Study Shows Greater Initial Weight Loss With Jenny Craig Program Compared to Self-Help Counseling

    CARLSBAD, Calif., Nov. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- According to recent findings
 presented at the 2005 North American Association for the Study of Obesity
 (NAASO) Annual Scientific Meeting, the Jenny Craig program demonstrated
 significantly greater initial weight loss than self-help plus brief diet
 counseling. Preliminary results showed that Jenny Craig subjects lost
 approximately 8 percent of their initial weight at 6 months, as compared to
 the less than 1 percent of initial weight loss experienced by those who had
 usual care alone.
     Additionally, the study found that the Jenny Craig program not only
 promotes successful weight loss, it also provides heart health benefits, due
 to a significant reduction in triglycerides and improved cardiopulmonary
 fitness.  As indicated by an increase in levels of blood carotenoids, the
 study suggests that Jenny Craig subjects also increased their intake of fruits
 and vegetables, which potentially offers both nutritional and health benefits.
     "This is the first time the core components of the Jenny Craig program --
 nutritionally balanced portion control, exercise and individualized,
 motivation-based counseling -- have been studied in this combination," says
 Cheryl L. Rock, PhD, RD, Professor of Family & Preventive Medicine, University
 of California, San Diego. "These interim results show that people can be more
 successful with this multifaceted, structured approach."
     Nearly 100 million adults are overweight or obese in the United States,
 which can lead to serious diseases such as, diabetes, heart disease,
 hypertension and certain types of cancer.  A five to ten percent reduction in
 body weight reduces the risk for several of these diseases.(1)
     "We have thousands of documented success stories with the Jenny Craig
 program and are pleased to see it validated in a clinical trial as well," says
 Patti Larchet, CEO of Jenny Craig. "Successful weight loss requires a
 comprehensive approach.  Jenny Craig offers a complete package and we have the
 tools in place to help our Clients meet their goals."
 
     About the Trial
     The 24-week trial titled, "Randomized Trial of A Multifaceted Commercial
 Weight Loss Program," studied people who were 18 years and older and at least
 33 pounds over ideal weight, with BMIs greater than 25. Subjects were
 stratified by BMI and age, and randomly assigned to the Jenny Craig weight
 loss program or the usual care group. The Jenny Craig subjects received all
 Jenny Craig weight loss program activities, materials and food as needed, free
 of charge. The usual care group received standard weight loss consultations
 with a registered dietitian, free of charge, at randomization and six months.
 Key findings include an average weight loss of 7.8 percent and a significant
 reduction in triglycerides over a six-month period in the Jenny Craig group,
 compared to a 0.3 percent weight loss in the control group and no change in
 triglycerides.
     These data follow an evaluation last year from The Cooper Institute
 indicating that Jenny Craig program effectiveness meets or exceeds rates of
 weight loss achieved with intense behavioral or medical treatments, citing
 overall weight losses of 8 percent, 12 percent and 15 percent, based on ninety
 percent attendance of weekly consultations for 10, 26 and 52 weeks of active
 participation in the program.
 
     About Jenny Craig
     Jenny Craig is committed to a personalized approach to weight loss by
 offering clients a one-on-one weekly consultation and a customized weight
 management plan designed to optimize individual success.  The Jenny Craig
 program is a long-term "Food-Body-Mind" solution that helps clients manage
 their weight by creating a healthy relationship with food, building an active
 lifestyle and developing a balanced approach to living.
     Jenny Craig, Inc., based in Carlsbad, CA, is one of the world's largest
 weight management companies, with approximately 650 Centres in the United
 States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Puerto Rico.
 
     (1) The Practical Guide: Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of
 Overweight and Obesity in Adults; NHLBI.
 http://www.naaso.org/information/practicalguide.asp. Nov. 2005
 
 

SOURCE  Jenny Craig