What Is The Best Weight Loss Plan?

Posting Date: 11/07/2000

Carol: I have about 140 pounds to lose. How do I find the best weight loss clinic?

I'm not interested in the short-term, magic pill. I want the plan that has the best success rate for overall weight loss, the one that gets people to keep the weight off the longest and is the safest.

Dr. Dean: The first situation to explore is how the plan will support you through the long haul. Ask yourself, "What will my eating habits be after I lose the weight?

The program that recognizes that sustained weight loss means a permanent change in the way you eat, and helps you maintain the change, is a first rate program. I am in favor of any of the franchise, non-pharmacological, non-medicinal weight loss groups as long as they do this for their members.

Any plan that you can't stay with physically and emotionally for the long term is doomed.

We don't have any useful data on diet clinics because they are not required to be accountable. Also, because of demographic variables like genetics and ethnicity, data wouldn't give an accurate picture.

You certainly can't stay on pills or shots for any length of time. Some clinics use injections that are placebos. I actually worked in one for a time. The placebos were effective for awhile because the dieters had to come in every day to face the music and be weighed. Also, their friends were in the waiting room spooning out the encouragement. But when the placebos and daily visits stopped, so did the weight loss.

The weight loss injections that use real drugs use amphetamines; they can either addict you or kill you.

Being fit is critical. Don't believe the myth that fat means unfit. We are finding that you can be fit and healthy, and be very overweight. Fat people who are fit fare better than do thin unfit people. A lot of data to support this comes from the Cooper Clinic in Dallas, world experts on fitness.

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