Kickstart your weight-loss journey now—save 50% on a 12-month plan!

Weight Watchers vs. nutrition education in China

By Weight Watchers

Last updated January 26, 2024

Weight Watchers vs. nutrition education in China

In a 6-month randomized controlled trial of 300 Chinese adults (85% female, 48.7y, BMI 28.3 kg/m2), those in the Weight Watchers (WW) meetings and digital tools group lost significantly more weight than the nutrition education control group. Specifically, weight losses were -11.7 lbs vs -1.3 lbs, respectively.

The results, published in a 2016 issue of Obesity, also found that among those who completed the study, compared to nutrition education, those in WW were also 4.5 times more likely to lose at least 5% of their body weight (66.4% vs 14.5% respectively), and 7.9 times more likely to lose at least 10% of their body weight (33.1% vs 4.2% respectively), by 6 months.

Return to the Science Center

This content is for general educational and informational purposes. The content is not medical advice, does not diagnose any medical condition and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment from a healthcare provider. Talk to your healthcare provider about any medical concerns.

Weight Watchers relies on only the most trustworthy sources, including highly credentialed experts, government and academic institutions, peer-reviewed studies, and respected medical associations. We focus on primary sources and research that is recent, relevant, and high-quality. For more about how we report, write, and fact check our stories, please see our editorial policy.

Source: Yang, Z, et al.Evaluation of a community-based behavioral weight-loss program in Chinese adults: a randomized controlled trial.Obesity(Silver Spring). 2016;24(7): 1464-1470.

Trust: You need this newsletter.

The field of weight management is evolving–and fast. New research. New treatments. Lots of misinformation. Our clinical newsletter helps sort it all out.