Jenny Craig Works: Scientific Study!
I’ve been noticing all the studies showing dietitians, phoning and contact with professionals helps. Once again, it looks like structured programs do help people lose weight.
Prnewswire reports:
At 12 Months, Participants in the Jenny Craig Weight Loss Program Realized an Average Weight Loss of 8% of initial weight (16 lbs), Compared to an Average of 1% (less than 2 lbs) Weight Loss for Those in Control Group
Admittedly, the study is funded by Jenny Craig itself, but the results do fall inside the pattern we’ve been seeing in other studies. Professional assistance helps.
Remarking on this story, Cheryl L. Rock, PhD, RD, Professor of Family & Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego says:
“Previous studies have documented that individual factors such as prepackaged meals, a low calorie density menu, physical activity, and individualized counseling can effectively promote weight loss. But what makes the program we studied unique is that it combines all of these factors into a comprehensive approach that resulted in both successful weight loss for the participant group at six months and maintenance of that loss at one year. Maintenance of this loss suggests the commencement of lifestyle changes for those individuals participating in the program.”
I’m afraid I find these professional programs expensive. So I try to imitate the key successes. For example: I read Volumetrics and have begun incorporating more vegetables in many of my recipes; this lowers the energy density of my food. I joined Curves: that’s for physical activity. And, I pre-package and freeze ahead my own meals in portion controlled servings. (And, hey, my old jeans are no longer tight, so I seem to have been making progress during the past month!)
Still, clearly for many people, particularly busy ones, a professionally designed program helps. If you can’t combine all these factors on your own, visiting a program like Jenny Craig may actually help.