Average Weight Loss of Almost 33 Pounds at 1 Year; Women Lose Slower at First, but Results Similar at 1 Year
With over 136 million overweight and obese Americans, about 66% of the adult population, choosing the right weight loss plan is critical. Unfortunately, traditional diets such as Weight Watchers, Atkins, and Ornish lead to less than 7 pounds of weight loss at 1 year.
Craig Primack, M.D. and Robert Ziltzer, M.D. presented their research at The Obesity Society meeting in San Diego, CA on October 9-12, 2010. They showed a retrospective study of adult participants at Scottsdale Weight Loss Center, from 2006 to 2008 with BMI > 30. The patients were under full or partial meal replacement, sometimes using weight loss medications for qualified patients. Average weight loss was 22.5 lbs at 2 months, 36.3 lbs at 6 months and 37.5 lbs at 9 months. Average weight loss at 1 year was 32.7 lbs.
“What was interesting was that men lost more quickly at first, but women caught up later. As a result, the weight loss was about the same at 1 year,” according to Dr. Primack. Dr. Ziltzer adds, “What we have found is that using a weight loss plan supervised by a doctor who specializes in weight loss yields superior results. We show that combining the appropriate diet, education, medications and support is much more effective than trying to diet on your own.”
The Obesity 2010 meeting brings together the leading players in the field of obesity from world-renowned speakers, researchers and clinicians to educators, advocates, policymakers and practitioners. For more information see http://www.obesity.org