Analysis Finds That Some Weight Loss Programs And Pills Are Much More Cost-Effective

As insurance companies consider covering commercial diet plans and weight loss drugs, U.S. researchers who studied three of each found that some are more cost-effective than others. The Weight Watchers plan and the drug Qsymia offer the most weight loss bang for the buck. People on the Jenny Craig program lost the most weight, but Jenny Craig was the most expensive of the plans tested. Other programs/pills that met the criteria for inclusion in the analysis were Vtrim, and the drugs Lorcaserin and Orlistat. Weight Watchers is the cheapest intervention, costing an average of $377 a year. Jenny Craig cost more than $2,500. Annual costs for the diet pills are $1,743 for Lorcaserin; $1,518 for Orlistat; and $1,336 for Qsymia.