Diets With Group Support May Help Keep Weight Off Longer

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Diets With Group Support May Help Keep Weight Off Longer

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=44410

Commercial diets are a useful way to lose weight. And those based on

group support seem to fare better at keeping the weight off in the

long term, finds a study in this week's BMJ.

Researchers compared the effectiveness of four popular commercial

weight loss programmes with a control group. The study was sponsored

by the BBC as part of its reality TV series, BBC Diet Trials.

The diets were the Slim-Fast Plan (a meal replacement approach),

Weight Watchers pure points programme (an energy controlled diet with

weekly group meetings), Dr Atkins' new diet revolution (a self-

monitored low carbohydrate eating plan), and Rosemary Conley's eat

yourself slim diet and fitness plan (a low fat diet and weekly

exercise class). The control group was asked to maintain their

current diet and exercise pattern.

Weight and body fat changes were monitored over six months and

dieting behaviour was checked again at 12 months.

After six months, all diets resulted in significant loss of body fat

and weight compared to the control group. Average weight loss was 5.9

kg and average fat loss was 4.4. kg (5-10% of body weight). The

Atkins diet resulted in significantly higher weight loss during the

first four weeks, but by the end, was no more or less effective than

the other diets.

There were no significant differences in cardiac risk factors between

the diet groups and the control group. The Atkins diet did not lead

to substantial increases in cholesterol levels.

At 12 months, 158 participants (54% of the original sample) returned

data. Only 58 (45%) were still keeping to their allocated diets (nine

to Atkins, 20 to Weight Watchers, nine to Slim-Fast, 20 to Rosemary

Conley). More participants in the unsupported programmes (Atkins diet

and Slim-Fast) withdrew from the study than in the supported group

based programmes, and weight rebound after the initial six months was

higher in the unsupported programmes.

The authors conclude that clinically useful weight loss and fat loss

can be achieved in adults who are motivated to follow commercial

diets for a substantial period. People need to find a diet that best

suits them.

" Our study provides data on how much weight patients can expect to

lose by dieting, " they write. " These data could help practitioners in

managing patients' expectations of weight loss targets. "

An accompanying editorial suggests that the challenge to researchers

is to take weight loss studies to the next level by evaluating long

term health outcomes, cost effectiveness, and novel strategies of

improving adherence and weight maintenance.

Randomised controlled trial of four commercial weight loss programmes

in the UK: Initial findings from the BBC 'diet trials;' BMJ Volume

332, pp 1309-11