The Jenny Craig program offers low-calorie, portion-controlled packaged foods, individual nutritional counseling and teaches you about healthy eating and exercise. It offers balanced nutrition that falls within the parameters of the USDA dietary guidelines for most nutrients, although with fewer calories and slightly less fat. There are really no dangers to the Jenny Craig diet except that you may experience hunger or other symptoms of low blood sugar on a 1,200-calorie diet, especially if that's a drastic reduction in your caloric intake.
Program Overview
Jenny Craig offers in-person or online and phone support to help motivate and teach you about healthy eating. Prepackaged foods and snacks that in total average between 1,200 and 1,300 calories daily teach portion control, and supplementing with fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains allows you to learn about creating balanced meals. U.S. News Health ranked Jenny Craig second out of 16 diets tested in both "Best Weight-Loss Diets" and "Best Commercial Diet Plans."
Risks -- Sodium
There are no reports of health risks or side effects, but U.S. News notes that the diet is not appropriate fro anyone with a milk, wheat or soy allergy because those ingredients are common in the Jenny Craig prepackaged foods. Average sodium intake on the diet is 2,000 mg, and many of the meals contain more than 500 mg of sodium each. The USDA recommends you consume less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day, but people over 51 years old, African Americans, diabetics and those with high blood pressure or an increased risk of heart disease are advised to consume less than 1,500 mg of sodium per day. It can be difficult to follow a low-sodium diet on the Jenny Craig program.
Risks -- Hypoglycemia
The 1,200 calories you'll consume on the Jenny Craig program is a drastic reduction in calories for most people. According to the USDA, the average American adult consumes about 2,700 calories daily. Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, occurs when your body doesn't get the food it needs to produce glucose, your body's primary source of energy. Signs of hypoglycemia include hunger, often with a craving for sweets, headache, mood swings, anxiety, confusion or shakiness. Fortunately, low blood sugar usually doesn't require medical attention; it can be resolved by eating or drinking something with 15 g of simple carbohydrates that your body can quickly convert to glucose. You should begin to feel better within 15 minutes after eating.
Pros and Cons
For most people, the Jenny Craig program can promote slow and steady weight loss and offer support to help you make sustainable lifestyle changes, such as adding more physical activity into your everyday routine. Jenny Craig opts for carbohydrates based on the glycemic index and is safe for people with diabetes. Both alcohol and caffeine are permitted in moderation, and you can choose to have the meals delivered right to your home. For some, the joining fee and cost of the food may be too expensive, and in-person weekly meetings may be inconvenient. Some people may have difficulty transitioning from packaged foods to preparing all of their own meals and can gain weight, but support is offered during and after that transition.
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