Leader Jenny Craig saw participants losing an average of 15 pounds over 12 months minimum.
Sixty-nine percent of Americans over the age of 19 are obese or overweight and a full one-third are considered obese. A commercial market clearly exists for effective weight loss solutions.
According to research published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine, Americans spent approximately $2.5 billion in 2014 on highly visible, commercial weight-loss programs. The research uncovered that kust two of these programs — Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers — actually exhibited long-term, verifiable weight loss results that were better than one’s normal diet.
Actual results culled from the report have Jenny Craig dieters losing an average of 15 pounds over 12 months. Weight Watchers participants lost at least eight pounds over a similar period. The authors said that other well-known program like Nutrisystem displayed promising results but a long-term data will only be possible with additional studies.
The research team, led by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine’s Dr. Kimberly A. Gudzune, used data generated by 39 trials from 11 programs. Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig fall into a category the researchers referred to as “high-intensity,” as they integrate nutritional information, goal setting, counseling and self-monitoring along with a prescribed diet.
Other weight loss programs analyzed were Medifast, HMR, OPTIFAST, Slim-Fast, Atkins. Internet-based programs were also studied, such as eDiets, Biggest Loser Club, and Lose It!
The new research was an update to a review from 2005 that looked at the efficacy of commercial weight-loss programs. At that time, Weight Watchers was the only one the showed effectiveness “in achieving modest weight loss.” That study, however, was based on results from just three controlled and randomized trials. In this type of study, control groups are compared to study groups. Participants are randomly assigned to either group.
The researchers hope to see coverage from all American health insurance carriers for the costs of commercial weight-loss programs that have been proven through such scientific analyses.
