A new study reveals which commercial weight loss programs are the most effective in the long haul and only a few of them are actually quite effective.

A research team from Johns Hopkins attempted to assist physicians guide obese and overweight patients willing to try commercial diets or weight loss programs.

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The team examined 4,200 studies to obtain solid evidence about the effectiveness of commercial weight loss programs. They concluded there were only a few dozen that were backed-up by actual scientific research.

New findings from the research reveal that out of 32 major commercial weight loss programs available to the U.S. market, only 11 were tested by in-depth studies and controlled trials.

Only two programs were supported by reliable scientific data. Participants lost weight after one year of engaging in these programs as opposed to people that dieted on their own or those that received printed information and other forms of education and counseling.

Researchers also noted the results of these programs were modest. Participants lost three to five percent more than the study's control groups consisting of participants that didn't join weight loss programs.

Researchers determined that Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers were the most reliable commercial diet programs. This conclusion was supported by clinical trials lasting 12 months or more.

Another weight loss program called NutriSystem also maintained weight loss for more than three months compared to counseling or education alone, but researchers were unable to find any long term trials for this program.

The key factor in these weight loss programs were meals that were replaced by very low calorie substitutes. These meals allowed participants to lose more weight in a span of four to six months than those who didn't join the program. There's a risk to these effective weight loss programs and these are complications such as gallstones.

Weight loss programs based on the Atkins diet, which is high in protein and fat but low in carbohydrates, were the most effective, according to researchers.

This study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

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