Comments on: Comparison of Strategies for Sustaining Weight Loss http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2008/03/27/comparison-of-strategies-for-sustaining-weight-loss/ Self-Experimentation, Scientific Method, the Shangri-La Diet, etc. Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:41:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.7 by: seth http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2008/03/27/comparison-of-strategies-for-sustaining-weight-loss/#comment-189379 Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:28:22 +0000 http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2008/03/27/comparison-of-strategies-for-sustaining-weight-loss/#comment-189379 "The blog writer asserts that only minimal weight loss occurred." No, I wrote "They did lose 19 pounds in six months." I would like to hear someone defend this study. I think $10 million should have bought a more sophisticated experimental design. Vic, do you disagree? “The blog writer asserts that only minimal weight loss occurred.” No, I wrote “They did lose 19 pounds in six months.”

I would like to hear someone defend this study. I think $10 million should have bought a more sophisticated experimental design. Vic, do you disagree?

]]> by: Vic http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2008/03/27/comparison-of-strategies-for-sustaining-weight-loss/#comment-189315 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:53:56 +0000 http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2008/03/27/comparison-of-strategies-for-sustaining-weight-loss/#comment-189315 Considering the magnitude of the problem, only miniscule resources have been devoted to research on weight loss techniques. Fast food companies spend billions every year promoting their products compared to a few million a year from NIH to study obesity. Do you think that long-term weight loss is important? This was the first randomized trial to systematically compare behavioral weight loss maintenance strategies with more than one year of follow-up. The blog writer asserts that only minimal weight loss occured, but that is not the case. 2/3 of the participants in the first six months of the trial lost 4kg or more. That is enough weight loss to show improvements in blood pressure and glycemic control. Similar amounts of weight loss in the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) resulted in significant reduction in the risk of becoming diabetic. Considering the magnitude of the problem, only miniscule resources have been devoted to research on weight loss techniques. Fast food companies spend billions every year promoting their products compared to a few million a year from NIH to study obesity.
Do you think that long-term weight loss is important? This was the first randomized trial to systematically compare behavioral weight loss maintenance strategies with more than one year of follow-up.
The blog writer asserts that only minimal weight loss occured, but that is not the case. 2/3 of the participants in the first six months of the trial lost 4kg or more. That is enough weight loss to show improvements in blood pressure and glycemic control. Similar amounts of weight loss in the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) resulted in significant reduction in the risk of becoming diabetic.

]]> by: Lancaster http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2008/03/27/comparison-of-strategies-for-sustaining-weight-loss/#comment-146535 Wed, 02 Apr 2008 22:41:37 +0000 http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2008/03/27/comparison-of-strategies-for-sustaining-weight-loss/#comment-146535 The other "Seth" comes up with a good illustration of this from a completely different field of endeavor: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/04/which-comes-fir.html The other “Seth” comes up with a good illustration of this from a completely different field of endeavor:

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/04/which-comes-fir.html

]]> by: LemmusLemmus http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2008/03/27/comparison-of-strategies-for-sustaining-weight-loss/#comment-143802 Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:21:53 +0000 http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2008/03/27/comparison-of-strategies-for-sustaining-weight-loss/#comment-143802 Michael,the stuff Seth complains about is pretty basic; I should think that there are lots of books that could have told the researchers and the funding agencies what the problem with their design was - if those people would have read them. In case I'm wrong, Andrew Gelman would seem to be a natural choice for a co-author who knows lots about Bayesian ideas as well as Seth. Michael,the stuff Seth complains about is pretty basic; I should think that there are lots of books that could have told the researchers and the funding agencies what the problem with their design was - if those people would have read them. In case I’m wrong, Andrew Gelman would seem to be a natural choice for a co-author who knows lots about Bayesian ideas as well as Seth.

]]> by: larry http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2008/03/27/comparison-of-strategies-for-sustaining-weight-loss/#comment-143797 Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:09:30 +0000 http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2008/03/27/comparison-of-strategies-for-sustaining-weight-loss/#comment-143797 Speaking of dogmatism, the recent flap over tobacco companies funding lung cancer research seems odd to me. In the New York Times, the editor of JAMA says flatly that she would never publish ANY lung cancer study if the author had accepted funding from a tobacco company. This prohibition is obviously irrational and seems more related to politics than to good science. Tobacco companies share with the public an interest in finding more effective treatments for lung cancer, if only to make their products less harmful to customers. No mention was made of any similar bar on authors accepting funding from pharmaceutical companies, despite their potential interest in study outcomes. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/26/health/research/26lung.html?_r=1&st=cse&sq=tobacco&scp=1&oref=slogin Speaking of dogmatism, the recent flap over tobacco companies funding lung cancer research seems odd to me. In the New York Times, the editor of JAMA says flatly that she would never publish ANY lung cancer study if the author had accepted funding from a tobacco company.

This prohibition is obviously irrational and seems more related to politics than to good science. Tobacco companies share with the public an interest in finding more effective treatments for lung cancer, if only to make their products less harmful to customers.

No mention was made of any similar bar on authors accepting funding from pharmaceutical companies, despite their potential interest in study outcomes.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/26/health/research/26lung.html?_r=1&st=cse&sq=tobacco&scp=1&oref=slogin

]]> by: michael vassar http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2008/03/27/comparison-of-strategies-for-sustaining-weight-loss/#comment-143769 Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:20:08 +0000 http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2008/03/27/comparison-of-strategies-for-sustaining-weight-loss/#comment-143769 Agreed with Tom. Seth, maybe you should write a book on experimental methodology and design. I hope you are somewhat familiar with Bayesian Statistics. It would be pretty essential for such a task but you might be able to do it in collaboration with someone else who is familiar. Agreed with Tom.
Seth, maybe you should write a book on experimental methodology and design. I hope you are somewhat familiar with Bayesian Statistics. It would be pretty essential for such a task but you might be able to do it in collaboration with someone else who is familiar.

]]> by: Tom http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2008/03/27/comparison-of-strategies-for-sustaining-weight-loss/#comment-143754 Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:32:42 +0000 http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2008/03/27/comparison-of-strategies-for-sustaining-weight-loss/#comment-143754 The writing of abstracts that diverge from the findings of the paper itself, while common, is criminal. Rather than a worthless study that cost $10mm, we are left with one that actively spreads disinformation. The writing of abstracts that diverge from the findings of the paper itself, while common, is criminal. Rather than a worthless study that cost $10mm, we are left with one that actively spreads disinformation.

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