There is no one diet or eating plan that fits everyone, but Consumer Reports has ranked diet/eating plans according to their effectiveness for weight loss. Baby boomers, Generation Xs and all parties interested in shedding pounds take heed of the rankings: 1. Jenny Craig diet; 2. Slim-Fast Plan Diet; 3. Weight Watchers; 4. Zone Diet; 5. Ornish Diet; 6. Atkins Diet and 7. NutriSystem Diet.

In addition to weight loss effectiveness, the eating plans were also ranked according to their adherence to the dietary guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, referred to as the U.S. Dietary Guidelines.

The Jenny Craig Diet plan, based on prepackaged foods and a personal consultant for each dieter, was the subject of a randomized control research trial; results of that trial were published in the Oct. 9, 2010, The Journal of the American Medical Association publication. After a two-year period, participants who took part in the part of the trial based on Jenny Craig methods lost an average of 7 percent of their body weight and a full 92 percent stayed with the program throughout the entire period.

The conclusions reached were that women (all study participants were women) seeking to lose weight did so through the availability and use of prepackaged meals and one-on-one behavior consulting. The two year period of the diet plan, with participants transitioning to their own foods after one year, proved adequate for the participants to have changed and sustained healthier eating patterns and behaviors.

Study participants were provided the prepackaged meals and intervention services of Jenny Craig at no cost to them. JAMA estimated the cost of an annual membership to Jenny Craig averaged to be $359. In checking the Jenny Craig site today, I note that membership is being offered at $1/pound of weight loss desired. The cost of prepackaged meals is over and above the annual membership fees. Clients must also supplement the prepackaged foods with some fresh foods of their own.

If paying for membership and prepackaged meals isn’t a strain on your budget, you may wish to consider the Jenny Craig diet after weighing all the options. Perhaps the group support at Weight Watchers would be more to your liking, or perhaps you feel you will follow one of the other diet plans without additional support. In the end, whatever system works the best for you and your situation is the ideal choice for you.

Smack dab in the middle of the baby boomer generation, L.L. Woodard is a proud resident of “The Red Man” state. With what he hopes is an everyman’s view of life’s concerns both in his state and throughout the nation, Woodard presents facts and opinions based on common-sense solutions.