Most Commercial Weight Loss Programs Don't Work

It turns out that only a few weight-loss programs work. Scientists have reviewed 4,200 studies for solid evidence of the effectiveness of weight-loss programs and have discovered that only a few dozen of them meet the scientific gold standard of reliability.

"Primary care doctors need to know what programs have rigorous trials showing that they work, but they haven't had much evidence to rely on," said Kimberly Gudzune, one of the researchers, in a news release. "Our review should give clinicians a better idea of what programs they might consider for their patients."

The researchers found that of 32 major commercial weight-loss programs marketed nationwide, only 11 have been rigorously studied in randomized controlled trials. Of these studies, they found only two programs that are supported by gold-standard data showing that participants, on average, lost more weight after one year in these programs that people who were either dieting on their own, got printed health information, or received other forms of education and counseling sessions.

"Clinicians could consider referring patients who are overweight or obese to Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig," write the researchers. "Other popular programs, such as NutriSystem, show promising weight-loss results, but additional studies evaluating long-term outcomes are needed."

The findings are published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

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