Doctors, it seems, may not be the best place to go for advice when it comes to helping their patients lose weight. According to researchers, you’d be far better off joining your local Slimming World, Weight Watchers or Rosemary Conley slimming group.
An NHS funded study which tracked 140 obese men and women over a period of three months, found that people who joined a slimming club lost twice as much weight as those who relied on their GPs advice.
All dieters were randomly allocated a different dieting strategy which included joining one of three commercial slimming clubs, having one-to-one sessions with their GP, nurse or pharmacist, attending an NHS slimming group or using their own method.
After the trial, it was found that dieters following any of the NHS services did no better than those who devised their own methods. But overall, dieters attending the well recognized slimming groups lost an average of nine pounds over the three months, which was about twice as much weight as the others.
Professor Paul Aveyard, of the Birmingham University, says groups such as Slimming World, Weight Watchers and Rosemary Conley offered the best hope for those trying to fight obesity. He believes that the support and approval from club members can be of greater benefit to dieters and that GPs should send obese patients to commercial sessions, paid for by the NHS, rather than trying to treat them themselves. Also in favour of slimming clubs, GP Dr Ian Campbell, from charity Weight Concern, says “Having support from other people in your situation can really motivate you to lose weight.”
These groups can not only help you lose weight, they help teach dieters how to make healthy choices when choosing their food. This is particularly helpful for the long term since many dieters who follow fad diets for quick weight loss often regain everything they lost because they haven’t changed their habits.
An NHS funded study which tracked 140 obese men and women over a period of three months, found that people who joined a slimming club lost twice as much weight as those who relied on their GPs advice.
All dieters were randomly allocated a different dieting strategy which included joining one of three commercial slimming clubs, having one-to-one sessions with their GP, nurse or pharmacist, attending an NHS slimming group or using their own method.
After the trial, it was found that dieters following any of the NHS services did no better than those who devised their own methods. But overall, dieters attending the well recognized slimming groups lost an average of nine pounds over the three months, which was about twice as much weight as the others.
Professor Paul Aveyard, of the Birmingham University, says groups such as Slimming World, Weight Watchers and Rosemary Conley offered the best hope for those trying to fight obesity. He believes that the support and approval from club members can be of greater benefit to dieters and that GPs should send obese patients to commercial sessions, paid for by the NHS, rather than trying to treat them themselves. Also in favour of slimming clubs, GP Dr Ian Campbell, from charity Weight Concern, says “Having support from other people in your situation can really motivate you to lose weight.”
These groups can not only help you lose weight, they help teach dieters how to make healthy choices when choosing their food. This is particularly helpful for the long term since many dieters who follow fad diets for quick weight loss often regain everything they lost because they haven’t changed their habits.
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