Commercial Weight Loss Programs
Authors: Linda Gotthelf
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2005)

Letters21 June 2005Commercial Weight Loss ProgramsLinda Gotthelf, PhDLinda Gotthelf, PhDFrom Health Management Resources, Boston, MA 02111.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-142-12_Part_1-200506210-00017 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:While I applaud Drs. Tsai and Wadden's call for more outcome data from weight loss programs (1), I was mystified by their conclusion. Because of the narrow criteria Tsai and Wadden imposed, several recent studies from Health Management Resources were not included. While randomized, controlled trials are one type of study, other available data should not be ignored. Ongoing data from treatment programs should be considered valid since a natural “control” group exists in overweight, nondieting Americans (people, on average, are gaining ≥0.45 kg [≥1 lb] yearly) (2). Furthermore, the authors call for “naturalistic studies” that follow ...References1. Tsai AG, Wadden TA. Systematic review: an evaluation of major commercial weight loss programs in the United States. Ann Intern Med. 2005;142:56-66. [PMID: 15630109] LinkGoogle Scholar2. Rothacker DQ, Blackburn GL. Obesity prevalence by age group and 5-year changes in adults residing in rural Wisconsin. J Am Diet Assoc. 2000;100:784-90. [PMID: 10916516] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Anderson JW, Brinkman-Kaplan VL, Lee H, Wood CL. Relationship of weight loss to cardiovascular risk factors in morbidly obese individuals. J Am Coll Nutr. 1994;13:256-61. [PMID: 8077574] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Official USDA Food Plans: Cost of Food at Home at Four Levels, U.S. Average, November 2004. Accessed at www.cnpp.usda.gov/FoodPlans/Updates/foodnov04.pdf on 4 January 2005. Google Scholar5. U.S. Department of Labor. Consumer Expenditures in 2002. Accessed at www.bls.gov/cex/csxann02.pdf on 4 January 2005. Google Scholar6. Hart K, Greenwood H, Truby H. Pound for pound? Comparing the costs incurred by subjects following four commercially available weight loss programmes. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2003;16:365. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Health Management Resources, Boston, MA 02111.Disclosures: Employment (Health Management Resources). PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoSystematic Review: An Evaluation of Major Commercial Weight Loss Programs in the United States Adam Gilden Tsai and Thomas A. Wadden Commercial Weight Loss Programs Adam Gilden Tsai and Thomas A. Wadden Commercial Weight Loss Programs Adam Gilden Tsai and Thomas A. Wadden Metrics 21 June 2005Volume 142, Issue 12_Part_1Page: 1023-1024KeywordsCohort studiesConflicts of interestData managementEatingExerciseFoodHypertensionMedical risk factorsOverweightWeight loss ePublished: 21 June 2005 Issue Published: 21 June 2005 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2005 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...