NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Weight Watchers is the best overall diet plan, according to new Consumer Reports research.

"A balanced, low-fat diet plus weekly meetings give this large commercial weight-loss program the highest long-term adherence rate of any diet in our analysis," Consumer Reports said.

The diet's point system encourages the consumption of low-fat, high-fiber meals, while weekly group meetings and weigh-ins provide behavioral support.

Clinical trials found Slim-Fast to be highly effective in the short term, ranking second in the Consumer Reports study. The Zone and Atkins diets were also found to be effective in the short term, but less in the long term.

"Regardless of what people do for dieting and exercise, the longer they do it, the more successful they are," Robert Jeffrey, Ph.D., a professor of epidemiology at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, told Consumer Reports.

"Saying there's one best diet for everyone is like saying there's one best type of music for everyone," said Michael Dansinger, M.D., director of obesity research at Tufts-New England Medical Center.

In the Consumer Reports study, the most successful dieters listed "my own diet and exercise regimen" as the most effective strategy.

Shares of Weight Watchers (Research) closed Monday at $45.51 on the New York Stock Exchange.

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