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Do Commercial Diet Plans really work?
Newswise — The holidays have passed… it’s already February… and
still, consumers are bombarded with
commercials touting the benefits of various
commercial diet programs. But which ones
really work?
Nutrition experts at the Moores UCSD Cancer Center are seeking
overweight women to participate in The FAB
(Food, Attitudes and Body) Study, a research
study analyzing the effectiveness of one of
these commercial diet programs.
UCSD is coordinating the multi-center study which will
include a total of 440 participants from San
Diego, Tucson, Minneapolis, and Portland.
The team is looking for motivated women who
need to lose weight.
“What we’re measuring is whether or not one of these commercial
programs is truly effective,” said Cheryl
Rock, M.D., Ph.D., Moores UCSD Cancer
Center.
“It’s an altruistic effort. We just want to know if it works. Our
preliminary study indicates that this could
be a useful alternative for consumers and
physicians.”
Participants must be:
•18 years or older,
•overweight (BMI between 25 and 40)
•able to participate in physical activity
•willing and able to participate in
individualized counseling and attend clinic
visits over a two-year period
Background
According to Rock, previous studies have suggested that a
commercial weight loss program has the
potential to promote a degree of weight loss
that is the same or better than traditional
counseling or medical interventions.
The program that will be studied incorporates several features
that have independently been observed to
promote weight loss and maintenance, such as
individual counseling, low-energy density
diet, prepackaged foods, and increased
activity.
Results have shown improvement in blood lipid levels, heart
disease risk and fitness level.
Previous study participants showed an average weight loss of
about 8 percent, a loss that was still
maintained after one year. But, this
approach has never been tested in a major,
randomized trial.
“While the weight loss is very important, maintenance is usually
the bigger problem,” said Bilgé Paik-Camras,
assistant clinical professor, family &
preventive medicine, Cancer Prevention &
Control Program, Moores UCSD Cancer Center.
“Many people lose weight only to put it all
back on, if not more, months later.”
“Obesity is a major concern,” added Rock. “We know our healthcare
system can’t manage the problem alone.
"There
aren’t enough counselors, doctors and
dietitians to handle this. It would be nice
to know some community-based commercial
programs are useful and doctors may be able
to recommend them with some level of
confidence.”
For more information, and to determine eligibility, contact the
Project Coordinator at: 858-822-6162.
About Moores UCSD Cancer Center
Founded in 1979, the Moores UCSD Cancer Center is one of just 40
centers in the United States to hold a
National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation
as a Comprehensive Cancer Center. It ranks
among the top centers in the nation
conducting basic, translational and clinical
cancer research, providing advanced patient
care and serving the community through
innovative outreach and education programs.
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