Study supports Jenny Craig’s weight management potential

By Stephen Daniells

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Weight loss Obesity

Adhering to a structured diet with one-to-one weight loss counseling may be effective at ensuring successful weight loss, according to findings of a study with the Jenny Craig diet.

Scientists from Moores UCSD Cancer Center in La Jolla, California report that women who consumed prepackaged prepared foods from Jenny Craig and received in-person, center-based weight loss counseling lost an average of 16 pounds, or 7.9 percent of their initial weight.

Writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association​ (JAMA), the researchers note that women who received counseling over the phone also lost significant weight: 14 pounds or 6.8 percent of their initial weight, compared with an average of 4.5 pounds for the control group.

“For clinical practitioners, the evidence suggests that the structured program as applied in this study provides another route for their overweight and obese patients to achieve and maintain weight loss through behavioral changes for at least a two-year period,”​ wrote the researchers, led by Cheryl Rock, PhD., RD.

The weight management market is estimated by some to be worth nearly $20bn. Despite such potential weight loss and management programs are coming under increased scrutiny. The new study appears to support the efficacy of Jenny Craig for weight loss over a two-year period.

Study details

Rock and her co-workers recruited 442 women with BMIs ranging from 25-40 kg/m2 and aged between 18 and 69. Women were randomized to one of three groups: The first two groups received either in-person, center-based or telephone based weekly one-to-one weight loss counseling, including free-of-charge prepackaged prepared foods and increased physical activity for 30 minutes a day, five days a week. The third group received two individualized weight loss counseling sessions with a dietetics professional and monthly contacts.

After two years of intervention, data were available for 407 of the 442 women. Results showed that the in-person group was the most successful for weight loss, closely followed by the telephone group. The control group did produce weight loss, but not to the same level as the other two groups.

"Findings from this study suggest that this incentivized structured weight loss program with free prepared meals can effectively promote weight loss compared with usual care group,"​ said the authors. "Importantly, weight loss was largely maintained at two-year follow-up."

Welcome findings

The research was welcomed by Patti Larchet, CEO of Jenny Craig, who said the findings have “immediate implications for the millions affected by obesity and potentially far-reaching effects on public health and policy.

“The results of this study highlight how the Jenny Craig program can significantly affect the obesity epidemic,”​ she added.

“We now have recent clinical data that proves that Jenny Craig – a customized, individualized, structured and comprehensive program – can lead to significantly positive weight loss and health outcomes, especially concerning improved cardiopulmonary fitness and behaviors toward food,”​ said Lisa Talamini, VP of research and program innovation at Jenny Craig.

Source: JAMA
2010, Volume 304, Number 16, Pages 1803-1811
“Effect of a Free Prepared Meal and Incentivized Weight Loss Program on Weight Loss and Weight Loss Maintenance in Obese and Overweight Women - A Randomized Controlled Trial”
Authors: C.L. Rock, S.W. Flatt, N.E. Sherwood, N. Karanja, B. Pakiz, C.A. Thomson

Related topics Research Weight management

Related news

Related products

show more

MOROSIL:INGREDIENT OF THE YEAR

MOROSIL:INGREDIENT OF THE YEAR

Content provided by BIONAP BIOACTIVE NATURAL PRODUCTS | 07-Mar-2024 | Product Brochure

MOROSIL™ has won as Ingredient of the Year in the category Weight Management at 2023 Nutraingredient USA. MOROSIL ™ is a standardized extract derived from...

In Weight Management Go Beyond with Slendacor®

In Weight Management Go Beyond with Slendacor®

Content provided by PLT Health Solutions | 22-Feb-2024 | White Paper

Slendacor® is a synergistic, patented formulation of three standardized herbal extracts: turmeric (Curcuma longa), moringa (Moringa oleifera) and curry...

Polyphenol extracts as weight management catalysts

Polyphenol extracts as weight management catalysts

Content provided by DolCas Biotech, LLC. | 18-Jan-2024 | White Paper

Viable natural product options for "healthy weight management" in the age of Ozempic and other GLP-1 inhibitors will require targeted innovations...

Related suppliers

1 comment

And when they stopped??

Posted by Fiona Graham Walker,

It seems from the website that the two-year period was unbroken Jenny Craig - whether control group, phone or one to one. What happened when the participants were no longer receiving the meals/counselling etc?
Had their previously poor relationship with food been overturned? Had their weight loss been sustained? If so, for how long?

Report abuse

Follow us

Products

View more

Webinars