This Weight Watchers assessment put up is an opinion piece primarily based on my experience as a dietitian. The quotes which are bolded all through the piece are the real-life experiences of former Weight Watchers dieters.
Weight Watchers is undeniably one of the vital profitable business weight-reduction plan applications ever. Based in 1961 by Jean Nidetch, a housewife and mom, it has grown to grow to be a weight-reduction plan behemoth with 4.6 million members worldwide.
Maybe in an try and shuck off its unhealthy weight-reduction plan juju amongst a big proportion of the inhabitants, Weight Watchers rebranded in 2018 as ‘WW.’ Abruptly, Weight Watchers wished to leap on the wellness practice, however most of us weren’t having it.
That’s as a result of WW was, and is, nonetheless a weight-reduction plan, and everyone knows it. You’ll be able to’t give folks a calorie *ahem* factors price range, have a main end result that entails weight reduction, after which say that you simply’re not promoting them a weight-reduction plan.
And who can neglect Kurbo, WW’s try and suck youngsters into its orbit? The burden loss app, launched in 2019, catered to youngsters 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 youngsters to enroll with out parental oversight. The FDA additionally discovered that WW had used Kurbo to illegally harvest delicate well being info from kids.
Now, below CEO Sima Sistani, WW is providing GLP-1 agonists as an alternative choice to its typical weight-reduction plan program.
Comply with the cash, I suppose.
Learn my Xyngular GLP-X assessment right here.
WW conferences at the moment are largely on-line, and weekly weight-ins are nonetheless a part of this system. In the event you do go to an in-person ‘workshop’ as they’re now referred to 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 a number of:
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 wished 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 “fallacious” in a room full of fifty 12 months previous ladies. It taught me nothing about diet, particularly as a result of that was the age of “fats makes you fats”. Every thing was off limits and all I realized was the best way to disguise 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 baby 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 Watchers weight-reduction plan?
There are a few research right 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 weight-reduction plan plans. It was launched in 1998. It then modified to Profitable 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 alter as usually because the wind blows, or at the very least that’s the impression I’ve gotten.
The gist is that you simply get a sure variety of factors to ‘spend’ every day, plus an allotment of weekly factors to ‘cowl’ any ‘indulgences’ which may pop up. You too can ‘earn’ bonus factors for train, which I feel 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 peak, weight, objective weight, intercourse, and age. The one medical historical past query it requested was if I’ve diabetes.
Related elements comparable to exercise degree, historical past of an consuming dysfunction or different severe diagnoses, weren’t talked about. To their credit score, I attempted to enter a weight that was too low for my peak, and acquired this message:
As a dietitian, my most important concern with WW is the factors system. I consider that it encourages disordered considering and habits round meals for many individuals.
Right here’s my Weight Watchers Private Factors assessment.
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, but it surely’s human nature to not assume that method when introduced with an possibility (aka zero level meals) the place they’ll eat extra for much less. I additionally see this system encouraging followers to ‘sport’ the system.
That is one thing that was echoed in a number of the feedback I acquired from folks:
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 wished. So aside 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 would are likely to lean in direction of a few of them as a result of they have been decrease in factors. I additionally didn’t assume 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 simply wanted the fats to blunt any insulin spikes and the fats would additionally enhance your satiety. I discovered it very troublesome to remain throughout 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 primarily based on its vitamins. Positive, greens and fruits have low factors values, however there are extraordinarily bodily nourishing and satisfying meals which are greater in factors. Avocado, nuts, oatmeal, and candy potatoes are a number of of them.
The present WW program has greater than 200 zero-point meals, which sounds superb till you notice that it truly isn’t, for causes I’m going to clarify.
WW tells dieters to not overeat zero level meals, however should you’ve been given a factors price range to remain inside, there’s a definite attract to stuffing your self with zero level meals to be able 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 simply don’t need simply to suit into your factors price range, or not consuming as a lot as you want due to the factors. Conversely, you could eat simply to fulfill your factors price range when you’ve got factors left over (which most likely by no means occurs). This will mess up your inner starvation and fullness cues.
Right here’s why I don’t suggest 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 the event you go over your factors price range or eat the ‘fallacious’ meals, this may result in guilt and disgrace, one thing that perpetuates the weight-reduction plan cycle.
Individuals should observe their level consumption, which could be triggering for anybody who’s predisposed to, has, or has had an consuming dysfunction. That is probably a big section of the inhabitants, because the prevalence of consuming problems themselves (NOT together with disordered consuming), based on this 2019 research in JAMA, is 1 in 5 ladies and 1 in 7 males.
We additionally know that prevalence of consuming problems peaks once more in ladies round center age, based on this 2023 research and others. In 2018, a report by MRI Simmons discovered that 85% of WW dieters have been ladies, and 43% of these ladies 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 alternative.
In the event you can’t eat meals with out swapping out elements for lower-calorie decisions, and you’ll’t eat with out counting or monitoring, please know that this isn’t what relationship with meals appears like. It removes all flexibility, pleasure, and peace from consuming. Not good.
This system makes use of ‘coaches’ who lack in-depth, related diet 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 ample coaching to advise folks on their diet. Vitamin and the psychology behind meals decisions are advanced. Unqualified folks can probably do hurt after they contain themselves in different peoples’ relationships with meals and consuming.
Learn my Noom assessment 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 basic math. Nonetheless, the psychological exhaustion that outcomes from counting factors and overthinking every thing you place into your mouth may cause lots of these folks to surrender. I don’t blame them.
I’ve seen many individuals in my apply who’ve achieved 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 every thing 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 folks usually return to WW time and again, 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 weight-reduction plan applications like Weight Watchers need.
Repeat clients. Lifetime devotees. Individuals turning into depending on realizing the factors of every morsel of meals earlier than they permit themselves to eat it. Blaming themselves for his or her ‘failure’ on a weight-reduction plan 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 occasions 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 ought to be.
I work out repeatedly, stroll lengthy distances and usually really feel responsible about not having my weight down. This month I flip 68.
I’ll say that I’ve joined WW so many occasions that I actually misplaced rely. I by no means reached the objective weight that THEY set for me and at all times 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 every one of my value as a human being was tied to a quantity on a scale, and all meals had numbers as nicely, which by God Had To Be Stored Beneath The Restrict.
There was not solely a complete disregard for diet 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 ended. I’ll say it made folks panic a couple of 0.3lb acquire, get obsessive about which model of hummus is 1 level vs 1.5, too targeted on the minutia, not an total wholesome sustainable long run weight upkeep resolution. Any program will work whilst you work it, however you shouldn’t want a program in case you are truly studying the talents and habits for wholesome residing.
I additionally acquired 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 probably the most half. That they benefit from the group, and that total, it was a optimistic expertise.
Does Weight Watchers work? Nicely, each weight-reduction plan will ‘work’ for somebody. And by ‘work,’ I imply dropping pounds and KEEPING IT OFF.
I acquired 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 detrimental.
181 out of 194 have been so-so or detrimental, or 93%. This isn’t a scientific end result, but it surely’s fascinating to see the cut up. I really feel as if it’s in step with what I’ve heard from folks over the previous 24 years I’ve been a dietitian.
Irrespective of how WW places it, it’s nonetheless a weight-reduction plan.
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 applicable, I completely perceive. Nonetheless, I feel there are higher methods to drop a few pounds than to topic your self to WW or one other business weight-reduction plan program.
Weight Watchers, should you’re listening, listed below are my suggestions:
Eliminate the factors in favor of a extra intuitive eating-style program. Individuals can be mad at first, however within the long-run, it’s a more healthy solution to see meals and consuming.
In the event you’re really keen on peoples’ well being and total wellness, cease making weight reduction the first objective of your program.
Get some kind of upkeep help, as a result of a number of folks complained to me that you’ve got 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: should you’re struggling along with your diet and relationship with meals, I may help! I’m taking 1:1 purchasers now. I’m costlier than WW, however you could possibly get protection for my providers when you’ve got personal insurance coverage. Right here’s the hyperlink for extra info and to request a session.
