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Weight Watchers vs professionally delivered obesity programs in the United States

By Weight Watchers

Last updated December 6, 2023

Weight Watchers vs professionally delivered obesity programs in the United States

Of 141 adults (90% female, 49.7y, BMI 36.2 kg/m2), those who followed Weight Watchers (WW; meetings and digital tools) for 48 weeks lost a statistically equivalent amount of weight as those who followed a professionally delivered behavioral weight-loss program (BWL). Specifically, -13.2 lbs vs -11.9 lbs, respectively.

The results of this 48-week randomized controlled trial, published in a 2013 issue of Obesity, also found that three times as many people in the WW meetings lost 10% or more of their body weight by 48 weeks than those who attended the professionally delivered weight-loss program (36.7% vs 13.0%, respectively).

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WeightWatchers 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.

Pinto AM, et al.Combining behavioral weight loss treatment and a commercial program: a randomized clinical trial.Obesity(Silver Spring).2013;21(4):673-680.

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