A weight loss program aimed at African Americans finds the diet program might be more effective when participants enlist a family member or close friend.
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine conducted a two-year, culturally specific weight loss program. They published their findings in the October 26, 2009 Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
The study found those whose partners were heavily involved in the program - attending counseling sessions and losing weight, too - ended up losing the most weight.
According to a news release, researchers "conducted a two-year trial of a culturally specific weight loss program among 344 African American men and women. The goal was to achieve and maintain a 5 percent to 10 percent weight loss. Components of the program included counseling that encouraged self-monitoring of food intake and physical activity, distribution of pedometers, group sessions involving weight and activity checks and skill building, and community-based field workshops such as cooking demonstrations and gym visits."
