EmailBest Reviewed
Weight Loss Programs
- Best weight-loss program overall Weight Watchers *Est. $20
- Best diet plan with prepackaged food Slim-Fast *Est. $40
- Best online weight-loss community eDiets.com *Est. $4
- Best diet program for vegetarians Dean Ornish Eat More, Weigh Less *Est. $15
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Best weight-loss program overall
- Effective in clinical studies
- Prepackaged food not required
- Flexible plans
- "Point" system hasn't convinced all critics
Weight Watchers is reviewed by numerous medical and general-interest publications, including Consumer Reports magazine, The Journal of the American Medical Association, the British Medical Journal, Health magazine and WebMD.com. We also consulted user opinions of this plan on TopDiets.com.
Weight Watchers has been subjected to the most clinical studies of all the weight-loss programs. This program encourages a sensible diet of healthy, ordinary foods, combined with exercise and a positive attitude. Weight Watchers is also flexible, reviewers say, which makes it easier to stick with, and its costs are reasonable. In-person group meetings and weigh-ins are the cornerstone of the Weight Watchers diet plan; the food plan demands strict calorie control, but does not require the purchase of prepackaged food. Critics of the plan say counting "points" doesn't necessarily encourage healthier eating, but overall, Weight Watchers has a vastly better long-term record than any other diet plan, including Slim-Fast (*est. $40 per week for shakes/bars).
Our Sources
1. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
Eight well-known weight-loss programs, including Weight Watchers, are evaluated and rated by Consumer Reports magazine. Each plan receives an overall score based on adherence to nutritional guidelines set down by the 2005 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the results of published randomized clinical studies.
Review: Diet Plans: What the Studies Say, Editors of Consumer Reports, June 2007
2. The Journal of the American Medical Association
This article details the results of a two-year study comparing dieters on the Weight Watchers plan and those on a self-help plan. At every point during the study, weight loss in the commercial group is greater than that of the self-help group.
Review: Weight Loss with Self-Help Compared with a Structured Commercial Program, Stanley Heshka, et al, Apr. 9, 2003
The BBC "diet trials" is a medical study that follows the ups and downs of 293 dieters on Weight Watchers, Atkins, Slim-Fast, The Rosemary Conley Plan (a U.K.-based diet and exercise program) and a self-regulated control group. Dieters reporting continued success are those on the Weight Watchers and Rosemary Conley plans, suggesting that these diets are easier to stick with than Slim-Fast or Atkins.
Review: Randomised Controlled Trial of Four Commercial Weight Loss Programmes in the U.K.: Initial Findings from the BBC "Diet Trials", Helen Truby, et al., May 23, 2006
Health magazine reviews more than 40 diets and weight-loss programs. Weight Watchers is said to be the best, most proven option.
Review: Health Eating: Diet Guide, Maureen Callahan, M.S., R.D.
5. WebMD.com
Twenty-four popular diets are reviewed here, starting with what the diet entails and how it works, and ending with a section titled "What The Experts Say." Experts sing the praises of Weight Watchers, Volumetrics and Dean Ornish's vegetarian low-fat diet.
Review: Which Diet Is Right for You? Get the Facts on Popular Diet Plans to Help You Decide., Editors of WebMD.com
6. TopDiets.com
Nearly every weight-loss option is listed on this dieters' bulletin board. About a dozen people write comments for Weight Watchers. Nearly all say they had great success, but a few say it ended up being expensive.
Review: Diet Reviews, Contributors to TopDiets.com
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