If you have tried losing weight on your own without success, you are not alone. In fact, research shows that you are the norm. A recent study followed over 9,000 adults who enrolled themselves in a popular chain of weight-loss and exercise centers in Sweden. Over a year, program clients lost an average of 11 to 25 pounds, depending on how strict they were willing to get with calories.
This study confirms earler findings which followed participants in a few different commercial programs, namely that: people in these programs lose more weight over an extended period than people assigned to “usual care” – a term generally used to refer to advice from a doctor or dietitian.
Erik Hemminsson, the researcher who led the study in Sweden, attributes the success of these programs to the support dieters receive, a facet which he deemed “absolutely critial”.
The full study can be viewed in the September issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.