Commercial weight loss programmes better than those at health centres

Weight Watchers, Slimming World and Rosemary Conley weight loss programmes could be more effective than services at GP surgeries.

According to a study published on the British Medical Journal website, researchers at the University of Birmingham compared people taking part in the three programmes over the course of 12 weeks to ones led by specially trained staff at health centres.

A total of 740 obese and overweight men and women took part in the trial.

After one year, significant weight loss did occur in all groups apart from those taking place at a health centre.

The programme to achieve the greatest weight loss was Weight Watchers.

The researchers say: “Our findings suggest that a 12 week group based dedicated programme of weight management can result in clinically useful amounts of weight loss that are sustained at one year.

“Commercially provided weight management services are more effective and cheaper than primary care based services led by specially trained staff, which are ineffective.”