A new study suggests weight-loss programs such as Weight Watchers may be just as beneficial as clinical programs likely because both use group-based approaches to achieve weight loss, according to U.S. News and World Report.

"Group-based weight-loss treatment produced weight loss, whether delivered by a professional or peer counselor," study author Angela Pinto, assistant professor of psychology at Baruch College of the City University of New York, told U.S. News and World Report. "When people are in a group with others on the same journey, they feel there is that element of, 'OK, this worked for him or her, perhaps it will work for me. Perhaps I can give it a try.'"

Pinto and her colleagues assigned 141 overweight and obese people to one of three groups. The first group was assigned to 48 weeks of behavioral weight-loss treatment from a health professional, the second participated in Weight Watchers for 48 weeks and the third received combined treatment the first 12 weeks were spent with a health professional and the next 36 weeks in Weight Watchers.

Pinto chose Weight Watchers because it is the largest commercial program in the United States, according to U.S. News and World Report.

After 48 weeks, participants in the Weight Watchers Group had lost the most weight 13.2 pounds while those in a professional program lost 11.9 pounds. The combination group lost 7.9 pounds on average.

Furthermore, the participants in in the Weight Watchers group were more likely to lose 10 percent or more of their starting weight than the other groups. Losing 10 percent of body weight is widely considered as a bench mark for reducing disease risk.

The study was published Tuesday in the journal Obesity.

Click for more from U.S. News and World Report.

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Study: Weight Watchers comparable to clinical weight loss programs

New Zealands largest and most successful weight-loss organisation has partnered with renowned chef, Pete Evans, to launch an ambitious, integrated campaign - Plate of our Nation. This national movement will investigate the root causes of New Zealands growing obesity problem in a bid to offer real solutions to get the nation healthy again.

Following an analytical research report that will give New Zealand a real insight into the deepening obesity crisis, the campaign aims to create debate on the nations attitudes to food, exercise and obesity through social media, the Plate of our Nation Facebook and Twitter page and http://www.plateofournation.co.nz.

The Plate of our Nation website is the centerpiece of the movement, providing a focal point for the nation to get behind the cause. Visitors will also be able to take a survey to see how they compare with the rest of the nation in terms of food knowledge and cooking skills. The website will include practical hints and tips; from shopping and cooking ideas, to recipes, together with experts from the fields of nutrition, exercise, psychology, obesity research and fashion providing advice, insight and action.

Plate of our Nation launches today, Wednesday 10 October, and is led by PR and social media, with the integrated campaign further bought to life through print and digital. QR codes have been placed on print collateral to take users to the Plate of our Nation mobile site.

Commenting on the Plate of our Nation campaign, Weight Watchers Australasia Managing Director, Joseph Saad: "As the leader in weight management we saw it as our duty to take a bold stand and help lead New Zealand to a healthier future. Put simply we created the Plate of our Nation movement to bring the obesity epidemic to the fore and the integrated campaign explains this in a simple and engaging way but most importantly, puts debate and the nations opinion at its core. Everyone can have their say because we truly believe that the public can collectively help us create positive solutions and changes among New Zealand families and homes."

Spearheading this movement alongside Weight Watchers, renowned chef and health advocate, Pete Evans added: "As a nation, weve swapped fresh for fast, quality for convenience and our knowledge of food and cooking skills are in decline. Combine this with more demanding and stressful lifestyles and New Zealand is simply not giving food and mealtimes the respect they deserve. I am truly delighted to lead the Weight Watchers Plate of our Nation movement, to rally the nation and positively influence this issue and the growing obesity epidemic in this country."

Sarah Hanrahan, NZ Nutrition Foundation Dietitian, is also giving the campaign her full support. "Kiwis are fast becoming some of the heaviest people in the world. Its time we took a good hard look at our eating habits and our attitudes towards food and start the debate around what we can change in our own backyard."

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Weight Watchers launches social movement

hCGTreatments / Diet Doc hCG Diet and Weight Loss Plans announces the first prescription weight loss pill of it's kind. This prescription weight loss pill that contains Green Coffee Extract is the prescription diet pill of it's kind in the USA.

Birmingham, AL (PRWEB) October 09, 2012

hCGTreatments / Diet Doc hCG Diet and Weight Loss Plans announces the first prescription weight loss pill of it's kind. This prescription weight loss pill that contains Green Coffee Extract is the prescription diet pill of it's kind in the USA.

hCGTreatments / Diet Doc hCG Diet and Weight Loss Plans announced their unique prescription weight loss pills containing green coffee extract for fast weight loss. Green coffee bean is rich in chlorogenic acid, a polyphenol anti-oxidant which is also the active ingredient and its related compounds. It isnt present in commercial coffee as the roasting process breaks down chlorogenic acid. These weight loss drops from hCGTreatments / Diet Doc hCG Diet and Weight Loss Plans is standardized to 50% chlorogenic acid. By inhibiting the release of G6P (glucose 6 phosphate, this extract reduce glycogenolysis in the liver (conversion of glycogen to glucose) and stabilizes blood sugar. As a result, lesser amounts of sugar are released into the blood stream, thereby helping people maintain the health blood sugar levels.

Additionally, these prescription weight loss pills boost fat mobilization by the liver especially while in ketosis to keep up with the energy requirements of the body, resulting in fast weight loss. hCGTreatments / Diet Doc hCG Diet and Weight Loss Plans recommends a starting dose of 2 prescription weight loss pills a day, each containing 400 mg of green coffee extract. Clinial studies also showed that pills containing green coffee extract are extremely beneficial for patients with type II diabetes or insulin resistance as they could help them ketoadapt faster by shortening their Phase II.

According to an epidemiological study conducted in Italy, coffee has the greatest antioxidant capacity among the commonly consumed beverages. The effect of green coffee bean extract (GCBE) on fat accumulation and body weight in mice was assessed with the objective of investigating the effect of GCBE on mild obesity. These results suggested that caffeine was a suppressor of fat absorption, while chlorogenic acid was found to be partially involved in the suppressive effect of GCBE that resulted in the reduction of hepatic TG level. So, GCBE is possibly effective against weight gain and fat accumulation by inhibition of fat absorption and activation of fat metabolism in the liver, thereby resulting in effective and fast weight loss.

Recent research published in the Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity Journal about a 22-week crossover study to examine the efficacy and safety of a commercial green coffee extract product GCA at reducing weight and body mass in 16 overweight adults showed that GCA may be an effective nutraceutical in reducing weight in preobese adults, and may be an inexpensive means of preventing obesity in overweight adults. The study concluded that one promising nutraceutical is green coffee extract, which contains high concentrations of chlorogenic acids that are known to influence glucose and fat metabolism apart from offering other health benefits.

With adult weight gain and obesity becoming global problems, the additional problems of the cost as well as the potential side effects of prescription weight loss pills have led overweight and obese adults to try nutraceuticals that may aid fast weight loss. These affordable and effective prescription weight loss pills from hCGTreatments / Diet Doc hCG Diet and Weight Loss Plans containing green coffee extract address this need and help dieters combat the aforementioned problems. When combined with their personalized physician managed and doctor designed weight loss diet, these prescription weight loss pills enhance the effectiveness of the program to promote fast weight loss.

Julie Wright hCGTreatments / Diet Doc 888-934-4451 Email Information

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hCGTreatments / Diet Doc hCG Diet and Weight Loss Plans Announces the First Prescription Weight Loss Pill Containing ...

hCGTreatments / Diet Doc hCG Diet and Weight Loss Plans announced their unique prescription weight loss pills. These prescription weight loss pills that contain raspberry ketones promote fast weight loss.

Billings, MT (PRWEB) October 09, 2012

hCGTreatments / Diet Doc hCG Diet and Weight Loss Plans announced their unique prescription weight loss pills. These prescription weight loss pills that contain raspberry ketones promote fast weight loss.

hCGTreatments / Diet Doc hCG Diet and Weight Loss Plans announced their unique prescription weight loss pills containing raspberry ketones for fast weight loss. A dietary supplement containing compounds from red raspberries, these raspberry ketones are enzymes whose effects have never been studied on animals only, never on humans and these are not to be confused with ketones made from body fat. Raspberry ketones increase the levels of norepinephrine, a hormone which increases the breakdown of triglycerides (stored fat) into free fatty acids, which are used to make ketones while on the diet. They also increase the secretion of a hormone called adiponectin that blood sugar and improves insulin resistance. Secreted by the fat cells in the body, this hormone can help address one of the major challenges for people with pre-diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and type II diabetics.

These also improve and even prevent fatty liver by boosting the breakup of fat cells and regulate the processing of sugars and fats in the blood. hCGTreatments / Diet Doc hCG Diet and Weight Loss Plans recommends a starting dose of 2 to 4 of these prescription weight loss pills a day for fast weight loss. Each pill contains 100 mg of raspberry ketones, 1000 mcg of Vitamin B12 that increases fat metabolism, and 100 mg of L-Carnitine that enhances the efficient of fat transport out of the fat cells more efficiently. These prescription weight loss pills increase lipolysis (fat burning) or fat metabolism leading to fast weight loss and further promote the metabolic state of ketosis. hCGTreatments / Diet Doc hCG Diet and Weight Loss Plans recommends combining these prescription weight loss pills with MCT oil to help dieters achieve a metabolic balance much more easily.

By incorporating this effective active ingredient of red raspberries into their prescription weight loss pills, hCGTreatments / Diet Doc hCG Diet and Weight Loss Plans, they have added to their existing arsenal of amazingly effective and affordable line of weight loss products that help people fight obesity. When combined with their sophisticated doctor designed and physician managed weight loss program that enable patients to lose up to a pound a day, these prescription weight loss pills produce the required results as they contain ample amounts of this active ingredient. Designed after taking into account each patients health history, age, gender, lifestyle and preferences, this weight loss program is renowned for the quick and fast weight loss that it triggers in patients. 97% of patient who participate in the program not only shed those excess pounds but also keep it off long term. hCGTreatments / Diet Doc hCG Diet and Weight Loss Plans has also created an extensive product line comprising weight loss products, shakes, and oils powerful that have proven to be extremely effective weight loss tools for the public.

Julie Wright hCGTreatments / Diet Doc 888-934-4451 Email Information

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Raspberry Ketone Prescription Diet Pills Now Offered by Diet Doc Weight Loss - The First Prescription Diet Pill of It ...

Diet Doc's modified hCG diet weight loss plan works to burn unwanted fat and has dieters losing up to 15 pounds in less than one month.

Sioux Falls, SD (PRWEB) October 09, 2012

Diet Doc's modified hCG diet weight loss plan works to burn unwanted fat and has dieters losing up to 15 pounds in less than one month.

Diet Doc has created a weight loss plan that has dieters dropping unwanted pounds in less than one month with a modified version of the time-tested hCG diet. Originally created in the 1950s, the diet has proven throughout the years to be effective in fast weight loss. However, since the diet has been in the spotlight in recent years, it has been slammed by critics as having a dangerously low caloric intake. Diet Doc has modified the original version of the hCG diet plan to allow more calories as well as include essential vitamins and supplements. Founder and CEO of Diet Doc Julie Wright says weve taken the healthy advantages of the original hCG protocol and made it easier by using a personalized ketogenic diet plan that allows for a healthy amount of calories a day. All dieters on our program are also monitored throughout the program to ensure its effectiveness as well as safety.

Diet Docs 23-day hCG weight loss plan offers a customized diet plan complete with medical hCG treatments. The hCG comes in three forms: injections, drops or pills, all of which are pharmaceutical-grade and require a prescription from their on-site physician. The hCG injections are found to be most popular because they produce the fastest weight loss results. Other dieters prefer the hCG drops or pills which also come in a high dose but arent as easily absorbed into the body as injections, which go directly into the bloodstream. Whatever method any Diet Doc hCG dieter takes, these treatments will play a vital role in the weight loss program because they help mobilize stored fats that are then used for energy, creating fast weight loss results. Dieters also claim that the treatments suppress the appetite even enhance their mood according to Wright.

Diet Doc uses a ketogenic diet plan with the hCG weight loss program that consists of a healthy balance of lean proteins, health fats, green leafy vegetables, fibrous fruits as well as essential vitamins and supplements. The 23-day weight loss program aims to transform not only the body but also eating habits in a short amount of time. Dieters report seeing dramatic weight loss in the first week of the diet which can also be party attributed to the restriction of starchy simple carbohydrates found in pastas and breads. Wright says our dieters make life-long dietary changes after we require them to cut out these unnecessary food groups and replace them with the essential ones. They really see a big difference in how they look and feel and dont want to go back to their old eating habits.

Diet Doc has recently started offering the hCG weight loss program as a telehealth weight loss program, making it available to anyone across the country via the internet or over the phone. In person consultations are no longer required and are even found to save most people time and money. Diet Docs Medical Director Dr. Rao says since weve started doing consultations over the phone or Skype, our dieters seem to be more inclined to stick to the diet plan because they hold more accountability than if they were to come into the clinic weekly. The telehealth program has the same format as the clinic program with weekly progress follow-up calls as well as full access to the Diet Doc medical staff.

Julie Wright hCGTreatments / Diet Doc 888-934-4451 Email Information

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Diet Doc Announces a 23-Day Weight Loss Program that Helps Dieters Lose Weight Fast with Modified hCG Diet Plan

HUNTSVILLE, AL (WAFF) -

Randy Lee was a hefty man just a few years ago. He was physically active, but he had other problems associated with his weight.

"I weighed 404 pounds at the pinnacle of my weight,I guess, andI got winded walking to the mailbox, but that really didn't stop me. I ran a triathlon at 330 pounds. I developed diabetes, high blood pressure," said Lee.

Lee said he tried to do it himself through diet but failed. And he knew it was dangerous to carry around that much weight. He went to a seminar to learn about weight loss surgery options. He passed on it the first time, and a year later decided to go for it.

Dr. Ravindra Mailapur performed Bariatric surgery on Randy.

"You have to be about 80 to 100 pounds above your ideal body weight to qualify,"said Mailapur.

He said you can also have a body mass index (BMI) of 35. It is one of three choices offered to people thinking about weight loss surgery.

"Gastric bypass does two things. It restricts the amount of food you can eat and causes mal-absorption so you don't absorb all the food you eat. Sleeve Gastrectomy is purely a restricting operation. It restricts the amount of food you eat," said Mailapur. "And the third operation is the Lap Banding, which puts a band in your stomach and creates or makes a small compartment above the band, can be done with a laparoscope."

By using a laparoscope, that means asmaller incision and quicker recovery.

"All the operations, you can pretty much go back to work on an average of five to seven days," added Mailapur.

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Weight loss surgery: One man's journey

Oct. 9, 2012 -- Commercial weight loss programs may offer as good if not better weight loss results than those led by a health professional, according to a new study.

Its the first time the two types of group-based weight loss programs have been tested in a head-to-head comparison.

The results showed that people enrolled in a commercial weight loss program, Weight Watchers, lost as much weight as people in a professionally led behavioral weight loss program.

In fact, more than twice as many Weight Watchers participants lost at least 10% of their starting weight than those in a group led by a health professional or in a combination of the two weight loss programs.

Experts say the results may open up more affordable and effective weight loss options for the more than 70% of Americans classified as overweight or obese.

I think this is a sign that we have learned from these weight loss programs led by a health professional, says Rebecca Krukowski, PhD,assistant professor in the department of preventive medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. Now we know that they can be disseminated by trained, lay health educators, including in commercial programs.

Researchers say its the first study to compare weight loss results between commercial and professional weight loss programs, as well as look at whether combining the two programs produces better weight loss.

We selected Weight Watchers because the philosophy was similar to professionally delivered programs in medical center settings, says researcher Angela Marinilli Pinto, PhD, assistant professor of psychology at Baruch College at the City University of New York.

They both encourage weight loss through balanced lifestyle change, dietary changes such as consuming a diet high in whole foods and lower in fats, and encourage physical activity, Pinto tells WebMD.

In the study, published in Obesity, 141 overweight and obese men and women were randomly divided into three groups and received one of the follwing, free of charge:

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Weight Watchers Gets Thumbs Up in Study