Gyms selling food plans to help members lose weight

By Kristen Wyatt

The Associated Press
Michael DiCono, program manager for Health Fitness Centers (HFC) in Midtown, poses for a photo Dec. 10 in Atlanta. Nothing against juice and granola bars, but health clubs nationwide are stepping up their nutrition offerings in hopes of helping members lose weight — a tactic gyms hope will keep members from dropping out because they don’t see a slimmer physique. In downtown Atlanta, a gym added a full show kitchen, complete with sub-zero freezer and overhead TV monitors, for cooking classes where members can learn to prepare healthy dishes.

ATLANTA — Nothing against juice and granola bars, but health clubs nationwide are stepping up their nutrition offerings in hopes of helping members lose weight — a tactic gyms hope will keep members from dropping out if they don’t see a slimmer physique from treadmills alone.
In downtown Atlanta, a gym added a teaching kitchen, complete with sub-zero freezer and overhead TV monitors, for cooking classes where members can learn to prepare healthy dishes. And they’re passing out more than smoothie recipes — local chefs are whipping up citrus herb salmon and seared foie gras right alongside the freeweights and spinning classes.
A few gyms will even cook for you when you’re not working out, with clubs in New York selling meal plans to well-heeled clients who want low-calorie meals delivered to them breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Two-thirds of health clubs nationwide now offer some sort of nutrition guidance, industry experts say, with nutrition lessons thought to help members make sense of confusing diet news. Low carb? Low fat? Gym dietitians are stepping in to answer the questions.
‘‘People want to see results when they join, and we have to teach them they’re not going to get results if they don’t have an eating strategy,’’ said Nanette Pattee Francini, co-founder of The Sports Club/LA chain, which hands nutrition textbooks to all new members. ‘‘Fully 50 percent of fitness is how you eat.’’
In the crowded health club market, nutrition classes can give gyms a membership edge. About 36.3 million Americans belonged to health clubs last year, up from 17.3 million in 1987, according to International Health, Racquetball and Sportsclub Association.
Gym owners say innovative lifestyle classes, from cooking lessons to smoking cessation, can bring in new clients when the traditional gym market is just about saturated.
‘‘There are only so many memberships you can sell, so this is where the market is going,’’ said David Jamison, general manager of HFC Health Fitness Centers in Atlanta, which holds $35 cooking classes twice a month in its show kitchen. People who don’t want to join the gym can come just for the cooking lessons.
Another gym in Atlanta, this one for Emory University employees, pairs members who want to lose weight with students studying to be dietitians for grocery store trips and restaurant outings.