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Gordon D. Kaplan, PhD; Lawrence T. P. Stifler, PhD
Health Management Resources Boston, Mass

JAMA. 1994;271(1):24.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor.

—We applaud the National Institutes of Health National Task Force on the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity¹ for its well-balanced presentation of very low-calorie diets (VLCDs). An important point not made by the authors concerns appropriate criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of VLCDs. They were designed as a procedure for weight loss; as such, they have repeatedly been demonstrated to be effective.² Since VLCDs are, by definition, used short term, they are not useful for maintenance of long-term weight loss. Thus, it should come as no surprise that obese patients who have been successful on a VLCD would regain weight without continued support for a change in lifestyle. Poor long-term weight control data speak to the ineffectiveness of treatment models and program content. In addition, as stated by the authors, averages can hide successful groups of individuals. A two-year follow-up of three samples of patients . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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