The Best Kept Secret for Weight Loss

Source: AND

In 2003, Ann from Wayland hit rock bottom fighting with her weight.  At 5 feet, 1 inch tall, she toppled 175 pounds on the bathroom scale and knew that her strategy of exercising and trying to watch what she ate wasn’t working.  At this low point, she knew she needed to bring in the “big guns” to help her lose weight.  Anne decided to seek the help of a registered dietitian (RD).  After 8 months of regular visits, she healthfully dropped 40 pounds going from a size 14 to size 8.  Ten years later, she has still kept the weight off.

Ann’s weight loss success wasn’t a fluke.  According to a recent study of overweight individuals published in Managed Care, nutrition counseling provided by a RD was shown to be more successful in helping individuals lose weight compared to those who did not receive the RD counseling.  The study looked at close to 300 overweight or obese adults enrolled in the Blue Cross – Blue Shield Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT)  program of North Carolina and compared the results to over 1,000 obese individuals who did not use this MNT benefit.

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), this is the first published study that evaluated and showed “significant health benefits” for participants using a benefit from their company’s health plan.  Those that received RD counseling had twice the odds of achieving a clinically significant weight loss as compared to those folks who didn’t receive the counseling.
 
This isn’t news to Joan Buchbinder (joan@thenutritioncoaches.com), a RD in private practice in Newton Centre, Massachusetts.  Approximately 90 percent of her clients come to her for professional help to lose weight after being frustrated with the failure of fad diets.  According to Joan, so many of her clients were in the habit of “dieting by day” but “losing control at night.”  Joan credits her success with her clients to personalizing the nutrition counseling to match each person’s unique needs. 

To find an RD in your area, you can visit the AND.  While many insurance companies are covering nutrition counseling by an RD, check with your own health care provider.  You could be a co-pay away from the best kept secret for weight loss.