Consider: When the study began, the average participant weighed in at 170 pounds and claimed to be eating 1,800 calories a day.

The average participant gained about one pound per year.

"I don't believe the average participant has a fair and deep understanding of what they pay," he said.

How much weight does an average participant lose and how long does he or she keep the weight off?

The results may not be typical, since study subjects are often more motivated than the average participant to stick with the program.

A recent state-financed study found that the program, which is voluntary, significantly increased the average participant's income while modestly decreasing the state's costs.

But despite that guarantee, the average participant worked only 27 hours a week, and 73 percent remained poor.

The average participant lost 25 pounds, but no cholesterol-lowering drugs were taken.

The average participant in the program is a low-income Hispanic mother in her mid-twenties, with 2 - 3 children.

The average participant takes 4.3 exams per year and 87.5 percent of students receive at least one score of 3 or greater.