Consumer Reports magazine released an examination of diet programs on May 10 2011 and the top method of losing weight, according to its findings, is the Jenny Craig weight-loss program. The ratings are available online and will be out in the magazine's June edition.
The report is intended to give dieters an overview and help them make a dieting method choice right for them, Nancy Metcalf, the senior program editor of Consumer Reports Health, said in a press release. Jenny Craig is a program which combines counseling and peer support with prepackaged meals and home cooked side dishes.
Jenny Craig Over Weight Watchers, Says Report
Consumer Reports Health ranked 7 programs in the following order: 1) Jenny Craig; 2) Slim-Fast; 3) Weight Watchers; 4) The Zone; 5) Ornish; 6) Atkins; 7) Nutrisystem. They used a point system for ranking and one of factors that seems to have Jenny Craig out in front, getting 85 out of 100, well above the others, is the inclusion of weekly counselor sessions and other support.
Rankings were based on rating the programs according to their ability to deliver nutritional calories and produce weight loss in the short and long term. The cost of each program and how easy they are to follow was also considered. Consumer Reports Health took into account a study published in the Journal of American Medical Assoc. in Oct. of 2010 that found Jenny Craig to be a program that is successful in helping dieters lose weight and keep it off.
Slim-Fast, which is a program of purchasing bars and home-made dinners that includes online support, was given 63 points out of 100. The venerable Weight Watchers program was given 57 out of 100 and is a program that also features regular support meetings; with Weight Watchers the the option of receiving your support online is available.
Best Diet "One You Can Stay On"
Metcalf pointed out in the press release that the pre-packaged meal aspect of the Jenny Craig program may be a sticking point for some. She noted that a program that helps the dieter "stick with it" is more likely to be successful.
"The point of the report is to give dieters a side-by-side comparison of the main diet programs so they can choose for themselves," Metcalf said. "Jenny Craig is worth considering but if you don’t like the idea of eating pre-packaged meals, it may not be the best option for you. The best diet is the one that you can stay on because if you can’t stick with it, then you won’t lose weight, nor will you be able to keep off any weight you do manage to lose.”
Consumer Reports Magazine
Consumer Reports Magazine began in 1936 and publishes reports on a variety of products, from weight loss products to electronic products, cars, home and garden products and products for children. They conduct their own testing and have a subscription service.
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