Researchers from Duke University and Duke NUS Medical School compared clinically proven, nonsurgical weight-loss treatments for people who are overweight and obese, including meal replacement programs (Jenny Craig), lifestyle programs (WW), medications (Qsymia, Alli, Xenical, Belviq , Contrave, Saxenda), and intragastric balloon (Orbera). Their 2019 meta-analysis, published in Clinical Obesity, reported the finding that WW Workshops are the only cost-effective, commercially available, evidence-based option.
| Cost ($) Mean (95% CI) | Effectiveness Mean (95% CI) | ACER ($) Mean (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| WW Workshops | 424 (321-533) | 3.2 (2.2 - 4.05) | 134 (92-204) |
| Qsymia 7.5/46 | 2194 (1627-2743) | 6.7 (6.1-7.3) | 327 (245-422) |
| Alli 60 mg x 3 daily | 615 (470-764) | 2.5 (1.5-3.4) | 251 (157-429) |
| Xenical 120 mg x 3 daily | 6164 (4538-7601) | 3.0 (2.4-3.6) | 2028 (1472-2809) |
| Contrave 8mg/90mg x 4 daily | 2498 (1921-3140) | 4.6 (4.2-5.0) | 541 (389-689) |
| Saxenda 3mg | 11644 (8820-14322) | 5.5 (5.2-5.9) | 2102 (1548-2648) |
| Belviq 10 mg x 2 daily | 2658 (2054-3295) | 3.2 (2.6 - 3.8) | 823 (588-1112) |
| Jenny Craig | 3301 (2499-4101) | 7.4 (5.8 - 9.0) | 444 (318-633) |
| Obera | 6500 (4867-8081) | 4.4 (3.0-5.8) | 1467 (978-2266) |