Celebrities and Diet
by Sarah Dussault, Celebrities & Weight Loss blogger

Just when you’ve had enough, Vh1 casts it’s new cast of overweight celebrities for it’s reality show “Celebrity Fit Club” and Jenny Craig announces it’s newest spokeswoman to lose weight.

Valerie Bertinelli, best known for her 1975-84 sitcom One Day at a Time, has been named the new face for Jenny Craig, as reported by PEOPLE magazine in this week’s cover story. Measuring in at 5'2" and size 14, Bertinelli, who turns 47 this month, pledges to lose 30 lbs. by September. Going public with her goal "is the motivation I need," Bertinelli says. "I need to do this in front of millions of people so I can't mess up."

Bertinelli is quoted in the article as saying, “I don't know how my size, 14, has become obese while size 0 is normal. It's insane. I'm not even going for a size 6. I'll be happy with a size 8."

Bertinelli will shoot a new ad for Jenny Craig every month as she loses the weight. It is her first major step back into the public eye for the stay at home mom, whose last big TV role was back in 2003 on Touch by an Angel.

I’m happy to see someone who has realistic goals in the spotlight. Isn’t it funny how Jenny Craig chooses overweight celebrities to lose weight for their product publicly when diet pills choose celebrities who are already skinny like Carmen Elektra to represent them? Just another thought as to why I believe pills are a waste of money…

As for season 5 of “Celebrity Fit Club,” viewers can expect to see tons of whining from the female side, former idol contestant Kimberly Lock, 80’s pop star Tiffany, Marcia Brady herself, Maureen McCormick (also former bulimic), and rapper/actress Da Brat. Likewise rounding out the men’s side of the pack, media hungry Screech Powers, Dustin Diamond, rapper/producer Warren G, Ross “The Intern” from The Tonight Show with Jey Leno, and Cledus T. Judd, singer/comedian from Nashville Star.

Personally, I don’t like this show. I think it’s boring and the celebrities are B-list who just want to get back in the Hollywood gossip ring, case in point Dustin Diamond and Maureen McCormick. Diamond released a disgusting sex tape and McCormick admitted her past struggles with drugs and an eating disorder. If you are celebrity, you have the resources to hire a trainer yourself and pay top notch dollar for a diet program. You do not need cameras. For this reason, I find this show is not very successful in getting their contestants to shed the pounds, unlike The Biggest Loser.