Diet Novelties .com

…„Weight Watchers International, Inc. today announced at a conference sponsored by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that it is launching a comprehensive two-year prospective study on weight loss that will be one of the most extensive studies of its kind ever conducted by any organization in the weight loss industry.

The study, which will be carried out at six geographically separate locations, will review weight loss, changes in body fat and a number of medical variables, such as blood pressure, EKG’s and serum chemistries. The results of the study will enable Weight Watchers to learn if its new weight loss program, 1.2.3 Success, is as successful as early reports indicate.

In addition, Weight Watchers also recommended that all providers of weight loss products and services adopt the New York Consumer Bill of Rights, which Weight Watchers has voluntarily been including in their free Welcome to Weight Watchers brochure since 1993. This booklet encourages consumers to consult with their physicians before starting any weight loss program, and tells consumers that they have a right to ask questions about the components, price and duration of the program.

Weight Watchers has set an industry standard by voluntarily providing each prospective member nationwide with a Weight Loss Consumer Bill of Rights that is based on the New York City model. “We believe that the weight loss industry has an important role to play in educating the consumer, as well as in collecting vital information about weight loss,” said Myron Winick, M.D., medical director for Weight Watchers International and Robert R. Williams professor of nutrition emeritus at Columbia University.

“That’s why Weight Watchers has supported several research studies on weight loss in the past, and has just launched a new two-year study to learn more about its own efficacy.”

One recent study, conducted by Weight Watchers International, found that Weight Watchers members who reach their goal and maintain their weight for six weeks have a greater than 50 chance of remaining at that weight for two years, and a greater than 30 chance of maintaining the reduced weight for five years. These data, which were obtained by actually weighing participants, supports the results of earlier studies.

Weight Watchers also supported a study by James M. Rippe, M.D., associate professor of medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, which is ready for publication. This study found that individuals who participated in a standard Weight Watchers program lost a significant amount of weight (6.07 kg plus or minus 4.01 kg) when compared with a control group. Similar results were obtained using body fat as a measurement. Therefore, it was learned that most of the individuals who remain on the Weight Watchers program for 12 weeks lose weight — at least 2 kg (4.4 pounds) and at most 10 kg (22 pounds).

Weight Watchers’ commitment to education, outreach and ongoing research is further reflected in its plans for the Weight Watchers Foundation to award an annual prize to a scientist or physician who has exhibited outstanding lifetime contributions to the study and treatment of obesity. The Foundation also hopes to initiate a new grant program supporting innovative approaches to teaching nutrition to medical students, interns and residents.

Weight Watchers’ philosophy has always been based on the premise that dieting alone is not a solution for long-term weight management. The Weight Watchers program is a multi-dimensional, comprehensive approach to learning how to lose weight. The Program is based on the belief that to lose weight safely and sensibly, a person must learn to eat more healthfully, increase physical activity and handle the personal challenges involved in changing their behavior.

“Weight Watchers is committed to serving our members both responsibly and intelligently, both as an individual provider of weight loss services, and as a leader of the weight loss industry,” said Karen Miller-Kovach, M.S., R.D., general manager, program development for Weight Watchers International.

Since its inception 34 years ago, Weight Watchers has taught more than 25 million members how to lose weight. Currently, approximately 600,000 people attend 19,000 meetings each week in the United States. And about 1 million people attend 29,000 weekly meetings worldwide. …”