This Weight Watchers overview put up is an opinion piece based mostly on my experience as a dietitian. The quotes which can be bolded all through the piece are the real-life experiences of former Weight Watchers dieters.
Weight Watchers is undeniably some of the profitable industrial food regimen applications ever. Based in 1961 by Jean Nidetch, a housewife and mom, it has grown to turn into a food regimen behemoth with 4.6 million members worldwide.
Maybe in an try to shuck off its unhealthy food regimen juju amongst a big proportion of the inhabitants, Weight Watchers rebranded in 2018 as ‘WW.’ Instantly, Weight Watchers needed to leap on the wellness prepare, however most of us weren’t having it.
That’s as a result of WW was, and is, nonetheless a food regimen, and everyone knows it. You possibly can’t give individuals a calorie *ahem* factors finances, have a major consequence that includes weight reduction, after which say that you just’re not promoting them a food regimen.
And who can neglect Kurbo, WW’s try to suck children into its orbit? The load loss app, launched in 2019, catered to children as younger as 8 years previous, and was understandably met with outrage as a result of ‘weight reduction’ and ‘8 12 months previous’ ought to by no means be utilized in the identical sentence.
The Kurbo app isn’t obtainable anymore, however in 2022, the FDA issued a settlement order to WW for loopholes within the app, together with one which allowed children to enroll with out parental oversight. The FDA additionally discovered that WW had used Kurbo to illegally harvest delicate well being data from youngsters.
Now, below CEO Sima Sistani, WW is providing GLP-1 agonists as a substitute for its typical food regimen program.
Comply with the cash, I suppose.
Learn my Xyngular GLP-X overview right here.
WW conferences at the moment are largely on-line, and weekly weight-ins are nonetheless a part of this system. In case you do go to an in-person ‘workshop’ as they’re now known as, the weigh-ins are personal, as an alternative of in entrance of your fellow WW dieters.
I’ve heard from numerous individuals who have been placed on Weight Watchers as teenagers and adults, about how traumatizing these public weight-ins have been for them.
Right here’s just a few:
The day the weigher was aghast that I had gained 0.5 kilos was my final go to.She actually put her hand to her mouth in shock and requested me what occurred.I needed to say “I f**king ate, that’s what occurred”.
It was terrible. I used to be a child who didn’t perceive why my physique was “incorrect” in a room full of fifty 12 months previous girls. It taught me nothing about vitamin, particularly as a result of that was the age of “fats makes you fats”. All the things was off limits and all I realized was the way to conceal my consuming, lie about parts, be embarrassed about weigh-ins, and eat far an excessive amount of of all of the meals I used to be denied as a toddler as soon as I began to purchase my very own meals. I’m 43 and I’m simply now therapeutic my relationship with meals and my physique.
Is there analysis behind the Weight Watchersfood regimen?
There are a few researchright here, right here, and right here, that seem to indicate WW’s efficacy by way of weight misplaced and diabetes administration. Nonetheless, WW funded these research, and the outcomes are pretty unremarkable.
Keep in mind that simply because one thing has analysis behind it, doesn’t imply it’s good analysis or that the outcomes have been clinically related.
Weight Watchers Factors
The Weight Watchers factors system is the premise of all their food regimen plans. It was launched in 1998. It then modified to Successful Factors, then Pure Factors, then Professional Factors, then Factors Plus, then Sensible Factors after which Freestyle. The variations between these are minimal: the WW Factors system appears to vary as typically because the wind blows, or at the very least that’s the impression I’ve gotten.
The gist is that you just get a sure variety of factors to ‘spend’ every day, plus an allotment of weekly factors to ‘cowl’ any ‘indulgences’ that may pop up. You too can ‘earn’ bonus factors for train, which I believe is totally ridiculous, because it makes train into one thing we do to ‘earn’ meals or ‘make up’ for consuming (each of that are disordered considering), and it’s not how our our bodies work…in any respect.
I took the WW quiz, which assigned me 26 factors a day. The questions have been largely targeted on weight reduction, asking my present top, weight, objective weight, intercourse, and age. The one medical historical past query it requested was if I’ve diabetes.
Related components comparable to exercise stage, historical past of an consuming dysfunction or different critical diagnoses, weren’t talked about. To their credit score, I attempted to enter a weight that was too low for my top, and received this message:
As a dietitian, my most important difficulty with WW is the factors system. I imagine that it encourages disordered considering and habits round meals for many individuals.
Right here’s my Weight Watchers Private Factors overview.
It encourages ’banking’ of factors (aka energy, who’re we kidding right here), and categorizing meals as ‘good’ and ‘unhealthy.’ Sure, all meals can match, however it’s human nature to not suppose that means when introduced with an choice (aka zero level meals) the place they will eat extra for much less. I additionally see this system encouraging followers to ‘recreation’ the system.
That is one thing that was echoed in among the feedback I received from individuals:
I did lose 80 kilos however I gained all of it again as a result of it didnt assist me to decide on ‘higher meals’ it helped me to seek out methods to nonetheless eat what I needed. So apart from parts nothing modified for me. I assume it gave me a false sense of getting management?
Whereas WW itself doesn’t outwardly promote “synthetic meals” you could possibly are inclined to lean in the direction of a few of them as a result of they have been decrease in factors. I additionally didn’t suppose they promoted more healthy choices on a regular basis: Skim milk and 0 fats yogurt have been 0 factors, however I had been taught that you just wanted the fats to blunt any insulin spikes and the fats would additionally enhance your satiety. I discovered it very tough to remain inside the factors and eat wholesome and left after 3 months. I determine there was no sense in being smaller if I wasn’t additionally getting more healthy.
Every meals’s factors are calculated based mostly on its vitamins. Certain, greens and fruits have low factors values, however there are extraordinarily bodily nourishing and satisfying meals which can be increased in factors. Avocado, nuts, oatmeal, and candy potatoes are just a few of them.
The present WW program has greater than 200 zero-point meals, which sounds wonderful till you understand that it truly isn’t, for causes I’m going to elucidate.
WW tells dieters to not overeat zero level meals, however for those who’ve been given a factors finances to remain inside, there’s a definite attract to stuffing your self with zero level meals with a purpose to ‘afford’ the inevitable multi-point binge.
All of this turns consuming right into a math equation, which can result in consuming meals that you just don’t need simply to suit into your factors finances, or not consuming as a lot as you want due to the factors. Conversely, you could eat simply to fulfill your factors finances in case you have factors left over (which in all probability by no means occurs). This may mess up your inside starvation and fullness cues.
Right here’s why I don’t advocate having a calorie objective.
It additionally promotes satiety OVER satisfaction. Quantity consuming, or consuming massive volumes of low-calorie meals to fill the abdomen so that you don’t eat different, higher-calorie meals, is a disordered behaviour.
In case you go over your factors finances or eat the ‘incorrect’ meals, this may result in guilt and disgrace, one thing that perpetuates the food regimen cycle.
Individuals should monitor their level consumption, which will be triggering for anybody who’s predisposed to, has, or has had an consuming dysfunction. That is doubtlessly a big section of the inhabitants, because the prevalence of consuming issues themselves (NOT together with disordered consuming), in keeping with this 2019 examine in JAMA, is 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 7 males.
We additionally know that prevalence of consuming issues peaks once more in girls round center age, in keeping with this 2023 examine and others. In 2018, a report by MRI Simmons discovered that 85% of WW dieters have been girls, and 43% of these girls have been over the age of 55.
WW could say they’re all about well being, however what I see mirrored within the quite a few WW factors teams on Fb, is just about the other.
In case you can’t eat meals with out swapping out substances for lower-calorie selections, and you’ll’t eat with out counting or monitoring, please know that this isn’t what relationship with meals seems to be like. It removes all flexibility, pleasure, and peace from consuming. Not good.
This system makes use of ‘coaches’ who lack in-depth, related vitamin coaching. Their solely {qualifications} are that they’ve reached their objective weight with WW and maintained it for at the very least 6 months.
Clearly, this isn’t sufficient coaching to advise individuals on their vitamin. Vitamin and the psychology behind meals selections are advanced. Unqualified individuals can doubtlessly do hurt after they contain themselves in different peoples’ relationships with meals and consuming.
Learn my Noom overview right here.
As with most diets, many individuals drop a few pounds initially with WW as a result of they’re consuming fewer energy than they have been beforehand. That is simply simple arithmetic. Nonetheless, the psychological exhaustion that outcomes from counting factors and overthinking all the things you set into your mouth could cause lots of these individuals to surrender. I don’t blame them.
I’ve seen many individuals in my follow who’ve executed Weight Watchers years in the past, however nonetheless see meals as ‘factors.’ That is problematic, as a result of it causes them to worry meals and second-guess all the things they eat. It completely takes away that connection between how they really feel and what they select to eat.
I nonetheless know what number of factors some issues are many years later. The weekly weigh ins have been so traumatic and the straight up meals obsession was so dangerous.
The factor is, these individuals typically return to WW repeatedly, as a result of of their thoughts, it ‘labored’ as soon as for them, in order that they’re going for a second, fourth, or eighth kick on the can. It not often has a contented ending, however that’s what food regimen applications like Weight Watchers need.
Repeat prospects. Lifetime devotees. Individuals turning into depending on figuring out the factors of every morsel of meals earlier than they permit themselves to eat it. Blaming themselves for his or her ‘failure’ on a food regimen that’s made to fail anyhow.
Sound acquainted? Lots of you who’re studying this may recall having these experiences with WW. I’m sorry.
I joined many instances and by no means made objective weight. Because of being on WW I continued to drink espresso and tea black, don’t put butter on greens and restrict fats. Nonetheless I’m heavier than I must be.
I work out recurrently, stroll lengthy distances and customarily really feel responsible about not having my weight down. This month I flip 68.
I’ll say that I’ve joined WW so many instances that I actually misplaced depend. I by no means reached the objective weight that THEY set for me and all the time felt like a failure each time I left as a result of it was my fault for “being so weak”.
My largest takeaway from WW was that each one of my price as a human being was tied to a quantity on a scale, and all meals had numbers as properly, which by God Had To Be Saved Underneath The Restrict.
There was not solely a complete disregard for vitamin but in addition for the enjoyment and pleasure of meals too.
I attempted ww and did lose 30 lbs which has come again after I finished. I’ll say it made individuals panic a couple of 0.3lb achieve, get obsessive about which model of hummus is 1 level vs 1.5, too targeted on the minutia, not an general wholesome sustainable long run weight upkeep answer. Any program will work whilst you work it, however you shouldn’t want a program in case you are truly studying the abilities and habits for wholesome dwelling.
I additionally received feedback from followers who stated optimistic issues about their time with WW.
Issues like, it gave them construction and taught them about portion dimension. That they’ve misplaced weight and stored it off, for essentially the most half. That they benefit from the neighborhood, and that general, it was a optimistic expertise.
Does Weight Watchers work? Properly, each food regimen will ‘work’ for somebody. And by ‘work,’ I imply shedding pounds and KEEPING IT OFF.
I received 173 feedback, 6 messages, and 15 emails about WW. Out of these 194 items of correspondence, 9 have been supportive of WW. 4 have been so-so, and the remainder have been unfavourable.
181 out of 194 have been so-so or unfavourable, or 93%. This isn’t a scientific consequence, however it’s fascinating to see the break up. I really feel as if it’s according to what I’ve heard from individuals over the previous 24 years I’ve been a dietitian.
Irrespective of how WW places it, it’s nonetheless a food regimen.
Oh hey, how about we simply EAT?
Individuals won’t ever cease desirous to drop a few pounds, and as a dietitian who helps intentional weight reduction the place acceptable, I completely perceive. Nonetheless, I believe there are higher methods to drop a few pounds than to topic your self to WW or one other industrial food regimen program.
Weight Watchers, for those who’re listening, listed here are my suggestions:
Eliminate the factors in favor of a extra intuitive eating-style program. Individuals shall be mad at first, however within the long-run, it’s a more healthy approach to see meals and consuming.
In case you’re actually taken with peoples’ well being and general wellness, cease making weight reduction the first objective of your program.
Get some kind of upkeep help, as a result of a number of individuals complained to me that you’ve none.
Monitor the WW teams on social for disordered behaviour, and FFS, ask related questions in your onboarding quiz.
Use certified well being professionals as coaches. You have got the cash. Simply do it.
Who am I kidding…WW won’t ever change their methods. We will hope, although.
SHAMELESS PLUG: for those who’re struggling along with your vitamin and relationship with meals, I will help! I’m taking 1:1 shoppers now. I’m costlier than WW, however you might be able to get protection for my providers in case you have personal insurance coverage. Right here’s the hyperlink for extra data and to request a session.
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