Nutrition in the News
8 June 2001
WEIGHT LOSS: SELF-HELP VS A COMMERICAL PROGRAM
by O. Matvienko
Are commercial weight-loss programs more effective than a self-help approach? Scientists led by S. Heshka have attempted to answer this question. They compared weight loss achieved by overweight individuals who participated in a structured commercial weight-loss program or tried to lose weight on their own. Three hundred and forty men and women were randomly assigned to self-help or a commercial program. During the 2-year study, subjects assigned to self-help attended two 20-minute consultations with a dietitian and were given printed materials with dietary and exercise guidelines for weight loss. Subjects assigned to the commercial program attended weekly Weight Watchers sessions. The program included a food, activity, and behavior-modification plan.
After 26 weeks, some weight loss occurred in both groups; however, subjects in the commercial program lost 3.4 kg more than the self-help subjects. On average, individuals in the commercial program group lost 6 kg and individuals in the self-help group lost 2 kg. Fifty-three percent of the commercial group, compared with 15% of the self-help group, achieved weight losses of 5% of body weight or more. In the commercial program group, the amount of weigh loss was significantly correlated with a number of attended sessions: a greater weight loss was observed in subjects who attended more sessions. There were no statistically significant differences in the amount of weight loss between men and women.
The results of this study should be interpreted with caution because they are based on an evaluation of a single commercial program.
Reference: Heshka S, Anderson JW, Atkinson RL, Greenway F, et al. Experimental Biology 2001, Orlando, FL, April 2001; Abstract # 496.10.
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