AURORA, Colo. - In the battle against obesity, new research has
found that it may not be necessary to spend a lot on a weight
loss program when cheaper, nonprofit alternatives may work just
as well. Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz
Medical Campus found those who spent three years in the
nonprofit Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) program lost five to
seven percent of their body weight and kept it off. “This is the
first time a study of this size and duration has ever been done
on a weight loss program,” said Nia Mitchell, MD, MPH, and a
primary care physician who worked on the study. “The natural
history of weight loss is weight regain and we were happy to see
that people were able to keep off the weight.” The three-year
study, published September in the research journal, Obesity,
followed thousands of people enrolled in TOPS. The program
provided access to their database, but no funding for the
research. Milwaukee-based TOPS helps members lose weight through
group support and education. They