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With 65% of U.S. adults now overweight, and almost 1 out of 3 obese, there are plenty of folks ready to spend some of their hard-earned money to shed some extra pounds. The annual revenue for the diet industry is believed to be more than $30 billion.

Is that money well spent?

According to an “Evaluation of Major Commercial Weight Loss Programs in the United States” published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, not so much.

The researchers’ conclusion,

With the exception of 1 trial of Weight Watchers, the evidence to support the use of the major commercial and self-help weight loss programs is suboptimal. Controlled trials are needed to assess the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of these interventions.

That’s 1 successful trial out of 3 for Weight Watchers. The results for other programs were even more dismal. The authors also noted, “Because many studies did not control for high attrition rates, the reported results are probably a best-case scenario.”

Our conclusion; you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get good advice on losing weight. Getting information from a doctor you trust, regular perusals of the health news, and seeking support from friends, loved ones, and/or a no-cost group in your community would be a good start to a comprehensive approach to a healthier you. Go one step at a time. Just getting started will make you feel better.

The review was conducted at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. The authors were Adam Gilden Tsai, MD, and Thomas A. Wadden, PhD, with thanks to Kirstin Byrne, MS, for research and editorial assistance.

To read the review in the Annals of Internal Medicine go to: Systematic Review: An Evaluation of Major Commercial Weight Loss Programs in the United States