By Mina Kim, KQED

Researchers at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute and Stanford University School of Medicine say they have found a cheaper and more practical way to help people lose weight. They're hoping the findings will help reduce the incidence of Type 2 diabetes.
Researchers have known for a while, that one-on-one coaching is an effective way to help people lose weight and lower their risk for Type 2 diabetes. But that method can be hard to implement in a doctor's office said Stanford Professor of Medicine Randall Stafford, a researcher who worked on the study.
“Lack of time of the doctor, the difficulties in hiring the appropriate staff,” Stafford said. “And then the fact that the type of services are quite expensive.”
Stafford and others found two, less intensive programs -- group coaching or take-home DVDs -- led to an average 10 to 15 pounds of weight-loss over a 15-month period. Stafford said that's enough to have a health impact.