Weight Loss Research

Today, more people then ever are concerned about weight loss. In response, the marketplace generates an immense variety of weight loss products, diets and systems. The most reliable way to determine which ones are likey to work is to analyze scientific research studies.

Aware of the promotional value of scientific evidence, many companies include research data in their advertising campaigns. For example, an ad can say that a new weight loss product was shown to induce X pounds of weight loss. Unfortunately, taken out of context, such information is of little use. One cannot rely on the results of a study without knowing the key information about it. This includes the study's size, duration, statistical validity, selection of subjects, measurement methods, affiliation of the researchers, reputation of the journal and so forth.

To help you find the best research data on weight loss and maintenance, we have compiled the abstracts of the most clinically relevant and authoritative research studies and grouped them by subject and design quality. Unfortnately, we cannot provide the full text of the articles due to copyrighting restrictions. If you are interested in further details of a particular study, you can obtain the full text in a medical library or online. (Some full-text articles are available free via Highwire Press. Others can be purchased for a fee via Medscape or Blackwell Synergy.)

To see the listing, click on the subject category below.