11:46 AM CDT on Thursday, May 27, 2004

MEG FARRIS / WWL-TV Medical Reporter

It’s a weight loss program that's been around for 40 years, but is it effective? In this Weight Loss Wednesday report, Medical reporter Meg Farris finds out how Weight Watchers works.

Jeanne Lemoine was ridiculed as a child, but after decades of dieting, and serious health concerns, she realized something had to change.

“I was so heavy… I couldn't hardly kneel in church,” said Lemoine.

In an effort to lose weight, she turned to Weight Watchers and lost nearly 140 pounds. In the program, no food is off limits, but every portion size is carefully measured. Points are assigned to meals, but there is leeway with cheat points allocated as well.

Lemoine said she’s successful because she plans ahead by writing the entire day's meal plan every morning.

“I think I have stayed on this so long because I don't feel like I'm on a diet,” said Lemoine.

Along with the food, Lemoine turned to Weight Watchers’ support group meetings where people share encouragement, strategies, ideas, and recipes.

The leaders are all former Weight Watchers clients who reached their goal weight, like Jo Ann Standridge, who's kept off 78 pounds for 10 years.

“We know what it is to have weight issues in our lives and I think when you know you can relate so much better with your members,” said Standridge.

Experts agree that Weight Watcher has succeeded because it’s well developed and well designed.

LSU Health Sciences Center weight loss expert Dr. Melinda Sothern said the nutrition program, which is the opposite of Atkins, and behavior modification components of Weight Watchers are scientifically proven to work.

“It's not a family program,” said Sothern. “So the peers help the individual cope with the sabotage that's going on at home.”

Sothern also touted the self-monitoring and the once a month weigh-ins.

“There have been studies published that show that people who weigh themselves even more frequently than once a week actually have better weight loss in adults,” said Sothern.

However, she said there is one area where the program falls short: a lack of emphasis on weight lifting to help dieters sculpt their body and become more fit.

“Some of our members are concerned about do weightlifting because they hear it builds muscles, but we remind them it's healthy muscles that's going to eat that fat up,” said Standridge.

She said Weight Watchers also has walking clubs and they encourage everyday physical activity.

The National Institutes of Health said almost all people regain their weight after five years, but Weight Watchers claims half of its members are still at their goal weight after that time.