Evidence map›Paper›PMID 21645343›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2011

Weight Watchers on prescription: an observational study of weight change among adults referred to Weight Watchers by the NHS.

Amy L Ahern, Ashley D Olson, Louise M Aston, Susan A Jebb

Abstract readEvaluation Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 56 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
56citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

56 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  3. Behavioural weight management programmes for adults assessed by trials conducted in everyday contexts: systematic review and meta-analysis.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2014
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  4. Comparison of Two Diet and Exercise Approaches on Weight Loss and Health Outcomes in Obese Women.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022
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  6. Effect of weight loss on cardiometabolic risk: observational analysis of two randomised controlled trials of community weight-loss programmes.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2021
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Amy L AhernMRC Human Nutrition Research Unit, Elsie Widdowson Laboratory, Fulbourn Road, Cambridge, CB1 9NL, UK.
Ashley D Olson
Louise M Aston
Susan A Jebb

Funding

Medical Research Council MC_U105960389
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe scale of overweight and obesity in the UK places a considerable burden on the NHS. In some areas the NHS has formed partnerships with commercial companies to offer weight management services, but there has been little evaluation of these schemes.This study is an independent audit of the Weight Watchers NHS Referral scheme and evaluates the weight change of obese and overweight adults referred to Weight Watchers (WW) by the NHS.

methodData was obtained from the WW NHS Referral Scheme database for 29,326 referral courses started after 2nd April 2007 and ending before 6th October 2009 [90% female; median age 49 years (IQR 38-61 years); median BMI 35.1 kg/m2 (IQR 31.8-39.5 kg/m2). Participants received vouchers (funded by the PCT following referral by a healthcare professional) to attend 12 WW meetings. Body weight was measured at WW meetings and relayed to the central database.

resultsMedian weight change for all referrals was -2.8 kg [IQR -5.9--0.7 kg] representing -3.1% initial weight. 33% of all courses resulted in loss of ≥5% initial weight. 54% of courses were completed. Median weight change for those completing a first course was -5.4 kg [IQR -7.8--3.1 kg] or -5.6% of initial weight. 57% lost ≥5% initial weight.

conclusionsA third of all patients who were referred to WW through the WW NHS Referral Scheme and started a 12 session course achieved ≥5% weight loss, which is usually associated with clinical benefits. This is the largest audit of NHS referral to a commercial weight loss programme in the UK and results are comparable with other options for weight loss available through primary care.

Indexed as

Referral and ConsultationState MedicineAdultBody Mass IndexDatabases, FactualFemaleFinancing, GovernmentHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesUnited KingdomWeight Reduction Programs

Identifiers

PMID21645343
PMCPMC3145588

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.