Choosing a Safe 

and Successful

Weight-loss Program

WIN Weight-control Information Network

If your health care

provider tells you

that you should lose

weight and you

want to find a

weight-loss program

to help you, look for

one that is based on

regular physical

activity and an

eating plan that is

balanced, healthy,

and easy to follow.

Choosing a weight-loss program may be a difficult task. You may not

know what to look for in a weight-loss program or what questions to

ask. This fact sheet can help you talk to your health care professional

about weight loss and get the best information before choosing a

program.

Talk With Your Health Care Professional 

You may want to talk with your doctor or other health care

professional about controlling your weight before you decide on a

weight-loss program. Even if you feel uncomfortable talking about

your weight with your doctor, remember that he or she is there to help

you improve your health. Here are some tips:

■ Tell your provider that you would like to talk about your weight.

Share your concerns about any medical conditions you have or

medicines you are taking.

■ Write down your questions in advance. 

■ Bring pen and paper to take notes.

■ Bring a friend or family member along for support if this will make

you feel more comfortable.

■ Make sure you understand what your health care provider is saying.

Ask questions if there is something you do not understand.

■ Ask for other sources of information like brochures or websites. 

■ If you want more support, ask for a referral to a registered dietitian,

a support group, or a commercial weight-loss program.

■ Call your provider after your visit if you have more questions or

need help.
Ask Questions

Find out as much as you can about your health

needs before joining a weight-loss program. Here

are some questions you might want to ask your

health care provider:

About Your Weight 

■ Do I need to lose weight? Or should I just

avoid gaining more?

■ Is my weight affecting my health? 

■ Could my excess weight be caused by a medical

condition such as hypothyroidism or by a

medicine I am taking? (Hypothyroidism is

when your thyroid gland does not produce

enough thyroid hormone, a condition that can

slow your metabolism—how your body creates

and uses energy.) 

About Weight Loss

■ What should my weight-loss goal be? 

■ How will losing weight help me?

About Nutrition and Physical Activity

■ How should I change my eating habits? 

■ What kinds of physical activity can I do? 

■ How much physical activity do I need? 

About Treatment

■ Should I take weight-loss medicine?

■ What about weight-loss surgery?

■ What are the risks of weight-loss medicine or

surgery?

■ Could a weight-loss program help me?

A Responsible and Safe 

Weight-loss Program

If your health care provider tells you that you

should lose weight and you want to find a weightloss program to help you, look for one that is

based on regular physical activity and an eating

plan that is balanced, healthy, and easy to follow.

Weight-loss programs should encourage healthy

behaviors that help you lose weight and that you

can stick with every day. Safe and effective weightloss programs should include:

■ Healthy eating plans that reduce calories but do

not forbid specific foods or food groups. 

■ Tips to increase moderate-intensity physical

activity.

■ Tips on healthy behavior changes that also keep

your cultural needs in mind.

■ Slow and steady weight loss. Depending on

your starting weight, experts recommend losing

weight at a rate of 1/2 to 2 lbs per week. Weight

loss may be faster at the start of a program.

■ Medical care if you are planning to lose weight

by following a special formula diet, such as a

very low-calorie diet. 

■ A plan to keep the weight off after you have lost it. 

Get Familiar With the Program

Gather as much information as you can before

deciding to join a program. Professionals working

for weight-loss programs should be able to answer

the questions listed below.

What does the weight-loss program consist of?

■ Does the program offer one-on-one counseling

or group classes?

■ Do you have to follow a specific meal plan or

keep food records? 

■ Do you have to purchase special food, drugs, or

supplements? 

■ Does the program help you be more physically

active, follow a specific physical activity plan, or

provide exercise instruction? 

■ Does the program teach you to make positive

and healthy behavior changes?

■ Is the program sensitive to your lifestyle and

cultural needs? 

What are the staff qualifications?

■ Who supervises the program? 

■ What type of weight management training,

experience, education, and certifications do the

staff have?

Does the product or program carry any risks?

■ Could the program hurt you?

■ Could the recommended drugs or supplements

harm your health?

■ Do participants talk with a doctor?

■ Does a doctor run the program?

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■ Will the program’s doctors work with your

personal doctor if you have a medical condition

such as high blood presure or are taking

prescribed drugs?

How much does the program cost?

■ What is the total cost of the program? 

■ Are there other costs, such as weekly attendance

fees, food and supplement purchases, etc.?

■ Are there fees for a follow-up program after you

lose weight?

■ Are there other fees for medical tests?

What results do participants typically have?

■ How much weight does an average participant

lose and how long does he or she keep the

weight off? 

■ Does the program offer publications or materials

that describe what results participants typically

have?

If you are interested in finding a weight-loss

program near you, ask your health care provider

for a referral or contact your local hospital. 

For additional, general information, contact:

Weight-control Information Network (WIN)

1 WIN Way

Bethesda, MD 20892-3665

Phone: (202) 828-1025

Toll-free number: 1-877-946-4627

FAX: (202) 828-1028

Email: WIN@info.niddk.nih.gov

Internet: www.win.niddk.nih.gov

These publications from WIN offer more

information on weight-loss programs,

healthy eating, and physical activity:

Active at Any Size, a brochure from WIN to help very

large people become more physically active. National

Institutes of Health (NIH) Publication No. 04-4352.

Updated April 2004. 

Better Health and You: Tips for Adults, a brochure on

healthy eating, part of the series Healthy Eating and

Physical Activity Across Your Lifespan. 

NIH Publication No. 04-4992.

Updated June 2004. 

Very Low-calorie Diets, a fact sheet for health

professionals. NIH Publication No. 03-3894.

January 2003.

Weight Loss for Life, a brochure offering sensible

weight-control advice. NIH Publication No. 04-

3700. June 2004.

Additional Resources

Federal Trade Commission

Consumer Response Center

600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20580

Phone: (202) FTC-HELP (382-4357)

Toll-free number: 1-877-382-4357 

Internet: www.ftc.gov/index.html

For the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

publication Weight Loss: Finding a Weight Loss

Program that Works for You, go to

www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/health/wgtloss.pdf.

For the FTC publication Weighing the Evidence in

Diet Ads, go to

www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/health/evidence.htm.

International Food Information Council

Foundation

1100 Connecticut Avenue, NW

Suite 430

Washington, DC 20036

Phone: (202) 296-6540

Internet: www.ific.org

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Weight-control

Information

Network

1 WIN WAY

Bethesda, MD 20892-3665

Phone:

(202) 828-1025

Toll-free number:

1-877-946-4627

FAX:

(202) 828-1028

Email:

WIN@info.niddk.nih.gov

Internet:

www.win.niddk.nih.gov

The Weight-control Information

Network (WIN) is a national 

information service of the National

Institute of Diabetes and Digestive

and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of

the National Institutes of Health

(NIH), which is the Federal

Government’s lead agency

responsible for biomedical research

on nutrition and obesity.

Authorized by Congress (Public

Law 103-43), WIN provides the

general public, health professionals,

the media, and Congress with upto-date, science-based health

information on weight control,

obesity, physical activity, and

related nutritional issues.

Publications produced by WIN are

reviewed by both NIDDK

scientists and outside experts. This

fact sheet was also reviewed by

Susan Z. Yanovski, M.D., Director,

Obesity and Eating Disorders

Program and Co-Director, Office

of Obesity Research, NIDDK. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health

NIH Publication No. 03-3700

May 2003

Updated February 2006