Diet Success

Weight loss success rates: Improving your odds

You've lost the weight, but can you keep it off? The bad news is, according to well-publicized studies, 95 percent of all dieters who lose weight will gain it back in five years or less. Weight Watchers scores better marks in this regard. In one of their studies of participants, half of all dieters who reached their goal weight were still at least 5 percent lighter after five years (to be fair, this study involved Weight Watchers participants who succeeded in the program and did not include data for dropouts). A Consumer Reports survey turned up more encouraging statistics. Close to 25 percent of respondents to the magazine's survey said they had lost at least 10 percent of their total body weight and kept it off for a year. For a 200-pound person, that's at least a 20-pound weight loss -- a significant health benefit. What's more, over 80 percent of the successful dieters told Consumer Reports they did it on their own, creating their own exercise and meal plans.

This reinforces the views of other weight-loss experts. Reviews say that the best diet programs are flexible and sustainable, and that a successful plan must be adaptable to the individual. That's why experts favor Weight Watchers, which allows for two important elements that help people lose weight -- flexibility and support.

Repeated studies show that the more continuous the support provided and the more tailor-made that support (ideally, human interaction), the more weight was shed and stayed off. A 2007 study by the Obesity Society comparing a self-help eDiets.com program to a therapist-led structured behavioral weight-loss program showed that those dealing with a real person lost more weight. A 2003 study by the American Medical Association concluded almost the same thing: at every point during the study, weight loss in the in-person support group was greater than that of the self-help group.

But what if you're a do-it-yourselfer? Successful weight loss doesn't require you to be on a formalized diet plan (i.e. Weight Watchers, Atkins, etc.), but it's important to have the right information when you start a weight-loss program on your own. Your doctor or health provider should be able to recommend a diet and exercise plan that's right for you. One tactic is to focus on improving your health and fitness rather than achieving a particular weight or clothing size. Just as with the commercial programs, a balanced diet and exercise regime is the way to go.

Whichever eating plan you choose, weight-loss experts say to avoid diet pills and diet fads -- like eating baskets of grapefruits or gallons of cabbage soup. While reviews say no one diet plan is successful for everyone, some approaches are generally regarded by reviewers and experts as either useless, dangerous or both. Any approach that promises quick weight loss should be avoided. You might lose water weight easily but you gain it back just as quickly. Diets that ignore the importance of exercise, especially strength building, are liable to result in loss of muscle rather than body fat. That can make it even harder to lose weight in the future and put you at an increased risk if you regain weight.

Experts say the best routes to sustainable weight loss are based on solid nutritional advice, exercise, accountability and support. In the Consumer Reports survey, successful dieters listed physical activity as their most important weight-loss strategy. The number two strategy cited was individual counseling and guidance. Face-to-face support is cited by the Journal of the American Medical Association as a key component to maintaining weight loss over time.