It seems there is a constant barage of information in the press about the extent of the obesity crisis and the continually rising number of individuals who are overweight. The number of the adult population who are considered overweight according to the body mass index system is approaching 70% here in the UK. This flood of information telling us we are too fat in conjunction with the endless images of athletic or slim models serves as a significant motivation to try and lose weight. A survey in 1999 found that 71% of the population were relying on their diet to either lose weight or maintain previously lost weight. Many feel they are not able to achieve this on their own and seek support from 'experts' to help them lose the weight they are so desperate shed. In making the choice of who will provide the needed assistance it often comes down to who markets themselves best to gain the public's trust. Diet groups such as Weight Watchers and Slimming World attract a huge amount of clientele.
Regardless of whether their dietary systems work or not, Weight Watchers is a hugely successful business! They currently operate in 30 countries with over 1.5 million individuals meeting in more than 46,000 meetings each week. Their total revenue is mainly split between meeting fees (64%) and product sales (29%). The company has very low expenditure with excellent financial margins reaching 56.4% gross profit in 2009. Current market valuation sits at over 2,000 million dollars. Clearly there is a huge amount of money to be made in offering a solution to our overweight problems! The most common strategy chosen by weight loss groups is a low fat, higher carbohydrate approach with a restriction of total calories. The big question is whether or not it is worth it and how effective is the method chosen by most weight loss groups?
One study found that average weight loss over 6 months was 5.9kg with 4.4kg coming from body fat loss. Another found an average loss of 2.9kg after 2 years. This is not as impressive as the first result and showed a pattern of weight gain following the initial loss even when the dietary restriction method was maintained. Three other studies that investigated the long term success of calorie restricted, low fat diets found that the highest weight loss achieved using Weight Watchers was only 3.2% of initial weight after the 3 year follow up. What is apparent is that this approach provides a rapid weight loss in the first 3-6 months, but as time passes by weight lost cannot be maintained. This has been found to be the same across most low calorie and low fat weight loss approaches - in the long term they fail the individual! This relapse of weight is so common we even have a phrase for it - 'yoyo dieting'. What is concerning about this is that often people do not recognise that it is the low calorie, low fat method that has failed them and usually blame themselves for the inevitable regain in weight. This can lead to a difficult emotional rollercoaster of satisfaction at the intial loss and guilt and depression when the weight is regained. For those who have experienced this distress on a low fat, low calorie diet I want to say - Let go of the guilt and self defeat, it is not you it is weight loss strategy being used!
To get different results it is vital that you try something different. I don't mean trying Slimming World or Slim Fast instead of Weight Watchers, because the brand may have changed but the strategy is identical underneath. Research comparing low carbohydrate and Mediterranean diets have shown much better weight loss success even across a 2 year period. Perhaps the most important thing is to learn to feed the body the best quality foods you can afford. When we do this the total nutrient density of our diet increases. The biggest drive to eat, our appetite and cravings, comes from the need for nutrients, not for energy. Energy intake is important, but this will automatically be achieved when we eat nourishing foods that are high in nutrients - the vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients found in all naturally occuring foods grown or reared as Nature intended.