Annex 1
THE EVIDENCE BASE UNDERPINNING WEIGHT WATCHERS'
APPROACH
1. PUBLISHED
STUDIES ON
EFFECTIVENESS
Weight Watchers has good evidence that people
following the programme lose significant amounts of weight and
maintain that weight loss over long periods of time (Heshka et
al 2003)
For example two studies have shown that over 50%
of Weight Watchers members who reached their target weight five
years previously, had retained a weight loss of at least 5% of
their starting weight (Lowe et al, 2001, 2004). This compares
very favourably with most other weight loss interventions in which
virtually all weight successfully lost is regained at five years.
The results of a recent systematic review concluded
that Weight Watchers is the only commercial weight loss programme
in the USA with good quality data supporting its effectiveness
(Tsai and Wadden, 2005). In other words Weight Watchers is the
only programme in the US with an underpinning evidence base. We
believe the same to be true in the UK.
2. THE EVIDENCE
UNDERPINNING SWITCH
In addition the SWITCH programme is based on
a mass of theory and research including:
— Weight Watchers own market research
on the habits of their members who have successfully lost weight
and kept it off.
— Clear and consistent evidence indicating
that a behavioural approach is a necessary ingredient in successful
weight loss and weight maintenance interventions (Health Development
Agency 2003).
— Prochaska and DiClemente's (1996)
"Stages of Change" model together with Miller and Rollnick's
work on motivational interviewing and health behaviour change
(Rollnick et al 1999, Miller and Rollnick 2003).
3. REFERENCES
Health Development Agency (2003) The management
of obesity and overweight: an analysis of reviews of diet, physical
activity and behavioural approaches. Health Development Agency
London.
Heshka S et al (2003) Weight loss with
self-help compared with a structured commercial programme: a randomised
trial. Journal of the American Medical Association, 289, 14; 1792-1798.
Lowe M R et al (2001) Weight-loss maintenance
in overweight individuals one to five years following successful
completion of a commercial weight loss programme. International
Journal of Obesity 25: 325-331.
Lowe M R et al (2004) Long-term follow
up assessment of successful dieters in a commercial weight loss
programme, International Journal of Obesity, 28, Suppl 1 S29 T5:
03-003.
Miller W and Rollnick S (2003) Motivational
Interviewing: Preparing People to Change Addictive Behaviour.
The Guildford Press: New York.
Prochaska J, DiClemente and Norcross (1996)
Changing for Good: A Revolutionary six-stage program to overcoming
bad habits and moving your life positively forward. The Guildford
Press: New York.
Rollnick S et al (1999) Health Behaviour
Change: A Guide for Practitioners. Churchill Livingstone: Edinburgh.
Tsai AG, Wadden TA . (2005) Systematic review:
An evaluation of major weight loss programmes in the United States.
Ann. Intern. Med. 142, 56-66.
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