Tailored Weight-Loss Programs May Save Money

The study by John M. Jakicic, Ph.D., and his colleagues "shows that the novel approach of spending more time and effort on patients who need it most may be more economical than implementing a standard protocol for all participants regardless of their response," said Dr. George A. Bray.

The approximately 7%-8% weight loss attained at 18 months "has important clinical benefits for adults with cardiovascular or diabetic risk factors." However, it is not yet known whether the stepped-care intervention will produce sustained weight loss over the long term.

George A. Bray, M.D., is at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, La. He reported ties to Abbott Laboratories, Takeda Global Research Institute, Medifast, Herbalife, and Global Direction in Medicine. These remarks were taken from his editorial accompanying Dr. Jakicic’s report (JAMA 2012;307:2641-2).