Weight loss programs: Jenny Craig, Dean Ornish
Jenny Craig, world-renowned weight loss expert and author who co-founded the Jenny Craig Program more than 21 years ago with her husband, Sid. Credit: Handout
About 67 percent of U.S. adults age 20 or older are overweight or obese, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. So many bulging waistlines means quite a market for creators of diet plans. How do you decide which diet plan to try?
This is the second in a series evaluating diets. The research was done by Consumer Reports.
The program involves making lifestyle changes that incorporate three areas: a healthy relationship with food, physical activity, and balance and motivation in your life as a whole. Participants can sign up in person, by phone, or online; prepared meals and snacks are the core of the program.
Participants are given a customized plan built for them with the assistance of a "personal consultant" who coaches clients through their weight loss, as well as three meals and up to three snacks a day to be accompanied by fresh fruits and vegetables. The company says its meals teach clients about eating a nutritious, balanced diet that is high in fiber and moderate in fat and sodium.
Studies show: People who stick with the Jenny Craig plan lose considerable weight, according to Consumer Reports, but a study involving Jenny Craig client histories showed a high dropout rate. A clinical trial that followed program participants had better results.
ORNISH DIET
Based on the book "Eat More, Weigh Less: Dr. Dean Ornish's Life Choice Program for Losing Weight Safely While Eating Abundantly," by cardiologist Dean Ornish (Harper Paperbacks, 2000), the idea is that what you eat matters more than how much you eat. The book includes 250 low-fat recipes that, according to Ornish, can help you lose weight, lower cholesterol and decrease the risk of heart disease and other illnesses. The caveat? Adopting this diet means no alcohol, fish, meat, oils, sugar or white flour.
Studies show: Weight loss over the long term is average, according to Consumer Reports, but long-term adherence is below average. It also earned an average mark on the nutrition analysis scale.
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