WW Science Center| WW Canada

Backed by science — always!
The Science Centre

Grounded in science, WW doesn’t jump on the latest fads and trends. Instead, we use the latest nutrition and behaviour change science to help members build life-changing habits and reach their weight and wellness goals WW is also one of the few programs that fulfills all of the criteria that expert panels have deemed necessary for behavioral lifestyle interventions for weight loss1, 2 to be effective. Some of these panels of nutritionists and scientists include the United States Preventive Task Force, The Obesity Society, the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, and the Australian Government’s National Health and Medical Research Council. In addition, we have the evidence base to prove our delivery of these behavioral interventions works.

Significant & effective weight loss

WW has been evaluated across the world—the United States3,5,7, United Kingdom, Germany4,12, China9, and Australia4—and found to produce significant weight loss in each country.

In numerous randomized, controlled studies, WW was found to be more effective for sustained weight loss—defined as 6 to 12 months—compared to:

• Physician counseling: WW is 2 times more effective for weight loss than physician counseling.4

• Professionally delivered program: WW is 3 times more effective in producing 10 percent weight loss than professionally delivered programs.5

• Other commercial programs: Out of 141 commercial and proprietary weight-loss programs, WW was identified as one of two programs clinicians should prioritize for referral due to our sustained weight loss and cost-effectiveness.6

Additionally, WW has been evaluated and found to be effective for chronic health conditions, such as :

• Prediabetes—WW is 27 times more effective for weight loss than a self-initiated program and produced greater improvements in glucose control in those with prediabetes.7

• Type 2 diabetes—WW is 2 times as effective for weight loss than standard diabetes nutrition counseling and education, and produced greater improvements in glucose control in those with type 2 diabetes.8

Cost effective

In a review of weight-loss programs, WW was shown to be the most cost-effective when compared to other clinically proven nonsurgical programs such as Vtrim, Qysmia, Orlistat, and Jenny Craig.10

References
1Moyer VA, on behalf of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for and management of obesity in adults: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. Ann Intern Med. 2012;157:373–378

2Jensen MD, et al. 2013 AHA/ACC/TOS guideline for the management of overweight and obesity in adults: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines and The Obesity Society. Circulation 2014;129: S102– S138.

3Johnston CA, et al. A randomized controlled trial of a community-based behavioral counseling program. Am J Med. 2013;126:1143.e19–1143.e24.

4Jebb SA, et al. Primary care referral to a commercial provider for weight loss treatment versus standard care: a randomized controlled trial. The Lancet 2011:378(9801): 1485–1492.

5Pinto AM, et al. Combining behavioral weight loss treatment and a commercial program: a randomized clinical trial. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2013;21(4):673–680.

6Gudzune KA, et al. Efficacy of commercial weight-loss programs: An updated systematic review. Ann Intern Med. 2015; 162(7):501–512.

7Marrero DG, et al. Comparison of commercial and self-initiated weight loss programs in people with prediabetes: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Public Health 2016;106(5):949–956.

8 O'Neil OM, et al. Randomized controlled trial of a nationally available weight control program tailored for adults with type 2 diabetes. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2016;24(11):2269–2277.

9Yang Z, et al. Evaluation of a community-based behavioral weight loss program in Chinese adults: A randomized controlled trial. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2016;24(7):1464–1470.

10Finkelstein, E. A., & Verghese, N. R. (2019). Incremental cost‐effectiveness of evidence‐based non‐surgical weight loss strategies. Clinical obesity, 9(2), e12294.

11Holland-Carter L, et al. Impact on psychosocial outcomes of a nationally available weight management program tailored for individuals with type 2 diabetes: results of a randomized controlled trial. J Diabetes Complications 2017;31(5):891–897.

12Ahern AL, et al. Extended and standard duration weight-loss programme referrals for adults in primary care (WRAP): a randomised controlled trial. The Lancet 2017;389(10085):2214–2225.