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Study credits Weight Watchers with helping many to keep weight off
Study credits Weight Watchers with helping many to keep weight off
- EMMA ROSS, AP Medical Writer Friday, May 28, 2004 (05-28) 09:51 PDT PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) -- Half of all dieters who reached their goal weight through Weight Watchers were at least 5 percent lighter than their original weight after five years, according to a study released Friday. It may not sound like much, but obesity experts meeting in Prague were impressed. Nearly all dieters eventually return to their old weight, and maintaining a 5 percent loss is considered a health benefit. The study is the most rigorous investigation yet of a commercial weight loss program. Experts say that although dieters likely hope for better results, a 5 percent reduction is enough to cut the risks of developing such diseases as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. The experts said the study indicated the value of programs that are well-rounded, promote gradual weight loss and include a strong support system. Studies conducted on obese people enrolled in hospital-based experiments have indicated that within a year, dieters regain one-third to one-half of the weight they lost. Within five years, most gain almost all of it back. Studies on commercial programs are rare. Weight Watchers is a method that restricts calories using a point system so dieters lose a maximum of two pounds a week. Daily points are spent by eating and earned through exercise. Dieters are weighed at regular meetings, where tips and experiences are shared. The latest study, paid for by Weight Watchers, involved a random sample of 870 lifetime members of Weight Watchers in the United States -- those who reached their goal weight and maintained it for six weeks. The dieters, most of whom were married, middle-aged, affluent women, were followed for five years. A total of 649 were interviewed by telephone about their starting weight when they entered Weight Watchers, their goal weight and their current weight. Another 226 were brought in to be weighed, as a way of seeing how accurate the weights reported over the telephone were. The average weights reported over the telephone were 3 percent lower than the weights confirmed by scales, so all the self-reported weights were adjusted upward by 3 percent. The average starting weight was 165 pounds -- overweight, but not obese. The dieters lost about 22 pounds, or 13.3 percent, on the program. Five years later, most of the dieters had regained 11 pounds. Half of them still weighed 5 percent less than when they entered Weight Watchers. Only a small fraction of dieters in studies based at universities or hospitals achieve that. "This is impressive," said Dr. Pierre Lefebvre, emeritus professor of medicine at Liege University in Belgium, who was not connected to the study nor to Weight Watchers. "Treating overweight and obesity is a very difficult task and every means to achieve the goal is good," he said. "Drugs do not work regularly; drugs have side effects. Exercise is not easy." "Motivation is very important. Weight Watchers is part of behavioral management of a serious condition and they do it very very well," said Lefebvre, president of the International Diabetes Federation. Andrew Prentice, an obesity expert from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in London, agreed that the results shown in the study are enough to improve health. "Most of these patients would have gained weight in those five years," said Prentice, who was not connected with the research. "Even if we just stop them gaining weight, that would be success." On the Net: www.weigh****chers.com European Congress on Obesity, www.eco2004.cz/ |
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Study credits Weight Watchers with helping many to keep weightoff
Neutron wrote:
Study credits Weight Watchers with helping many to keep weight off - EMMA ROSS, AP Medical Writer Friday, May 28, 2004 (05-28) 09:51 PDT PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) -- Half of all dieters who reached their goal weight through Weight Watchers were at least 5 percent lighter than their original weight after five years, according to a study released Friday. It may not sound like much, but obesity experts meeting in Prague were impressed. Nearly all dieters eventually return to their old weight, and maintaining a 5 percent loss is considered a health benefit. I remember stumbling across a web site a few years ago that listed the habits of people who are successful in keeping lost fat off, even after 5 years. There were a lot, but if I remember correctly the top ones were 1. Monitoring weight on a regular basis as if you were still dieting down. 2. Being active 3. Eating healthy diets. 4. Having lost the fat slowly, 1-2 pounds a week tops. I think it would be cool if people who have reached maintenance modified the cools sigs people here use( I will get one soon ) to be: original weight/achieved goal weight/years maintained. There are still lots of places to put up free web sites. We/I could collect info from people who have kept the weight off for at least 5 years and post it somewhere. Just a thought. Steve |
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Study credits Weight Watchers with helping many to keep weight off
A Sat, 29 May 2004 17:11:32 -0400, Steve
escribió: There were a lot, but if I remember correctly the top ones were Dr. Tim Johnson of ABC' Good Morning America interviewed members of the National Weight Control Registry a few weeks ago, for a segment to air sometime this coming week. In addition to those of us who had lost weight and kept it off, the interview included the director of the Registry who outlined the top elements of commonality among Registry members. Your list was close, but missed the mark in a few spots. Dr. Wing explained that the top elements of commonality among folks who had lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off a significant amount of time whe 1. Eating a healthy low-fat, low-calorie diet (specifically -- sorry low-carb folks, but that approach isn't significantly represented among the successful members of the Registry). 2. Frequent exercise. 3. Monitoring weight on a regular basis. Most notably, for me, especially given how rapidly I lost weight, there is no indication that rate of weight-loss was a significant factor. As a matter of fact, at least 3 of the 12 members, chosen at random from the Registry, lost weight using what are typically considered more rapid methods. As we know from related research, the reality of the situation is more a matter of how much weight was lost overall: Moderately overweight people who lose weight quickly tend not to maintain it, while morbidly obese people who attempt to lose weight slowly tend not to be successful in the first place. So, I suppose a moderately good rule of thumb is that losing weight should take at least, say, four to eight months, regardless of how much weight you have to lose (within reason). -- bicker® Watch Good Morning America on June 1 to meet members of the National Weight Control Registry, who share their experiences losing weight and keeping weight off for life. |
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Study credits Weight Watchers with helping many to keep weight off
A Sat, 29 May 2004 17:11:32 -0400, Steve
escribió: I think it would be cool if people who have reached maintenance modified the cools sigs people here use( I will get one soon ) to be: original weight/achieved goal weight/years maintained. 265/163/2 -- bicker® Watch Good Morning America on June 1 to meet members of the National Weight Control Registry, who share their experiences losing weight and keeping weight off for life. |
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Study credits Weight Watchers with helping many to keep weight off
A Sun, 30 May 2004 10:11:49 -0400, *bicker*
escribió: bicker® Watch Good Morning America on June 1 to meet members of the National Weight Control Registry, who share their experiences losing weight and keeping weight off for life. Just in case folks didn't see my other message, Good Morning America wrote back and said this report might float into June 2. -- bicker® Watch Good Morning America on June 2 to meet members of the National Weight Control Registry, who share their experiences losing weight and keeping weight off for life. |
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