As the obesity epidemic in Western countries increases, scientists continue to search for new ways to tackle the problem. This article looks at three recent studies investigating the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of different weight-loss treatments.
Not All Weight-loss Programmes Are Equal
Advice from commercial organizations such as Weight Watchers and Slimming World, or even celebrities like Rosemary Conley, may be more helpful than primary health-care weight-loss programmes, according to researchers from the University of Birmingham, UK.
Compared with counselling by a general practitioner or pharmacist, these “(c)ommercially provided weight-management services are more effective and cheaper”, say the authors of the study, published earlier this month in the British Medical Journal.
The researchers found that slimmers who received primary care counselling lost significantly less weight than those enrolled in commercial programmes. In fact, they shed no more pounds than the members of a control group who received no advice or support at all.
Commercial programmes also seemed to be more popular among the study’s participants – the attendance rate was highest for Weight Watchers meetings and lowest for primary care sessions.
Web-based Weight-loss Programme for Kids Ineffective
A weight-loss programme aimed at 12- and 13-year-olds has also proved less successful than expected. Researchers in the Netherlands had hoped that interactive computer activities would help reduce obesity in children by encouraging healthy eating and exercise. Two years after completing the programme, however, the kids who had taken the internet-based course were no less likely to be obese than schoolmates who had not participated. There were also no differences between the average body mass index and waist measurements of the two groups.
The programme did reduce the number of sugary drinks and snacks the kids consumed during the first few months. In their report in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, the study’s authors suggest that the course was probably too brief to change their habits over the long term.
According to Gary Bennett, who studies obesity prevention at Duke University, Durham, the outcomes of such interventions may be improved by providing mobile phone apps that give kids up-to-the-minute feedback on what they are eating and how much they are exercising.
Weight-loss Therapy Can Benefit the Whole Family
Although the Dutch trial was largely unsuccessful, finding effective ways to reduce lifelong obesity remains important – and not just for slimmers. A study from Italy has discovered that, when obese people were given cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), other members of the family also lost weight.
CBT is a “talking treatment” that aims to change the patient’s attitude towards food, eating and other lifestyle habits. After 12 to 15 group sessions, the study’s participants had lost an average of two pounds and were eating a little more healthily. A more surprising result, however, was that the participants’ close relatives had lost even more weight – six pounds on average – and had significantly reduced their intake of fat, refined carbohydrates and sugary drinks.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, suggests that the family members may have altered their own habits to support their relatives’ attempts to lose weight. Another possibility is that the family had the changes imposed upon them, since most of the CBT patients were women and therefore more likely to be responsible for food shopping and preparing meals.
Whatever the explanation, the study’s authors point out that the potential effects on obese patients’ families should be taken into consideration when evaluating the cost-effectiveness of CBT for weight loss.
Sources
Behavioral Therapy for Obesity May Help Family Too. Accessed 30-11-11
Effects of Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment for Weight Loss in Family Members. Accessed 30-11-11
Weighing Weight-Loss Programs: Commercial Ones Found More Effective, Cheaper than Primary-care Programs. Accessed 30-11-11
Web Program Doesn’t Help Kids Keep the Weight Off. Accessed 30-11-11
Disclaimer
The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or to guide treatment without the opinion of a health professional. Any reader who is concerned about his or her health should contact a doctor for advice.
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