Two recent studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association have show that structured weight loss plans that include both fitness and diet advice are the best way for obese and severely obese people to lose weight.
In a study funded by Jenny Craig (she recently help Kirstie Alley lose 50 pounds) obese patients were provided with meal plans and exercise plans as part of a lifestyle change to encourage weight loss.
Once again there is proof that lifestyle intervention is the best way to tackle the obesity problem. Direct action, education, encouragement and a helping hand are the most effective ways to help people. Just handing over an information leaflet on weight loss and hoping that the patients take action is not enough.
Doctors need to prescribe exercise and encourage healthy eating with set meal plans to ensure that patients are able to stay on a diet and lose weight.
“It’s the components that are really important,” said Marcia Ory. “Maybe to sustain weight loss over time, we’re going to have to have the food product along with some counseling, along with physical activity. Any one by itself is not going to be as successful as all the approaches together.”
In the other study that was carried out by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Subjects were divided into 2 groups, one that started the weight loss plan with diet and exercise, and the other started with only diet and then started exercising after 6 months. Those that started exercising from the start of the program lost more weight than the others.
The main criticisms of these studies is that the obese patients received prepared meal plans throughout the weight loss course and that after the course they will have to prepare their own meals, something that some people may fail to do properly.
However, this just emphasis how important it is to empower people to learn how to lose weight and get fit by following a home based fitness and weight loss plan.
Over the last couple of years there have been many studies on weight loss and these are the key conclusions:
- Diet without exercise reduces weight loss success
- Exercise without diet reduces weight loss success
- Weight loss clubs are most effective at helping people to lose weight
- Most people are still not aware of the health problems of obesity
With so many excellent weight loss plans on the market at the moment, anyone can easily follow a tried and tested weight loss program that includes fitness and diet guidance. Also weight loss communities, such as MotleyHealth.com, provide all the support that a person needs.
Really everyone that has worked in the weight loss and fitness industry for any length of time already knows that this method is the best way to lose weight. It is just taking government so long to put into place any solid initiatives to encourage people to actually follow these teachings.
References
Rena Wing, Ph.D., professor, psychiatry and human behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, R.I.; Keri Gans, R.D., spokeswoman, American Dietetic Association; Cheryl L. Rock, Ph.D., R.D., professor, family and preventive medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine; Marcia G. Ory, Ph.D., regents professor, social and behavioral health, and director, Aging and Health Promotion Program, Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health, College Station; Oct. 9, 2010, presentations, Obesity Society annual meeting, San Diego; Oct. 27, 2010, Journal of the American Medical Association