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Kimkins
Kimkins PR Director rebuts fraudulent claims.
BACKGROUND
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Please note, DietsInReview.com does not recommend the Kimkins diet program. Kimkins has completely misrepresented itself and the information it presents to customers, and in doing so, has endangered the lives of many of those people.
UPDATE 10/10 Kimkins Diets Founder Heidi Diaz is found guilty of fraud and false advertising
UPDATE 11/09: Kimkins Class Action Lawsuit Filed
Kimkins broke into the diet scene in 2000 selling itself as the one sure thing to end your dieting chaos. She said she had been an obese 300 pounds and like so many others, struggled to find a diet that worked for her. So she created her own solution- a low-carb/low-calorie diet that she says works incredibly fast. Not only would Kimkins help you lose weight quickly (198 pounds in one year in her case), but the plan would set you up for success for life. Kimkins also excitedly promotes that you won't have to do a single stretch, sprint or sit-up as exercise isn't necessary to achieve these amazing results.
Unfortunately, none of it is true. Kimkins is being investigated for fraud after many customers became seriously ill. Kimkins is an excruciatingly low-calorie diet and none of the information presented as fact as any medical or scientific support. Kimmer herself does not have a nutritional background and her advice is strictly from what appears to be fake experiences.
PRO
- None to speak of
CON
There is a laundry list of reasons why you should not follow the Kimkins diet. Currently the creator, Heidi Diaz, who operates under the alias Kimmer, is the possible subject of a potential class-action lawsuit and under investigation for fraud. Many of the Kimkins customers are becoming dangerously sick from following the Kimkins program. While Kimmer markets the diet as being a quick solution that will last for life, and losing 200 pounds in one year herself, she currently is morbidly obese- not at all what her ads claim.
- No research or healthcare endoresements
- Plan contradicts sound medical research
- Dangerously low caloric intake
- No exercise
- Suggested to take laxatives regularly
- Creator under investigation for fraud
- Creator does not have any nutrition or medical experience
Additionally, many followers of Kimkins have reported frightening side effects, including:
- Constant nausea
- Hair loss
- Fainting
- Heart palpitations
- Fatigue
- Bone and/or joint pain
- Constipation
DIET and NUTRITION
The proposed Kimkins diet is made up mainly of lean protein, very little fat or carbs and no fiber. The diet is said to be based on Atkins, but with Kimmer's personal twist. The average user consumes about 1200 calories a day; many users admit to only about 500 calories a day.
EXERCISE
Kimkins advertises that you will not need any exercise to achieve your desired goals.
CONCLUSION
Mom always said "If it's too good to be true, it probably is". And in the case of Kimkins, it sounded so much better than it actually turned out to be. This is one rapid weight loss fad that turned out to be a rapid weight loss scam. Consumers have been raising flags of concern about both the legitimacy of Kimkins and the health risks linked with the program. Heidi Diaz "Kimmer" is currently under investigation for fraud. It's unfortunate that so many men and women were duped by this convincing and charming sales woman. But it appears that this scam produced nothing more than a very lucrative eating disorder that has left a lot of people hurting.
Common misspellings: Kimmer, KimKens, Kemkins, Kemkind, Kimkins deit review
UPDATE
In October 2007 Diets in review received a rebuttal to our review (below letter) from Jeannie Baitinger - Kimkins PR Director. In January 2008, Kimmer sent a rebuttal and Jeannie responded letting us know that she had left Kimkins and severed all ties with the lawsuit-ridden program.
Dear Jim,
Thank you for giving Kimkins.com the opportunity to present our side of the story.
First please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jeannie Baitinger and on the website I am known as Tippy Toes. I am employed by Kimkins.com as PR Director and as management.
We know we are under attack from various sources. But many of these sources are coming from people who have only heard about our diets and have not actually tried them. The effect has been much like a snowball effect of people who genuinely mean well but are not actual members. Much is based on hear say and negative publicity.
Moreover, we offer no calorie limits on any plan. There are no 500 calorie per day plans. No plan is 100% fat free. We do allow the individual to use common sense when adding healthy fats and we term this as "just enough fat to make it work". We do not promote starvation of any kind and we never will. We encourage members to stick within the plan guidelines and further, we encourage them to add extra protein and possibly extra salads if they are still hungry or not feeling well.
We do not encourage or promote laxative abuse. However, it is not at all uncommon for a low carb diet plan to cause constipation. When a member complains we have recommended gentle stimulants such as M.O.M. or 100% physillium husks. There is also a tea which is helpful in relieving symptoms. We will never recommend laxatives as part of weight loss plans. Never!
Additionally we do encourage our members to have their Doctor's review the plans and monitor their progress. Many, many members report excellent lab reviews and Doctor's blessings. On our website I have never seen anything but positive reviews. On other websites I read the negatives but without offered proof. What I do read are stories of hair loss. This seems common on a lot of diets. Even the Atkins diet can cause this. When I did Atkins it happened to me. Oddly, I never lost hair doing Kimkins though. But again, hair loss is easily corrected and people who have their Doctor's monitoring progress can address the issue and get help. I would find it rather bizarre to lose huge chunks of my hair and still continue with any diet WITHOUT seeing my Doctor immediately. So I must question why there are no medical claims based on proof...
I am personally a Kimkins success story. I began my weight loss journey at 263 lbs. I am a female of 5' 7". I began losing weight with the Atkins diet (also quite con-traversal) and did well on it for about a year. I lost approximately 50 lbs on Atkins and then it stopped working. For the next 6 months I lost no further weight or inches. A dear friend told me about the Kimkins diet and I decided to give it a try. The weight came off just as promised! EXACTLY as promised! I made a personal choice to begin alternating Kimkins diet with Atkins. On Kimkins I could lose the weight and on Atkins breaks I could easily maintain it. Today my current weight is 152. Maintaining my weight has never been so easy thanks to a low carb lifestyle.
Our website is full of happy success stories much like mine. Many people have no trouble doing only Kimkins straight to goal. I have seen amazing losses--as much as 100lbs in 5 months. These big losses are quite common at Kimkins. Side effects appear minimal and as stated previously we do encourage everyone to have their Doctor's monitor them every step of the way.
Our members are not uneducated people being mislead. We just completed a Teacher's Challenge and the entire group lost an unbelievable amount of weight. The teacher's group had planned to make a public donation to fund teachers but with all the negative publicity they have opted for private donations instead. It is not at all uncommon for Internet users to wish to remain private. That is why many choose a nickname rather than using a real name.
As far as the founder of Kimkins.com is concerned and with all due respect, most members really don't care who she really is or is not. We believe the founder has every right to privacy and further we believe she is entitled to such. Her real name and weight is not an issue to people who are serious about weight loss and finally are able to make it happen. People buy a membership for their own weight loss and that is what they get. Weight loss. Our claim "there is no faster weight loss plan" is very accurate.
I will be more than happy to issue you a temporary site pass if you would like to come in and see what is really happening for yourself. Just let me know if you are interested in the real truth. It's pretty amazing!
Sincerely,
Jeannie Baitinger, PR
Kimkins.com
end of Kimkins rebuttal
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User Feedback
(Page 4 of 7, 122 total comments)Laura
Kimmer is STILL dangerously obese. She never lost weight. She is just a scam artist who created a dangerous diet.
Anonymous
I don't know how anybody could advocate starving your body in such a way - especially someone who has no medical/nutritional background AND is currently morbidly obese. Please anyone DO YOUR RESEARCH before you pay your money to this long time scammer.
Mayberryfan
Dangerous! Don't do this diet as you are encouraged to eat far too little than is healthy. If you do, you'll lose quickly, then stall, then start losing HAIR! Kimkins should be illegal.
Lorri
I know all about the scam and that Kimmer is obese, but the bottom line is I followed this diet and have lost 50 pounds. Plain and simple. This is just a stepping stone to a healthier life. Not everything works for everyone, but this worked for me and lots of others.
Jill
I am a kimkins member. I realize and have for some time that the calorie restriction was to the degree of insanity. I see in Tippy Toes statement that the calorie is based on 1200 calories...what bull. They encourage you over & over to be around the 500 mark. As for as Heidi....I am disgusted. I was letting this woman make me feel like a failure because I couldn't maintain a 500cal. diet? Oh Please! And beware of saying anything or questioning any of this on the actual Kimkins site...or you will be banned. Your 60 bucks will be flushed down the toilet, because lifetime member is only for those that are mindlessly obedient without question. Yes, I am still on the site...That's the only way to keep up with the friends I've made there. Private messages as well as the blogs are monitored for conformity. Heidi & her harem should be ashamed of themselves. She pure out makes me wanna barf...There's nothing in this world I despise more than a liar. No, don't trust her. Her track record speaks clearly for itself.
sasha
Kimmer is still obese -like, really really obese, and Kimkins is a great way to get anorexia!
Anonymous
A dangerous eating plan by a con artist alcoholic. Kimmer /Heidi Diaz's family admit the above and worse about her. If you google kimkins you will find out some of the horror stories and legal actions being taken against this very dangerous fad diet. BEWARE!!
Anonymous
Bravo to dietsinreview for posting an HONEST review!!!!
Karen
The problem with the *positive* reviews is one of the same problems on the forums; Kimmer/aka Heidi Diaz (check out her photos on slamboard) is that she and her admins post as new members and made up names and were currently caught using a dead woman's identity in her fake testimonials. If you want to get some inside information, check out the following blogs from former Kimkin's Admins..one being from Christin who was on the cover of Woman's World and now may have heart damage. http://winningweight.blogspot.com/ http://the-journey-on.blogspot.com/ http://www.openbench.blogspot.com/ http://kimkinsdangers.blogspot.com/ http://kimkinsexposed.wordpress.com/ and the list goes on. Check out the Low Carb forums...there are literally hundreds of people who have been banned for asking questions now seeking help and health elsewhere. She's a fraud and a fake and so are the positive testimonials here. Go to the BBB and the petition to shut her down and the class action lawsuit. Thank you to dietsinreview for having another outlet to warn people against paying $60 to learn how to get anorexia.
anonymous
FYI Jeannie Baitinger - former Kimkins PR Director, has left Kimkins due to differences in opinion over the Kimkins Diet and the extreme very low calorie aspect of it. Jeannie has long been a fan of the Atkins Diet and admits that she lost the majority of her weight on Kimkins. Her new pay for membership diet website is more along the lines of Atkins. So how valid is her rebuttal? One can presume that she said what she said for this rebuttal only because she was on the Kimkins payroll. :
Ex kimkin member
This diet is so very dangerous I hope people never use this as a way of eating, your life is to important. The funny thing is about these positive reviews most of these women don`t even exist there are made up, just like everythinbg Heidi does. And as far as TippyToes she does not even folloe this diet most of the time. Here is a quote from dear Tippy;Since Kimkins is such a fast weight loss program, would you say the thyroid would be at LESS risk than prolonged dieting? Whatcha think? I know for sure Kimkins didn't cause this since I never stayed on continually but perhaps I should have...Did not follow the diet !!!!! LOL
katinsac
Friends don't let friends do Kimkins! Remember that cover girl on the WW Mag? Well, she learned the hard way about Kimkins and it's dangers!! Read her blog and decide for yourself. http://the-journey-on.blogspot.com/
maestra
I began using the basic principles behind the Kimkins Diet in June of 2007 and lost 40# in four months. By basic principles I mean high protein from varying sources, low fat, and low carbs (it is almost impossible to eliminate all carbs from your diet, but if you choose your carb sources intelligently I believe that those carbs are beneficial to you). My doctors (my primary, cardiologist, and chiropractor) all have applauded my weight loss and one actually told me that he was jealous. I tried to walk four to five times a week for exercise because the weather was nice. However, there were stretches where my schedule would not allow for that and I still lost weight. I did experience a little hair loss for a time period, but that passed. I know that I did not follow the Kimkins diet in its strictest form, but by eating healthy carbs, high protein, low fat diet foods, I was not hungry and rarely craved foods that were not good for me which easily enabled me to continue loosing weight. Most cravings were satisfied by drinking more water or eating something crunchy. The bottom line is that you have to be intelligent about what you put in your body. I have moderated my use of the principles behind the Kimkins Diet for a couple of month now, but plan to go back to them right after the holidays to lose the remaining 30# to my target weight. I am very pleased with the results as are my doctors. I hope to achieve these results by June. 70# in one year works for me. People, you made the choices about what you put in your body to get you to that weight in the first place. Be intelligent about how you are going to take it off. Life is about choices, you have to make the ones that are going to work for you.
WildAngel6
Please include another update to reflect the fact that the rebuttal by Jeannie Baitinger may no longer be valid as she is now the FORMER Kimkins PR Director. Also, I think the anonymous poster above actually meant to say that Jeannie lost the majority of her weight on Atkins, not Kimkins, as she has claimed to only have used Kimkins to cycle when she would be stalled on Atkins. Hopefully, that should clear things up a bit. But the key point here is that the only rebuttal from the Kimkins camp may be totally invalid now since the former PR director is no longer affiliated with Kimkins. Folks, no matter what else is going on in the Kimkins Controversy, please remember that the diet itself is dangerous. So stay away from it.
Julia
I did email the site and instead of "owning" the wrong-doing....they just made excuses and signed themselves as "Kimmer" I think this would have gone over much better had the woman "admitted" to wrong-doings and just corrected it...rather than making these excuses...the diet of so obviously NOT safe.
katinsac
This is one of the key players in the fight against Kimkins and I think you should read her blog...don't foget to search the webring too and see the other great info about this SCAM! http://honeybeesblog.wordpress.com/
2BIG
The kimkins diet as written is deficient in EFAs and everyone following the plan is doing long term harm to their body. Like a diebetic who didn't control their blood sugars in their youth it will take time to show up but it will. there are no health studies to support kimkins. Please read about the plan here and don't trade a lifetime of health for a quick weight loss today.
Say NO to Kimkins
Folks, check out the Kimkins Survivors Blog, to hear the true stories of what Kimkins can do to you. kimkinssurvivors.wordpress.com Please do not cut your calories below 1200. Please do not cut your fat so low that you will get sick. It isn't worth it. You can lose weight without risking your health. A sensible Low Carb Way of Eating is fine for weight loss. You don't have to pay $79.95 for a diet that is just going to make you sick. Join any of the free Low Carb Forums for support in losing weight. Check out Low Carb Friends www.lowcarbfriends.com or Active Low Carbers to start with forum.lowcarber.org Don't be sucked in to the Kimkins Diet Scam.
shannon
OK..yes I have been on this diet..yes I am loosing weight..but come on people..you can mix up ANY diet..you pick and choose what you can and can't do..get real about your life..if you are reading this and follow ANYTHING 100% you can do harm to yourself. My Doctor DID look at this diet, we worked out what would and would not work for me..and loosing 35 pounds has helped a lot of my medical problems..so with that said..just read..people have stopped doing that..but we are VERY fast to jump on the band wagon to blame others for our OWN problems..look at the diet, make it your own..and NO I am not a "plant" for Kimkins..they would have no idea even who I am...read it, use what you can and if it is a scam..well this scam has helped me..take it for what it is worth..READ
Anonymous
Is Woman's World ever going to come forward with a comment regarding the most recent news regarding Kimkins--the fact that she isn't who she claimed to be. I still have that article, but since learning that she really isn't the endorsement she claims to be for her product, I am leary about this "diet". I also know that people who have had gastric bypass live on less than 500 calories a day and succeed, but of course this is medically supervised. Today is the day I heard that Heidi is suppose to appear in court. Can't wait to see if she shows.