Weight Loss Programs Reviews

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Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Weight Loss Programs Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. Consumer Reports >> Details/Subscribe	Diet Plans: What The Studies Say Editors of Consumer Reports June 2007		Eight well known weight loss programs are evaluated and rated by Consumer Reports. Each gets 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. At least 40 participants test each diet; the results are noted at three months, six months and a year. Nutritional analysis was done on a week's worth of menus for each program, and higher scores were assigned to those diets more closely conforming to the standard U.S. nutritional guidelines. Since the standard encourages 45% to 65% of one's caloric intake to come from carbohydrates, low-carb diets like Atkins are penalized from the very beginning.
2. Journal of the American Medical Association	Comparison of the Atkins, Zone, Ornish, and LEARN Diets for Change in Weight and Related Risk Factors Among Overweight Premenopausal Women C. Gardner et al Mar. 7, 2007		In this clinical study, 311 overweight/obese premenopausal women are randomly assigned to follow the Atkins, Zone, LEARN or Ornish diets, and the degree of weight loss was compared at 12 months. Weight loss was greater for women in the Atkins diet group compared with the other diet groups. Weight loss was not statistically different among the Zone, LEARN and Ornish groups. Secondary outcomes, like lipid profiles, triglycerides and blood pressure for Atkins were comparable to or more favorable than the other diet groups. While questions remain about long-term effects and mechanisms, a low-carbohydrate, high-protein, high-fat diet may be considered a feasible alternative recommendation for weight loss, according to the results here.
3. Journal of the American Medical Association	Comparison of the Atkins, Ornish, Weight Watchers, and Zone Diets for Weight Loss and Heart Disease Reduction M. Dansinger, J. Gleason, J. Griffith, H. Selker, E. Schaefer Jan. 5, 2005		This study assigns groups of 40 overweight individuals to follow the Atkins, Dean Ornish, Weight Watchers or Zone diets. At the one-year mark, 25 percent of participants who stuck to their diet lost more than five percent of their body weight, regardless of which plan they followed. There is no correspondence between the weight a person loses and the plan he or she is on. What does make a difference across the board is whether or not an individual sticks to their plan. Those on Weight Watchers and the Zone plans were likelier to stick with their plan long-term. It seems that ultimately it's sticking to a diet, rather than the type of plan, which matters most.

Weight Loss Programs Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Weight Loss Programs Ratings Comments on Reviews

4. Consumer Reports >> Details/Subscribe	The Truth about Dieting Editors of Consumer Reports June 2002		In a Consumer Reports survey of more than 32,000 dieters, nearly 25 percent of respondents lost at least ten percent of their starting weight and maintained their weight loss for at least a year; a standard, if modest, measure of weight loss success. Of the successful dieters, 83 percent said that they did it on their own, designing their own eating and exercising programs based on their needs and preferences. One-on-one counseling with a professional was ranked a distant second in importance to their successful weight loss. The review also examines some of the biophysiology of weight loss strategies, e.g. blood sugar, protein, food density and fat, and the importance of persistence. Consumer Reports does not try to rate diets in this article.
5. The North American Association for the Study of Obesity	Effect of Internet Support on the Long-Term Maintenance of Weight Loss Jean Harvey-Berino, Stephen Pintauro, Paul Buzzell and Elizabeth Casey Gold 2004		This study looks at 255 healthy overweight and obese adults who participated in a six-month behavioral weight control program conducted over interactive television. The participants were then assigned either frequent in-person support, minimal in-person support or Internet support to help maintain their weight loss. The researchers concluded that the participants assigned to an Internet-based weight maintenance program achieved weight loss similar to those individuals who continued to meet face-to-face (over an 18-month period). They concluded that the Internet appears to be a viable medium for promoting long-term weight maintenance. No particular diet plans are rated.
6. Journal of the American Medical Association	Weight Loss With Self-Help Compared With a Structured Commercial Program Stanley Heshka et al Apr. 9, 2003		This article details results of a two-year study comparing dieters assigned to follow the Weight Watchers plan to 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. And by the end of the study, dieters who follow Weight Watchers lose significantly more weight than those in the self-help group. About a third of the participants in the self-help group do enroll in or attempt some sort of weight loss program – Weight Watchers, TOPS, Zone, Jenny Craig, Atkins and herbal weight loss products. The most successful dieters are those Weight Watchers participants who continue to attend group meetings.
7. The North American Association for the Study of Obesity	The Efficacy of a Technology-based System in a Short-term Behavioral Weight Loss Intervention K. M. Polzien, J. M. Jakicic, D. F. Tate, and A. D. Otto Apr. 1, 2007		This study covers 57 subjects participating in a 12-week intervention with random assignment to one of three plans: a standard in-person weight loss program, an intermittent technology-based weight loss program or a continuous technology-based weight loss program. Group 1 subjects receive seven individualized weight loss sessions encouraging dietary and exercise modifications. Group 2 and Group 3 subjects receive the same, and additionally, use an armband to monitor energy expenditure along with an Internet-based program to monitor eating behaviors. Weight loss is greatest for Group 3 (the group using the technology-based program continuously) and worst for Group 2 (the group using the technology-based program intermittently). In other words, technology used only intermittently as a weight loss measure is worse than just showing up for a standard weigh-in.
8. BMJ (British Medical Journal)	Randomized controlled trial of four commercial weight loss programmes in the UK: initial findings from the BBC "diet trials" Helen Truby, et al. 2006		The BBC "diet trials" is a medical study (also chronicled as reality TV) following the ups and downs of 293 dieters on Weight Watchers, Atkins, Slim-Fast, The Rosemary Conley Plan (a UK-based diet and exercise program) and a self-regulated control group. BBC sponsors the study and funds the dieters for six months, after which they are left to their own devices. This journal publication details the findings of the study, which are very similar to those of JAMA (above). At six months, dieters who stick to their plan lose about the same amount of weight, regardless of the plan they follow. Beyond the study, dieters reporting continued success are those on the Weight Watchers and Rosemary Conley plans, suggesting that these diets are easier to stick to long-term than Slim-Fast and Atkins.
9. Health >> Details/Subscribe	Health.com Diet Guide Maureen Callahan, M.S., R.D. As of Jan. 2008		Editors at Health magazine review over 40 diets and weight loss programs. Each gets a lengthy overview and an analysis by a dietician, doctor or fitness professional. You can click on a maximum of three diets at once and see them compared side by side. While there are no ratings or clinical tests conducted, the write-ups are detailed enough to help you make a decision. Weight Watchers is said to be the best, most proven plan. Most other plans get a mixed but balanced review.
10. Diet Television	Diet List Editors of DietTV.com As of Jan. 2008		A social networking site in the vein of eDiets.com, but with no fees for any of the services, DietTV has, by far, the most comprehensive listing of all the diets out there (nearly 80). Each diet summary shows a list of loves and hates, what makes the diet different, nutritionist ratings of what you can/can't eat divided into five subcategories (carbs, red meat, fruits & vegetables, milk & dairy and alcohol) and a section on community rating divided into seven subcategories (fast weight loss, feeling healthier, simple rules, etc.). Despite all the information provided, neither the diets nor their subcategories are given numerical rankings, so it is hard to tell at a glance what diet might be better than any other. There is a link from each diet review to join up with that diet, track weight loss and exercise goals and join a support group.
11. The North American Association for the Study of Obesity	Weight Loss on the Web: A Pilot Study Comparing a Structured Behavioral Intervention to a Commercial Program B. C. Gold, S. Burke, S. Pintauro, P. Buzzell, and J. Harvey-Berino Jan. 1, 2007		This study compares the effectiveness of a structured behavioral weight loss website (VTrim) vs. a commercial weight loss website (eDiets.com) amongst 124 overweight people. Analyses are performed for the 88 subjects who have completed follow-up data. VTrim participants have access to a therapist-led structured behavioral weight loss program delivered online, while eDiets.com subjects have access to a self-help commercial online weight loss program. Repeated-measures analyses show that the VTrim group lost significantly more weight than the eDiets.com group at six months and maintained a greater loss at 12 months.
12. New England Journal of Medicine >> Details/Subscribe	A Self-Regulation Program For The Maintenance Of Weight Loss Rena R. Wing, Ph.D., et al Oct. 12, 2006		This study takes 314 dieters who have lost more than ten percent of their body weight in the past two years and gives them the maintenance skills to try to keep the weight off. Participants are given the same information over the course of the 18 months, but via three different channels: one group receives face-to-face intervention, another has Internet-based support and the third is a control group receiving only quarterly newsletters. All groups gained weight at the end of the 18-month study, but the face-to-face group fared the best. Authors point to weighing yourself regularly as a critical component of maintaining weight loss.
13. Archives of Internal Medicine	A Randomized Trial Comparing Human e-Mail Counseling, Computer-Automated Tailored Counseling, and No Counseling in an Internet Weight Loss Program D. F. Tate, E. H. Jackvony, and R. R. Wing Aug. 14, 2006		This study documents 192 adults randomly assigned to one of three Internet-based treatment groups: no counseling, computer-automated feedback or human e-mail counseling. All participants received one weight loss group session, coupons for meal replacements and access to an interactive website. The human e-mail counseling group received weekly e-mail feedback from a counselor, and the computer-automated feedback group received automated, tailored messages. At three months, completers in both the computer-automated feedback and human e-mail counseling groups had significantly greater weight losses compared with the no counseling group, with those receiving human e-mail content losing slightly more weight. At six months, weight losses were significantly greater in the human e-mail counseling group than in the computer-automated feedback or no counseling groups.
14. Tufts University School of Nutrition and Science Policy Newslet	Weighing In On The South Beach Diet Editors of the Health and Nutrition Letter May 2004		In this article, the South Beach Diet gets taken to task for faulty science, inconsistencies and nutritional inaccuracies. Tufts editors say that unless you have diabetes, the rise and fall of blood sugar that the South Beach Diet promises to stabilize is not actually a problem. They also explain the eight- to 13- pound weight loss in the first week of the diet as water loss. Water molecules attach themselves to carbohydrates, so when you eat zero carbs for a week, stored carbs must come out to fuel your body and those carbs release their water molecules. There are apparently some flat-out contradictions within the book itself; an example is a chocolate/banana recipe at the back of the book for use during Phase 2 of the diet, when bananas are not permitted. Another is that watermelon is full of sugar and cantaloupe is not, when both really contain the same sugar content. The author admits that you will lose weight following this diet, which is not an unhealthy one, but the weight lost on South Beach is due to the diet's low caloric intake, not its chemistry.
15. Healthy Weight Forum	Choosing the Right Diet Editors of HealthyWeightForum.org As of Jan. 2008		This site has lots of helpful information about how to choose the right diet. It reviews most of the popular book-based diets – Atkins, South Beach, Zone – as well as the newer Mediterranean diet, the more esoteric Mayo Clinic Diet and the unusual yet scientifically proven short-term Special K Diet. Each review contains a description of the diet and how it is thought to work, as well as the arguments for and against the diet's efficacy and safety. The reviews are thorough, balanced and informative, yet diets are not ultimately ranked and do not receive ratings.

Weight Loss Programs Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Weight Loss Programs Ratings Comments on Reviews

16. Cool Running Magazine	The Truth Behind The Atkins, Zone, and South Beach Diets Kimberly Mueller MS, RD Oct. 26, 2005		This article highlights the abundance of sound research showing the profound benefits associated with high carbohydrate intake, including optimal mental functioning, muscle glycogen saturation, enhanced fat burning, protection against protein and muscle breakdown and improved immune function, which contraindicates the wisdom passed onto dieters from the Atkins, Zone and South Beach Diet regimes, all of which encourage low carbohydrate intake. This site features a top ten list of reasons why low carbohydrate diets should be avoided. To be fair, if one is not very athletic, many of these provided reasons won't seem to strike a chord, but one should keep in mind that for any diet to work, exercise is a critical part of the process.
17. Ergogenics.org	‘Prove It,' Scientists Tell Diet Companies No author listed Jan. 3, 2005		This article, attributed to The New York Times, talks about a then new study which found little evidence that commercial weight loss programs are effective in aiding participants in dropping excess weight. Virtually no rigorous studies of the popular programs have been carried out, and the Federal Trade Commission cannot force any of the diet companies to perform studies. It is noted that in the handful of studies which have been performed that have met the investigators' criteria, hardly any of the companies report data for everyone who enrolls in the programs; they only include people who have completed the programs, inflating the overall results, since participants wouldn't drop out if their weight loss was succeeding as envisioned. The investigators' conclusions are that licensed doctors could do as well as these programs in helping people shed the excess weight.
18. American Council on Exercise (ACE)	What You Buy Isn't Always What You Get Editors of ACE FitnessMatters Not Dated		This article profiles how an independent testing organization, ConsumerLab, has discovered that a majority of nutrition bars make claims they can't back up by evidence. Low-carb bars are among the fastest growing segment of the $1.5 billion snack bar market. Of the 30 low-carb bars tested, 18 were improperly labeled, including the Atkins Advantage nutrition bar. Half the bars contained more carbohydrates than listed. Many companies make the low-carb claim by not including the polydextrose and glycerine, both complex carbohydrate sweeteners, in their carbohydrate count. The FDA recently ruled that these and other sweeteners such as xylitol must be included in the count of total carbohydrates, and bars that contain these sweeteners cannot be labeled as low-carb.
19. Toronto Vegetarian Association	Going Vegetarian? Dietitians Of Canada And The American Dietetic Association officially say it can be healthy. Unattributed June 1, 2003		This journal position paper, reproduced from the Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research and the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, reveals that vegetarian diets can be healthy and is lent credibility in that this paper was not originally published or sponsored by any vegetarian/vegan food organization or society. Even vegan diets can meet current recommendations for all the body's nutritional needs. There are also plenty of health benefits to eating a vegetarian diet if one is rigorous about meal planning and nutrition. Vegetarians as a population have a lower BMI (body mass index) than meat-eaters and are at a lower risk for such health problems as heart disease, high cholesterol and even cancer. The authors of the joint position statement have also developed a Vegetarian Food Guide modeled after Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating and the United States Department of Agriculture's Food Guide Pyramid.
20. WebMD.com	Evaluate The Latest Diets Editors of WebMD.com As of Jan. 2008		Twenty-four popular diets, including Dean Ornish, Dr. Phil, Weight Watchers and Volumetrics, are given comprehensive and impartial reviews, starting with what the diet entails and how it works, and ending with a section entitled ”What The Experts Say.” Experts sing the praises of Weight Watchers, Volumetrics and Dean Ornish's vegetarian low-fat diet. No evaluation is made of the South Beach Diet or Slim-Fast, just a summary of the diet's philosophy.
21. American Heart Association	Shifting carbs, protein, and fats can lower heart disease Meeting Report of the American Heart Association Nov.15, 2005		According to researchers who conducted clinical trials at the American Heart Association, substituting protein, half from plant-based sources or monounsaturated fats for 10% of dietary carbs, can reduce the chances for heart disease. Researchers studied 164 adults with higher-than-normal blood pressures. Participants were on one of three diets: carb-rich DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), which emphasizes fruit, veggies, and low-fat dairy, a diet which shifted 10% of its calories to protein compared to DASH and a diet which shifted 10% of its calories to unsaturated fat. All diets lowered blood pressure, but the higher protein diet did so at the expense of also lowering good HDL cholesterol. The increased fat diet nearly matched the protein diet in further blood pressure reductions but raised HDL. However, the protein diet had the effect of lowering triglycerides (a fat in the blood) by twice as much as the monounsaturated fat diet.
22. Epicurious	Prepared Diet Food: The Good, the Bad, and the Unhealthy Megan O. Steintrager, Heather Tyree Not Dated		This article compares the quality of prepared diet food among five popular weight loss programs: eDiets, the Zone, Jenny Craig, NutriSystem and PureFoods. A week's worth of full meal plans was tested. Vast differences are noted in quality from company to company. Rankings reflect flavor, nutrition, convenience, portion size, variety and similarity to real food, along with customer service. eDiets ranks the highest, with the second most expensive plan, the Zone, coming in second. Jenny Craig, constantly derided for its expensive and required prepared foods next to diets which don't require them, was actually the next-to-cheapest plan, with unfortunately, the next-to-worst rated food, too
23. CBSNews.com	Good News For Weight Watchers May 28, 2004		This article describes the results of a Weight Watchers study that found half of all dieters who reached their goal weight through Weight Watchers were still at least five percent lighter after five years. It doesn't sound like much of an achievement, but since nearly all dieters, whatever their plan, eventually return to their old weight, maintaining a 5% loss over a significant period of time is a major success. This study is the most rigorous investigation of a commercial weight loss program, before or since. Studies conducted on obese people enrolled in hospital-based experiments regained one-third to one-half of the weight they lost within a year, almost all of it back within five years. This study involved 870 lifetime members of Weight Watchers. (Lifetime members are those who've reached their goal weight and maintain it for six weeks.)

Weight Loss Programs Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Weight Loss Programs Ratings Comments on Reviews

24. Freedieting.com	The Best Weight Loss Programs and Diets that Work Editors of Freedieting.com As of Jan. 2008		Freedieting.com covers over 40 popular diets, including two weight loss plans for kids, and gives each a score: diets rated more than three stars are worth a look, but those with three stars and below are apparently questionable. The site's top pick is DietWatch because it is nutritionally sound, all online and customizable. Other top-ranked picks (in order of ranking) include the Sonoma Diet, Diet.com, Burn The Fat and Weight Watchers, with eDiets, Zone, Mediterranean, Slim-Fast and Atkins still scoring passable rankings. NutriSystem, based on eating low glycemic index foods, is their meal replacement favorite, though Medifast is reviewed favorably for those with 75+ pounds to lose, and Trim Kids is recommended for children and teens. They have less favorable impressions of Jenny Craig, LA Weight Loss and Herbalife because of costs and complexity. eDiets, formerly much higher rated, is docked because of a high number of complaints about their cancellation policy, although this should have no bearing on the effectiveness of eDiets' weight loss approach.
25. Epinions	Diet Programs Contributors to Epinions As of Jan. 2008		Epinions' material on diet programs consists of very minimal summaries of the actual diet programs and anecdotal ratings from individual users. Although these are not as credible as head-to-head comparisons, they do provide individual experiences which may or may not be helpful to read. Unfortunately, user rankings do not take into account the number of reviews posted, and most of the diets listed here do not have a large enough range of reviews to be able to draw some kind of broad conclusion.
26. Internal Revenue Service	Weight-Loss Programs May Be Tax Deductible Internal Revenue Service Apr. 2002		This news release about Revenue Ruling 2002-19 states that some weight loss programs may be deductible on your taxes as a medical deduction. The deduction is subject to a number of limitations and does not apply to all programs or cover food cost. Someone diagnosed by his doctor as obese or as suffering from hypertension, for example, would quality. The ruling distinguishes those cases from situations in which people might wish to participate to improve their general health or appearance.
27. MSNBC	Weight-loss plan emphasizes moral support The Associated Press July 14, 2004		This brief report profiles the TOPS (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly) program, which provides members with support and accountability as they work out their own nutritional program. TOPS is compared favorably with Weight Watchers because it is less costly. The emphasis is on support and counseling rather than individual diet plans.

Weight Loss Programs Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Weight Loss Programs Ratings Comments on Reviews

28. TopDiets.com	Diet Reviews Contributors to TopDiets.com As of Jan. 2008		This is a dieters' bulletin board with nearly every weight loss option listed, including diets not seen elsewhere like Slim Mints and the Subway diet. Along with a short description of the plan/procedure and a star rating, actual users and presumably participants comment on individual plans and vote. In theory, that sounds great, except that some suspiciously worded postings sound a bit too much like spam testimonials to pass the credibility test and there is no comparison between plans. Still, if you have the time to read individual postings and can weed the good from the bad, individual experience anecdotes are refreshing and may be of benefit to prospective dieters. Having done our own weeding out, Sure Slim, Weight Watchers, South Beach, eDiets and Atkins are leading the pack. The Glucose Revolution is the only plan to receive a perfect five-star rating, but with too few respondents to warrant inclusion in our picks. Many other highly rated diets here, like Body Flex, Pace and the Perricone Diet were omitted for similar reasons.
29. MSNBC	Losing It: Dateline's The Ultimate Diet Challenge John Larson Jan. 5, 2004		It would be a stretch to call this a "study," but Dateline's Ultimate Diet Challenge does compare six adults following six different weight loss plans over the course of one year in preparation for their high school reunion. Each individual meets with a nutritionist to come up with a plan suited to his or her lifestyle. The resulting picks are: Weight Watchers, Jorge Cruise, Atkins Diet, marathon training, hypnosis + exercise and Slim-Fast. The article lacks hard facts and analysis, but gives a realistic look at the ups and downs of sticking to a diet plan through injury, vacation temptation and life's day-to-day dramas. All six participants lose weight, three reach their goal and one runs a marathon.