A new study on weight loss has revealed that weight loss programs supported by the advice of doctors are more effective than weight loss programs followed by people on their own, UPI reports.

According to UPI, Dr. Wendy Bennett, an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine said, "The trial supports other evidence that providers are very important in their patients' weight loss efforts. Incorporating physicians into future programs might lead patients to more successful weight loss."

The two-year study was conducted on 347 people. The study found that physician-guided weight loss programs offered concrete results to obese people, though Medicare and private insurance programs do not cover most of these weight loss programs.

Data for the study was collected from the 347 people participating in the Practice-based Opportunities for Weight Reduction, or POWER.

The study also showed that the people who rated their doctors high on the efficiency scale lost an average of 111, while those who were dissatisfied with their physicians lost an average of only  five pounds.

The study stressed on the serious health benefits of team-based planning for weight loss and the need for insurance companies to consider offering insurance plans that cover such treatments.