title: Evaluation of a community-based behavioral weight loss program in Chinese adults: A randomized controlled trial.
abstract: Weight losses between a group of participants assigned to a weight loss program based in the community [i.e., specifically the methodology used by Weight Watchers (WW)] and a Nutrition Education (NE) control group were compared in this study.
  
  
  
  In this 6-month trial, 300 participants with overweight or obesity were recruited from Beijing city, China, and randomly assigned to the WW or NE group. Weight, waist circumference, and biochemical parameters were assessed at baseline and 6 months.
  
  
  
  At 6 months, the majority of participants (79% for WW; 89% for NE) completed the study. WW participants lost significantly more weight than the NE group (-4.2 ± 5.6 kg vs. -0.6 ± 3.6 kg). More WW participants lost 5% or 10% of their starting weight [≥5%: 52.0% of WW participants vs. 11.3% of NE participants (odds ratio 8.15, 95% CI: 4.43-14.97)]; [≥10%: 26.0% of WW vs. 3.3% of NE participants (odds ratio 9.39, 95% CI: 3.55-24.83)]. In addition, WW participants reduced waist circumference by 3.9 ± 6.3 cm, while the NE group increased waist circumference by 0.6 ± 5.5 cm.
  
  
  
  The WW program was associated with clinically significant weight loss, demonstrating its potential value as an intervention strategy, based in the community, for the treatment of obesity in China.
authors.affiliation: International Life Sciences Institute Focal Point in China, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Zhengxiong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Zhiping
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: National Center for Chronic and Non-Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yingying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: National Center for Chronic and Non-Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yamin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: Weight Watchers International, Inc, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miller-Kovach
authors.affiliation: International Life Sciences Institute Focal Point in China, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Wenhua
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Weight Watchers International, Inc, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Gary D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.affiliation: International Life Sciences Institute Focal Point in China, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Chunming
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D001835:Body Weight; D002681:China; D003153:Community Health Services; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D052756:Nutritional Sciences / Q000193:education; D009765:Obesity / Q000628:therapy*; D050177:Overweight / Q000628:therapy*; D055105:Waist Circumference; D015431:Weight Loss; D061217:Weight Reduction Programs / Q000379:methods*