By Olivia B. Waxman | @OBWax | October 11, 2012
Good news for people who do Weight Watchers: a study pitting the commercial weight-loss program against professionally directed weight loss treatments found that dieters stuck with Weight Watchers longer and were more likely to lose weight.
Researchers led by Angela Marinilli Pinto, an assistant professor of psychology at Baruch College in New York City, randomly assigned 141 overweight or obese men and women to one of three groups: a behavioral weight-loss treatment led by a health professional; Weight Watchers, whose weight-loss groups are led by peer counselors; or a hybrid program that started with 12 weeks of behavioral weight loss treatment, followed by 36 weeks of Weight Watchers. All programs lasted a total of 48 weeks.