Transcript (from LCF):
Leila And now a KTLA exclusive for you. The founder of a popular internet diet is facing tough questions. Is she actually who she says she is?
Emmet Chip Yost has been investigating this intriguing case joins us now with more, Chip.
Leila and Emmet, the kimkins diet has taken off on the internet. It’s based on a mixture of a couple of diets, most notably the Atkins diet. Its success can largely be traced to the amazing claims of the diet’s founder. A woman known as “the Kimmer”. But what we and others found, is that "the Kimmer’s" claims may not be all they’re cracked up to be.
Chip:“Ma’am can you look at this picture I’m showing you.” [kimmer in the car]
Why is this woman in such a hurry to get away from us? The answer starts at this website, kimkins.com. It’s a website that says if you buy a lifetime membership for $59.95 and follow the kimkins diet, you can lose more than 2 pounds a week, with no exercise. The diet is named after the website’s founder. A woman known as "the Kimmer". This was supposedly "the Kimmer" before the diet. This is what she says she looked like 11 months later. After dramatically losing 198lbs on her diet. [images of the website and her blue flowery before shot, and red dress shot ]
Heidi (HBGal) And I was really happy for her, cause I felt like I kinda knew her. Umm, So I went over and I joined. [Heidi (HBGirl) interviewed ]
Heidi [HBGirl] who lives in southern California was sold. She signed up, and thousands of others did too. [Heidi(HBGirl) walking outside] Especially after many of them saw the diet featured in a woman’s world magazine cover story. Inside the magazine, Kimmer’s story was told again. Alongside the story of another woman who lost weight on the kimkins diet. But unlike the other dieter, who posed for pictures, Kimmer wasn’t interviewed in person. In fact, it seemed no one in the dieting world had ever really seen her in person. [shots of the ww article] Even heidi [HB girl] tried to meet up with her when she found out they lived only a few miles apart.
Heidi (HBGal) “She always had an excuse, something with her kids, or she was doing something or another.” [Heidi (HB Girl) at computer]
Suspicions began floating. Is kimmer really that lady in the red dress? [red dress] A former business partner of Kimmer who also had never met her in person, decided to hire private investigator Bob Charlton of Alliance Investigative Services to find out who Kimmer really was. [images from surveillance of green van]
Charlton knew Kimmer’s real name was Heidi Diaz and that she lived in Corona. But when he finally found her, he was in for a shock. He realised she wasn’t that thin woman in the red dress. Charlton’s investigation found that Heidi “Kimmer” Diaz was really this woman. [images from surveillance of Kimmer at petrol pump, and at store]
Chip: “And is Heidi Diaz as far as you know the Kimmer?”
Charlton: “Yes, from kimkins.com” [charlton being interviewed]
Charlton’s pictures were posted on the internet. [images of slamboard] Kimkins members were in a huff, they thought they had been taken. The Better Business Bureau offered to meet with kimmer to settle the dispute. But they too were turned down
BBB “Because she claims that she’s ahh you know, a bit shy” [BBB guy being interviewed]
Finally we decided to go to Heidi Diaz or Kimmer’s apartment ourselves to see if she would clear things up [garage underneath kimmer's apartment trying to interview Heidi]
Chip: “are you actually the person that’s been claiming to be kimmer on the kimkins.com website.”
Heidykins “No comment”
Chip: “Ma’am have you been lying to people about who you are. Ma’am, we just want to clear some things up. Are you actually Kimmer? Have you been telling people this picture is you? Can you look through the window Ma’am. Ma’am can you look at this picture I’m showing you? [Heidi gets back in car and drive's off to avoid reporter]
She didn’t answer our questions, but Heidi Diaz may soon have to answer questions before a court. Tomorrow night we’ll tell you why a class action lawsuit is about to be filed against her, and why some members claim her diet is causing them all kinds of health problems.
And one other note I should mention Emmet and Leila the picture of the lady in the red dress was taken off the website over the weekend.
