Study shows group-based weight loss treatment effective whether led by health professionals or by peer counselors
October 9, 2012 in Overweight and Obesity
Study shows that group-based weight loss treatment is effective whether led by health professionals or by peer counselors. Credit: Baruch College
A new National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study conducted at Baruch College and published in Obesity found that overweight and obese adults who participated in three different weight loss treatments, all involving intensive, multi-component counseling delivered in groups, lost significant weight after 48 weeks whether the treatment was led by a health professional or by someone who had previous weight loss success.
This randomized clinical trial led by Angela Marinilli Pinto, PhD Assistant Professor of Psychology at Baruch College, is the first to compare professionally delivered group-based behavioral weight loss treatment– considered the "gold standard" for treating moderate overweight and obesity- to Weight Watchers, which is led by trained peer counselors who have achieved their own successful weight loss. The findings open up the possibility of offering effective, affordable weight loss options to more Americans.
In this study, 141 overweight and obese men and women were randomly assigned to:
- 48 weeks of behavioral weight loss treatment delivered by a health professional,
- 48 weeks of Weight Watchers, where group support is led by Weight Watchers members who have successfully achieved and maintained a healthy goal weight,
- Or a combined treatment consisting of 12 weeks of behavioral weight loss treatment delivered by a health professional followed by 36 weeks of Weight Watchers.
All groups lost weight, but contrary to expectations, Weight Watchers participants lost more weight, on average, at the end of treatment compared to participants in the combination approach (mean weight loss in the professionally led program was not significantly different from either group). In fact, 37% of Weight Watchers participants lost 10% or more of their starting weight compared to 15% of combined group participants and 11% of participants in the professionally led group.
Results of the study also showed that better meeting attendance was associated with greater weight losses during the first 24 weeks in all treatments. In the Weight Watchers group, this relationship was maintained even in the second half of treatment, suggesting that individuals who continue to stay involved in the Weight Watchers program do better.
"This study is important because, with almost 70% of American adults classified as overweight or obese, there is a need to provide practical treatment solutions that are effective, accessible, and affordable," Dr. Pinto explained. "Results of this study demonstrate that the Weight Watchers program can produce clinically meaningful weight losses." The cost of joining Weight Watchers is approximately $10 per week, which includes member registration, weekly meetings, and access to online resources.
More information: A.M. Pinto et al: Combining behavioral weight loss treatment and a commercial program: a randomized clinical trial. Obesity 2012; DOI: 10.1002/oby.20044
Journal reference:
Obesity
Provided by Baruch College
-
Commercial weight loss programs more effective than NHS-based services
Nov 04, 2011 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Stepped-care intervention results in weight loss, at lower cost
Jun 26, 2012 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Joining a diet club could double weight loss
Sep 08, 2011 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Why Weight Watchers succeeds: Meetings provide a blend of spirituality and therapy
Aug 24, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Weight Watchers vs. fitness centers
Jul 02, 2008 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Motion perception revisited: High Phi effect challenges established motion perception assumptions
Apr 23, 2013 |
3 / 5 (2) |
2
-
Anything you can do I can do better: Neuromolecular foundations of the superiority illusion (Update)
Apr 02, 2013 |
4.5 / 5 (11) |
5
-
The visual system as economist: Neural resource allocation in visual adaptation
Mar 30, 2013 |
5 / 5 (2) |
9
-
Separate lives: Neuronal and organismal lifespans decoupled
Mar 27, 2013 |
4.9 / 5 (8) |
0
-
Sizing things up: The evolutionary neurobiology of scale invariance
Feb 28, 2013 |
4.8 / 5 (10) |
14
-
The Durability of Bone: Long Falls
3 hours ago
-
Is energy convertible to matter?
4 hours ago
-
Rotating electron as a dipole is this right?
7 hours ago
-
Dipole term in multipole expansion
11 hours ago
-
Bubbles in a Pre-Boiling/Boiling pot of water
12 hours ago
-
Assumptions of Griffith's fracture theory
22 hours ago
- More from Physics Forums - Classical Physics
More news stories
Genetic risk for obesity found in many Mexican young adults
As many as 35 percent of Mexican young adults may have a genetic predisposition for obesity, said a University of Illinois scientist who conducted a study at the Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosί.
Overweight and Obesity
9 hours ago |
not rated yet |
0
'Doctor shopping' by obese patients negatively affects health
Overweight and obese patients are significantly more likely than their normal-weight counterparts to repeatedly switch primary care doctors, a practice that disrupts continuity of care and leads to more emergency room visits, ...
Overweight and Obesity
11 hours ago |
not rated yet |
0
Child maltreatment increases risk of adult obesity
Children who have suffered maltreatment are 36% more likely to be obese in adulthood compared to non-maltreated children, according to a new study by King's College London. The authors estimate that the prevention or effective ...
Overweight and Obesity
20 hours ago |
not rated yet |
0
Young children appear to reject story characters who are obese
(Medical Xpress)—Research by the University of Leeds has shown that very young children appear to reject story book characters who are overweight, but not those who are disabled.
Overweight and Obesity
May 16, 2013 |
3 / 5 (1) |
4
Gene variations may explain weight gain among men, women
(HealthDay)—Weight gain in men and women is predicted by two different genetic variations—so-called polymorphisms, according to a new study from the Netherlands.
Overweight and Obesity
May 15, 2013 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
|
If you can remember it, you can remember it wrong
(Medical Xpress)—Native peoples in regions where cameras are uncommon sometimes react with caution when their picture is taken. The fear that something must have been stolen from them to create the photo ...
B vitamins could delay dementia
(Medical Xpress)—Despite spending billions of dollars on research and development, drug companies have been unable to come up with effective treatments for dementia and Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Now, A. ...
New sleeping pill poised to hit US markets
An experimental sleeping pill from US drug company Merck is effective at helping people fall and stay asleep, according to reviewers at the US Food and Drug Administration, which could soon approve the new drug.
Reducing caloric intake delays nerve cell loss
Activating an enzyme known to play a role in the anti-aging benefits of calorie restriction delays the loss of brain cells and preserves cognitive function in mice, according to a study published in the May ...
Insight into the dazzling impact of insulin in cells
Australian scientists have charted the path of insulin action in cells in precise detail like never before. This provides a comprehensive blueprint for understanding what goes wrong in diabetes.
Antidepressant reduces stress-induced heart condition
A drug commonly used to treat depression and anxiety may improve a stress-related heart condition in people with stable coronary heart disease, according to researchers at Duke Medicine.