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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 5, 2026

Control of Eating Behavior Using a Novel Feedback System

Control of Eating Behavior Using a Novel Feedback System

Published on: May 8, 2018

Weight loss with self-help compared with a structured commercial program: a randomized trial.

Stanley Heshka¹, James W Anderson, Richard L Atkinson

¹New York Obesity Research Center, St Luke's/Roosevelt Hospital and Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. sh311@columbia.edu

|April 10, 2003

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

A 2-year study found that structured commercial weight loss programs led to greater weight reduction than self-help programs. While both approaches showed some benefits, commercial programs offered more significant and sustained weight loss results.

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Area of Science:

Obesity research
Behavioral medicine
Public health

Background:

Commercial weight loss programs serve millions but lack rigorous long-term efficacy data.
Evaluating long-term effectiveness of commercial vs. self-help weight management is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

To compare the efficacy of self-help weight loss versus a structured commercial program.
To assess weight loss and health benefits maintained over two years.

Main Methods:

A 2-year, multicenter randomized clinical trial involving 423 overweight/obese adults.
Participants were assigned to either a self-help program or a commercial weight loss program.
Primary outcome was weight change; secondary outcomes included body mass index and waist circumference.

Main Results:

The commercial weight loss program resulted in significantly greater weight loss at both 1 and 2 years compared to the self-help group.
Participants in the commercial group showed greater reductions in waist circumference and body mass index.
While biological parameters improved with weight loss, significant between-group differences were minimal by year 2.

Conclusions:

Structured commercial weight loss programs yield modest but superior weight loss compared to self-help interventions over a 2-year period.
The findings highlight the effectiveness of structured commercial programs for sustained weight management.