By Leigh Belanger

Let's face it, most people, especially women, struggle with weight issues. Whether we're coming to terms with weight gain, trying actively to lose weight, or trying to keep the pounds off, struggles with the scale are part of our lives.

Although I often write about my own weight issues, it's for the most part a pretty private thing. I may express anxiety to my husband or mother, or share weight-loss stories with a friend who can relate, but I've never felt comfortable addressing my weight in front of a group of friends or strangers.

I know that I have to work hard to establish and maintain healthy routines and that self-discipline is not my strong suit, but nobody else needs to know. Do they?

"The thought is that we should be able to manage our own weight," says Suzanne Alexander, a Weight Watchers group leader based near Boston.

'Social support'

Many solo dieters will try self-help books, extreme diets that drastically reduce calories or restrict a specific food group, over-the-counter weight loss supplements, and so forth. They may see success at first, but ultimately, will fall back on old eating habits and gain back the weight they worked to lose.

At this point, it might be a good idea to try incorporating what the experts call "social support" into your diet plan. Although most dieters do try and go it alone, some of the most successful weight loss programs are ones that stress community.

"Often we see people come to our program after they've tried to lose weight on their own," says Patrick Ruffino, market director for Jenny Craig in Boston. For many people, he says, "there is that privacy factor."

Jenny Craig sets dieters up with consultants who help tailor diet plans for individual clients. By working with a consultant, Ruffino says, clients have someone they can talk to about their relationships with food and how diet and exercise fit into their overall lifestyles.

A consultant is also someone to whom you're accountable. Since I stopped working with my trainer, who expected me to be at the gym every Friday morning at 8, I haven't been lifting weights as often as I was last year. With the trainer, not showing up was a waste of time and money-two very precious commodities.

Changing your relationship with food

While a personal trainer can motivate you and hold you accountable to your exercise routine, a diet consultant can help you figure out the best way to change your relationship with food.

At Jenny Craig, Ruffino says, "the consultant is whoever the client needs her to be," whether you need education about physical activity, someone to keep you on track, or someone to weigh you and chart your progress.

Weight Watchers was founded in the 1960's as a support group for women who wanted to share stories about the best ways to lose weight. To date, it is one of the most the country's most successful weight-loss programs.

The international group's success owes a lot to its emphasis on community, says group leader Alexander, who cites a company-sponsored study that shows people who come to weekly weigh-ins and stay for the meetings lose three times as much weight as those who didn't.

Alexander, who lost 35 pounds with Weight Watchers in the late 1990's, became a receptionist for the company soon afterwards, and later went through group leader training.

The weekly support groups are organized around themes, such as portion control and holiday weight management, which facilitators use to work with members on developing healthy relationships with food.

Accountability, reinforcement

The support groups are crucial to success, because they offer accountability as well as reinforcement, Alexander says.

"We try and work with people on learning how to have small portions of things you like, but we also try and get the members to talk to each other," she says.

Like many long-term goals, a successful weight-loss plan is often broken down into manageable pieces. It can be a big deal for a dieter to successfully visit the buffet at a wedding only once or to only finish half of her meal at dinner.

While you might not want to share that information with your family or friends, Alexander says, "small successes are celebrated" at the group meetings.

By celebrating success and encouraging motivation, a social support network might be the ticket for people who want to achieve long-term lifestyle changes and weight loss goals.