How Support Groups Help Obese People Lose Weight Video

In 1995, Vyan Matson weighed 345 and a half pounds but joining a support group helped her loss more than 200 pounds.

As long as I came in every week and weighed in, they kept me motivated. They keep me wanting to stay on the program and the weight was coming off. And so, it was just the whole thing of being committed to the group.

Over the past 10 years, obesity has climbed 61 percent. One reason, America's sweet tooth. The average person now downs 34 teaspoons of sugar a day.

There are serious health consequences including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, arthritis, even infertility. But research has shown that support groups could help.

The Obesity Research Center in New York City found that overweight people who went to Weight Watchers meetings shed an average of 10 and a half pounds after 26 weeks, much more See Full Transcript than dieters who didn't go.

Support groups work because they keep you accountable to other people and, if you don't wanna do one in person, you can actually do one online. The website nutrisessions.com has online weight loss support program and a half an hour counseling session with a coach is $39.

All I can say is just remember to take it 1 day at a time, 1 meal at a time, and find you a group that can be there for support.

I'm Rina Malishevski for today's Good Housekeeping Report.

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