How to Chose a Weight-Loss Program

By Barbara C. Bourassa

The New Year is right around the corner, and if you're like many women, your end-of-year resolution includes a promise to lose weight. Because weight loss is such a big business, there are literally hundreds of options out there, from popular, longstanding programs like Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers to lesser-known books, DVDs, websites, or "magic" diets you might hear about from your hairdresser.

How can you sort out the options and figure out which weight-loss program is best for you? Weight-loss experts offer these tips for success: Start by understanding what your body needs, then factor in your lifestyle, do some research, and last but not least, remember to be realistic. It is also important, that before you begin any weight-loss program that you consult your physician.

Understand What Your Body Needs

"I think it's important to match your diet to your genetic profile," says Barbara Olendzki, R.D., of the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Mass. "If you tend to gain weight above the waist, then you're at higher risk of heart disease, and you need a diet with heavy emphasis on fiber, less saturated fat, and reduced refined carbohydrates, such as sweets." (In most medical circles, this body type is referred to as an apple.)

If you fit the apple profile, the Weight Watchers High Carbohydrate plan or the New Glucose Revolution plan are a good choice, says Olendzki, who, along with her colleagues, recently conducted a study to evaluate which diet plans are the most heart healthy. The study results, published in the October 2007 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, rated weight-loss plans on the Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), which "analyzes the balance of protective and detrimental" aspects of a diet, says Olendzki. The study gave each plan up to 70 points; the Weight Watchers and New Glucose plans scored 57.4 and 57.2 points, respectively.

The top scorer, the Ornish diet, received 64.6 points. But Olendzki admits that this is a tough plan for most people to follow. "This is a very low fat diet, and you have to do a lot of home cooking," she notes. "It's not as versatile for eating out."

If, on the other hand, you are shaped more like a pear, or tend to gain weight below the waist, it's more straightforward, says Olendzki. "We're talking more exercise and less calories."

Choose a Program That Fits Your Lifestyle

"It's really hard to lose weight on your own, especially for women," Olendzki continues. "Historically, women are very connected to food. We tend to be the ones that are shopping for food, preparing food, and serving food. This is part of the reason why many women have food issues."

For Carolyne Call, who has lost 40 pounds over the years on Weight Watchers, the weekly meetings and online support have proved critical. "I love Weight Watchers because it allows for flexibility, which is key for me," says Call, who lives in Granger, Indiana. "It's very easy in the sense that you never have to feel deprived of anything, which is usually an issue with me. I think the best feature of all, however, is that it actually teaches you how to eat better and make healthier choices."

In her opinion, Weight Watchers is best for people who are realistic about the kind of time and effort losing weight requires. "It is not a quick fix—there actually is no such thing," she says. "But if people stick to the program it works. No doubt about it."

For Gena Patch, a 40-something mother of two in North Andover, Mass., Jenny Craig was the right answer. Over the past five months, Patch has lost 25 pounds on the popular weight-loss program that involves eating only foods purchased from Jenny Craig. "I had done Weight Watchers before, and I thought it was too easy to cheat," she says. "This way, Jenny Craig provides the meals. If it's not in a Jenny Craig box, then I don't eat it."

For people who don't like to cook, don't have time to attend meetings, or don't want the responsibility of making choices, the Jenny Craig program might be right, says Patch. For others, including those who don't like packaged food or suffer from food allergies, other options may be better.

"The best diet is the one you can stick to," says Nancy Metcalf, Health Editor for Consumer Reports magazine. "If at first you don't succeed, try try again—there's no one perfect diet."

Consumer Reports (www.consumerreports.org) has written extensively on diet plans, diet books, and the myth of diet pills. Based on their research and surveys, Metcalf says, "In general, the diets that do best over the long term are those that most resemble how people actually eat and that don't restrict to much." Her advice: Try one of these plans, such as Weight Watchers, The Best Life by Bob Greene, or Volumetrics, to start.

Be Realistic

"Only 20 percent of people actually lose weight and keep it off," Metcalf says. "Of those, we know that they monitor themselves, they do a lot of exercise, and they watch what they eat."

Metcalf offers one other important piece of advice: Avoid nutritional supplements that promise weight loss. "At best they are ineffective, and at worst they are dangerous," she says. "The ads are very enticing—but there's no evidence that they work. Most of them are loaded with caffeine, and that can be very dangerous for someone who is overweight or who has high blood pressure. It's far better to get into exercise and find a healthy eating plan."