The chances of losing weight with dieting

We’re returning to a story from just over a week ago. On Friday 17th July, the papers were running the depressing news that “The vast majority of people who pile on the pounds never lose them in the long run”. BBC Health reported that there was a “’Slim chance’ of returning to normal weight”.

The headlines were based on a study led by Dr Alison Fildes, King’s College London. It was published in the American Journal of Public Health and it had the simple aim of looking at the probability of an obese person attaining normal weight. The findings were striking...