MONDAY, April 6, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Many people turn to commercial weight-loss programs to help them shed excess pounds, but there’s surprisingly little scientific evidence to show whether or not these plans can help keep weight[1] off for the long-term, a new report reveals.
Only two out of 32 major commercial weight-loss programs marketed nationwide — Weight Watchers[2] and Jenny Craig[3] — can boast scientific evidence showing their clients maintain weight loss[4] for at least a year, the researchers found.
Most programs haven’t received any study at all regarding their effectiveness, or have only been reviewed for short-term success, said lead author Dr. Kimberly Gudzune. She is an assistant professor of medicine and a weight-loss specialist at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.
“We still don’t know whether a lot of these programs work,” Gudzune said.
The study, which was not funded by any commercial weight-loss plan, is published in the April 7 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. Gudzune and several of her co-authors reported receiving support from the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
The obesity[5] crisis prompted the study, as doctors weigh the various options on hand to help their patients lose weight[6], Gudzune said.
Two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight[7] or obese, increasing their risk for high blood pressure[8], heart disease[9] and type 2 diabetes[10], the study authors pointed out.
In the United States, weight-loss programs were a $2.5 billion business in 2014, with Weight Watchers leading the pack with 45 percent of the market, according to background information in the study. Nutrisystem[11] has about 14 percent of the market, while Jenny Craig has about 13 percent, the study said.
While these plans are popular, doctors don’t have a lot of information regarding which show real and sustained results, Gudzune said.
“Because I’m looking for the health benefits associated with sustained weight-loss, I feel more comfortable recommending a program to a patient that’s been scientifically proven to work,” she said.
References
- ^ weight (www.webmd.com)
- ^ Weight Watchers (www.webmd.com)
- ^ Jenny Craig (www.webmd.com)
- ^ maintain weight loss (www.webmd.com)
- ^ obesity (www.webmd.com)
- ^ lose weight (www.webmd.com)
- ^ overweight (www.webmd.com)
- ^ high blood pressure (www.webmd.com)
- ^ heart disease (www.webmd.com)
- ^ type 2 diabetes (diabetes.webmd.com)
- ^ Nutrisystem (www.webmd.com)
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