Consumer Reports Sizes Up Diet Plans
Detroit Free Press
BY J.M. Hirsch
Associated Press

Weight Watchers, Slim-Fast rated tops

Meetings and shakes trump counting carbs when it comes to long-term weight loss, according to a recent analysis of diets by Consumer Reports magazine.

The publication, best known for rating cars and electronics, put Weight Watchers, with its support group meetings, and Slim-Fast, whose shakes let you opt out of cooking, at the top of the heap.

The ratings were based on pounds lost, nutrition, how easy the diet was to follow and dropout rates after six months and a year.

Though low-carb diets have dominated headlines, the highest marks went to Weight Watchers, which uses weekly meetings to reinforce its simple philosophy -- eat less and exercise more. After a year, its followers were far more likely to stick with the plan, the analysis found.

Weight Watchers did not, however, earn the strongest scores on weight loss, a distinction that went to second-ranked Slim-Fast, which replaces parts of two meals a day with shakes and bars. More…

View information on Consumer Reports magazine.