, they lose an average of 12 to 15 pounds per month. The secret is a specially formulated protein-rich cookie and a doctor’s supervision.

The cookies are full of nutrients, amino acids, and fiber which suppress hunger while still supplying the body with the protein it needs. They are also all-natural and have no chemical appetite suppressants or artificial sweeteners. Patients praise the diet for its excellent hunger control and rapid weight loss.

Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers, with corporate headquarters in Boca Raton, FL, has 32 locations throughout the United States and Canada with another 40 either under construction or contracted for.

So, Smart for Life asks what people want: another couple jelly donuts or a cheaper airline ticket to Europe this summer?

Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers Educate Against Childhood Obesity

Boca Raton, FL. November 30, 2006 -- Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers warns parents against giving high-sugar energy drinks to children as these supercharged drinks are adding extra pounds to the continually growing obesity rate among children and adolescents in the United States.

Dr. Sasson Moulavi, Chief Medical Director of the Boca Raton based weight loss company explains, “The number of overweight children coming to our centers continue to grow. When I review the child’s current diet, I am finding an alarming trend – energy drinks. Not only are these drinks loaded with extra caffeine, which is not healthy for children, but also packed with empty calories.” With more than 500 different drinks on the market, the 3.4 billion dollar energy drink industry is willing and able to target young people with a barrage of marketing messages which includes using these drinks as a weight loss tool. This message can be misleading as just two cans can contain as much as 14 teaspoons of sugar.

In addition to gaining excess pounds, continual use of these drinks can lead to other health issues such as diabetes. Dr. Moulavi warns, “Parents, teachers and public officials should be aware of this growing, and very dangerous trend among our young people. Many current and future health related issues can be avoided if we teach our children to make healthy choices now, such as reaching for bottled water.“

Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers specialize in medically supervised weight loss programs and have locations throughout the United States and Canada with centers in cities as Boca Raton, FL; Beverly Hills, CA; New York, NY; Rochester Hills, MI; and Boston, MA. The Smart for Life™ Weight Management program helps clients make positive changes in their lives by helping them reach and maintain their weight loss goals.

Boca Raton, FL, November 27, 2006 - Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers will open their 5th center in the Palm Beach, Florida area at 6660 S. Federal Highway in Port St. Lucie on Monday, December 11. The highly effective, medically supervised weight management program features cookies that are natural, organic and hunger-suppressing. The program has helped thousands of people lose 12 to 15 pounds every 4 weeks, and teaches them how to maintain their new weight. At The Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers each client meets with a doctor and receives a physical exam, which includes blood work, an EKG and a Body Composition Analysis. The doctors and staff in the centers will help and supervise clients through this lifestyle change – safely, quickly and without hunger, so they will enjoy their new “Smart for Life” style of living.

Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers is headquartered in Boca Raton, FL and operates 32 centers throughout the United States and Canada.

BY DANIEL MCCOY

Eagle correspondent

As the manager of the Smart for Life™, Michelle Davidson has brought the nationally franchised weight-loss program to Wichita.

It's not just the 10 to 15 pounds the program claims to help customers lose every month that first caught Davidson's attention; it's also the way in which they lose it.

"I got really curious about this when I heard people were eating cookies and losing weight," she said.

Those cookies are part of Smart for Life's product line of "Smart" foods, which also includes shakes, soups and puddings.

Formulated with proteins and amino acids, the products are designed to provide natural hunger suppression throughout the day while still providing the necessary nutrients. Combined with a specified evening meal and daily water intake of 64 ounces, the products form the basis of the Smart for Life program, with exercise added as the weight comes off.

For Davidson, the program's commitment to overall customer health is what sets it apart.

Each client is given a customized plan, created under the supervision of a physician like James Seberger, who works with Davidson to determine each person's specific needs. "He has a passion for this, and that adds to the program," Davidson said.

Davidson's passion is customer service, which she said she now combines with her enjoyment of health and nutrition.

Originally from Smith Center, Davidson graduated from with a degree in human resource management.

Having lived in Wichita for 10 years, Davidson said she first became interested in Smart for Life after family members in California and Tennessee had success as franchisees. Started in 2002, Smart for Life has approximately 40 clinics in North America.

In opening her East Central location Nov. 5, Davidson brought the second such clinic to Kansas. The other is in Overland Park.

Although she hopes to eventually open a west Wichita location, Davidson said she is just concentrating on getting the word out about the center for now.

For her, Smart for Life clients need only follow the same advice she would give other prospective business owners.

"The biggest thing is to try," she said. "You never know what can happen. If you have a passion and a dream, right or wrong, go for it."

Boca Raton, FL -- Losing weight has never tasted so good, or been so good for you. Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers is a 35 unit Boca Raton-based wellness company that recently rolled out a new tastier line of cookies made with organic ingredients and will introduce two Kosher cookie varieties this week.

The new Kosher cookies will initially be available in Chocolate and Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin. These cookies are packed full of nutrients, amino acids, and fiber to control hunger while still supplying the body with the protein it needs. They are all-natural and made with the best organic ingredients on the market and have no chemical appetite suppressants or artificial sweeteners.

“We were constantly receiving requests from our clients for Kosher cookies, and I am very pleased that we are now able to offer them to our clients.,” says Dr. Sasson E. Moulavi, Chief Medical Director of the Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers. “Our goal is to provide the healthiest and highest quality products to our clients as they work toward reaching their health goals. Organic ingredients offer more nutrients than conventionally grown foods, so not only are all of our new flavors receiving rave reviews for taste, but they are healthier too!”

In addition to Chocolate and Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin, other cookie flavors include Maine Blueberry, Pina Colada and Boca Banana. These along with a proprietary line of hunger controlling soups and shakes -- are exclusively available at Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers, which have helped hundreds of thousands of people lose weight over the past several years.

Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers specialize in medically supervised weight loss and have locations throughout the United States and Canada with centers in Boca Raton, FL; Beverly Hills, CA; New York, NY; Rochester Hills, MI; and Boston, MA. The Smart for Life™ Weight Management program helps clients make positive changes in their lives by helping them reach and maintain their weight loss goals.

By Anna Bratulic

The Suburban/October 24, 2007

Munching on cookies is usually not the advice you get when you want to drop a few pounds, but that’s the approach taken at Smart for Life Weight Management Centres.

We’re not talking about Chips Ahoy here. Dieters are put on a regimen of nutritionally balanced meal replacement products, the most popular of which is the Smart Cookie, which comes in chocolate, chocolate raspberry, cinnamon, oatmeal raisin, pina colada, banana, and… pizza flavours. Made with all natural and organic ingredients.

Patients eat six cookies per day — or a combination of other Smart for Life products, such as specially prepared shakes, muffins and soups — and have a high protein, low fat supper in the evening.

"The cookies train your body to eat small multiple meals throughout the day” says Tina Di Salvia, director of the two Smart for Life centres on the island.

“But the important part that people have to remember is that you will not be hungry whatsoever with these cookies. You have a cookie and a glass of water. The combination of both, with the protein, the fibre, the amino acids [in the cookie], and the water, fills you up.”

The physician-monitored program emphasizes a one-on-one approach and Smart for Life patients lose an average of 12 to 15 pounds every four weeks.

Mix 96 radio host Cat Spencer took the Smart for Life weight loss challenge and, since September, has lost 28 pounds “and counting” on his 6’4” frame.

“The day before I started I was very nervous and thought about backing out because I love food and thought it was going to be impossible to change my ways,” says Spencer.

The experience was easier than expected, and Spencer says it shed light on some his bad eating habits. “I now really do believe I had some sort of sugar addiction. I loved sweets and snacking, but within two days of starting the program I lost all cravings for anything sweet.” he says.

Assistant investment advisor Annie Koutrakis learned the hard way that the trickiest part of losing weight is keeping the bad calorie-laden habits at bay. She joined the Smart for Life program three years ago but, like many a dieter, managed to lose the weight only to gain it all back in the coming years.

“I had good results, but unfortunately I didn’t follow their suggestions in their maintenance plan, so I found myself a few years later having put on all the weight. In February I decided to go back.”

Forty pounds lighter these days, Koutrakis is now in the second month of her three-month maintenance plan, and is learning what her food boundaries are.

“[The first time around], I didn’t watch my portions. I didn’t watch my carbs. I have a problem with carbohydrates. I have to know that I can never have a plate of pasta as my main meal. It has to be a quarter of the plate.”

“Patients who follow the maintenance program will keep their weight off” says Tina. “Consumers Choice Award 2007”.

Smart for Life has two locations on the island of Montreal: 5180 Queen Mary Rd., suite 410, tel. 514-489-8840; and in Pierrefonds on 4877 St. Charles Blvd., tel. 514-626-1555. www.smartforlife.com

40 centers across the United States & Canada.

BOCA RATON, FL (October 16, 2007) – Bariatric physician and cardiologist team up to help people lower cholesterol and lose weight with the Smart for Life famous cookie.

Since Smart for Life Weight Management Centers launched the heart-healthy cookie, Dr. Sasson Moulavi, M.D. and Dr. Floyd Cohen, M.D. have seen dramatic results when people eat these cookies and lose weight.

“My cholesterol has never been lower,” E.C., a Smart for Life™ client raves. “I am amazed!”

Dr. Moulavi, a Bariatric Physician, explains, “I have seen clients receive better results with our lifestyle changes and Smart for Life™ cookies than relying on medication alone.”

Dr. Cohen adds, “The cookies train clients to eat multiple meals a day which improve cholesterol and cardiac risk factors.”

For over five years, clients have been using food as medicine on the Smart for program. Developed by a physician, this program incorporates food created with both weight loss and improved health and wellness in mind.

The company began researching enhancements to its Smart Food product line which led them to specific ingredients featuring cholesterol-lowering effects of a specially formulated food containing both soluble fiber and plant sterols.

Translating this enhancement into their Smart Foods, the company now offers reformulated Smart for Life™ cookies that will include this incredibly healthy and unique flax meal/fish oil blend to provide the most beneficial products to clients. This blend provides a full complement of Omega-3 fatty acids (280 mg and 9.9 mg EPA and DHA). Besides the added health benefits, the taste is incredible! And all Smart for Life baked goods are made without trans-fats and no genetically modified organisms.

Dr. Cohen, a well-respected cardiologist with many years of experience, is the Medical Director of the Smart for Life™ in. He is very excited to treat patients not just with medicine but with food also.

“I really feel that I am able to offer my clients a simple and effective solution both for their weight and cardiac risk factors. My clients are able to get off medication and look and feel better about themselves,” Dr. Cohen explains.

“As a cardiologist, it is exciting to be involved in a company that is focused on innovative, healthy Smart Foods that enrich clients’ lives and improve their weight loss efforts and overall wellness,” Dr. Cohen proudly states.

The revolutionary Smart for Life™ Weight Management Program is a science-based program for safe, rapid weight-loss. The one-on-one physician supervised weight-loss program empowers clients with the knowledge, guidance, and motivation they need to lose weight. The experienced medical staff monitors and encourages the client’s progress until the goal weight is achieved, and then follows the client on a long-term maintenance plan. Smart for Life™ physicians address metabolic and health-related problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and under active thyroid. The combination of Smart Foods and professional supervision enables the Smart for Life™ client to safely and quickly lose up to 12 to 15 pounds a month*.

Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers, the Franchisor with corporate headquarters in Boca Raton, is an international franchise company with over 40 locations . The company has helped hundreds of thousands of people make positive changes in their lives by helping them reach and maintain their weight loss goals.

* Results may vary.

Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers opens 2 centers in Scottsdale and Chandler, September 5, 2006

Phoenix, Arizona – Believe it or not, there is a way to lose weight that requires you to eat cookies all day long. What’s more, clients following the program lose an average of 12 to 15 pounds per month. The secret – a specially formulated protein rich cookie recipe and a doctor’s supervision.

The cookies, which come in five flavors – Chocolate, Cinnamon-Oatmeal Raisin, Maine Blueberry, Pina Colada and organic Banana – are exclusively available at Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers, which have helped tens of thousands of people lose weight over the past several years.

Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers has opened its first of 10 planned Arizona locations in Chandler at Rural and Ray. The Scottsdale center will open right after Thanksgiving and Glendale in February.

The cookies are full of nutrients, amino acids, and fiber which suppress hunger while still supplying the body with the protein it needs. They are also all-natural and have no chemical appetite suppressants or artificial sweeteners. Patients praise the diet for its excellent hunger control and rapid weight loss.

On joining the program, each client meets with a doctor. They receive a complete physical exam, which includes blood work, an EKG and a Body Composition Analysis. Also included in the program are vitamins, supplements, and medications if necessary.

While the program works to shed pounds, patients are taught how to eat healthy to maintain their target weight. “The goal of the center is to train our clients to eat right and only when they are hungry. We teach them to stop eating before they are full, and to adopt diets high in protein and fiber and low in carbs,” says Dr. David Klein, one of the owners of the Arizona clinics, and also Chief Operating Officer of the parent company.

According to Dr. Sasson Moulavi, Chief Medical Director of Smart for Life™ and a Board Certified Bariatric physician, “We medically supervise patients throughout the weight loss process and work closely with their primary care physician. We also address issues such as high blood pressure and diabetes, usually decreasing, and in some cases eliminating, their need for prescription medications as they lose weight.”

Smart for Life™ Weight Management Centers specialize in medically supervised weight loss and have locations throughout the United States and Canada with centers in cities as Beverly Hills, CA, Boca Raton, FL, Rochester, MI, and Boston, MA. The Smart for Life™ Weight Management program helps clients make positive changes in their lives by helping them reach and maintain their weight loss goals.