MS Speaks

Weight Loss Programs: Slim Evidence and Thin Results

By Larry Husten

Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH

Some weight loss programs may be slightly better than others, but in the long run none has been able to produce significant, sustained weight loss, concludes an Annals of Internal Medicine review. For even the best programs, an editorialist writes, "weight loss is modest and likely below patients' expectations."

Researchers reviewed 45 U.S. trials evaluating 11 programs: Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, Health Management Resources (HMR), Medifast, OPTIFAST, Atkins, The Biggest Loser Club, eDiets, Lose It!, and SlimFast. These programs were compared with controls, which generally provided traditional counseling and education.

At 1 year, only Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers were able to show even modest weight loss compared with controls: 4.9% greater weight loss with Jenny Craig, 2.6% greater with Weight Watchers. Nutrisystem and very low calorie programs (HMR, Medifast, OPTIFAST) resulted in short-term (3–6 months) — but not longer-term — weight loss.

The editorialist writes that the study "highlights something that researchers ... have known for decades: Structure and intensity of contact are highly correlated with program success. It is unsurprising that highly structured programs with in-person social support, such as Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig, seem more effective in the long term than less structured interventions."