This Weight Watchers assessment publish is an opinion piece based mostly on my experience as a dietitian. The quotes which might be bolded all through the piece are the real-life experiences of former Weight Watchers dieters.
Weight Watchers is undeniably probably the most profitable industrial weight loss plan applications ever. Based in 1961 by Jean Nidetch, a housewife and mom, it has grown to grow to be a weight loss plan behemoth with 4.6 million members worldwide.
Maybe in an try and shuck off its dangerous weight loss plan juju amongst a big proportion of the inhabitants, Weight Watchers rebranded in 2018 as ‘WW.’ Abruptly, Weight Watchers needed 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 loss plan, and everyone knows it. You may’t give folks a calorie *ahem* factors funds, have a major end result that entails weight reduction, after which say that you simply’re not promoting them a weight loss plan.
And who can neglect Kurbo, WW’s try and suck youngsters into its orbit? The load 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 loss 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 known as, the weigh-ins are non-public, 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 couple 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 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 ladies. It taught me nothing about vitamin, particularly as a result of that was the age of “fats makes you fats”. All the pieces was off limits and all I discovered was the right 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 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 Watchers weight loss 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 idea of all their weight loss 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 vary as usually because the wind blows, or not less than 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 may also ‘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 centered on weight reduction, asking my present peak, weight, aim weight, intercourse, and age. The one medical historical past query it requested was if I’ve diabetes.
Related elements reminiscent of 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 peak, and received this message:
As a dietitian, my important challenge 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 ‘dangerous.’ Sure, all meals can match, nevertheless it’s human nature to not suppose that means when offered with an possibility (aka zero level meals) the place they’ll eat extra for much less. I additionally see this system encouraging followers to ‘recreation’ the system.
That is one thing that was echoed in a few of the feedback I received 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 needed. 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 can 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 simply wanted the fats to blunt any insulin spikes and the fats would additionally enhance your satiety. I discovered it very troublesome 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 might be increased in factors. Avocado, nuts, oatmeal, and candy potatoes are a couple of of them.
The present WW program has greater than 200 zero-point meals, which sounds wonderful 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 if you happen to’ve been given a factors funds to remain inside, there’s a definite attract to stuffing your self with zero level meals in an effort 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 funds, or not consuming as a lot as you want due to the factors. Conversely, chances are you’ll eat simply to fulfill your factors funds if in case you have factors left over (which most likely by no means occurs). This could mess up your inner starvation and fullness cues.
Right here’s why I don’t advocate having a calorie aim.
It additionally promotes satiety OVER satisfaction. Quantity consuming, or consuming giant 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 funds or eat the ‘incorrect’ meals, this could result in guilt and disgrace, one thing that perpetuates the weight loss plan cycle.
Members should observe their level consumption, which will 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 issues themselves (NOT together with disordered consuming), in line with this 2019 research in JAMA, is 1 in 5 ladies and 1 in 7 males.
We additionally know that prevalence of consuming issues peaks once more in ladies round center age, in line with 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 might 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 the event you can’t eat meals with out swapping out elements for lower-calorie decisions, and you may’t eat with out counting or monitoring, please know that this isn’t what a great 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 vitamin coaching. Their solely {qualifications} are that they’ve reached their aim weight with WW and maintained it for not less than 6 months.
Clearly, this isn’t ample coaching to advise folks on their vitamin. Diet and the psychology behind meals decisions are complicated. Unqualified folks can probably do hurt once they contain themselves in different peoples’ relationships with meals and consuming.
Learn my Noom assessment right here.
As with most diets, many individuals drop some 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 folks to surrender. I don’t blame them.
I’ve seen many individuals in my apply who’ve performed 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 a long time later. The weekly weigh ins have been so nerve-racking and the straight up meals obsession was so dangerous.
The factor is, these folks usually 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 hardly ever has a cheerful ending, however that’s what weight loss plan applications like Weight Watchers need.
Repeat prospects. Lifetime devotees. Folks changing 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 loss plan that’s made to fail anyhow.
Sound acquainted? Lots of you who’re studying it will recall having these experiences with WW. I’m sorry.
I joined many occasions and by no means made aim 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 needs to be.
I work out often, 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 depend. I by no means reached the aim 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 greatest 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 nicely, which by God Had To Be Stored Beneath 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 ended. I’ll say it made folks panic a couple of 0.3lb achieve, get obsessive about which model of hummus is 1 level vs 1.5, too centered 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 residing.
I additionally received feedback from followers who mentioned constructive issues about their time with WW.
Issues like, it gave them construction and taught them about portion dimension. That they’ve misplaced weight and saved it off, for probably the most half. That they benefit from the neighborhood, and that general, it was a constructive expertise.
Does Weight Watchers work? Nicely, each weight loss plan will ‘work’ for somebody. And by ‘work,’ I imply shedding weight 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 adverse.
181 out of 194 have been so-so or adverse, or 93%. This isn’t a scientific end result, nevertheless it’s fascinating to see the cut up. I really feel as if it’s in keeping with what I’ve heard from folks over the previous 24 years I’ve been a dietitian.
Regardless of how WW places it, it’s nonetheless a weight loss plan.
Oh hey, how about we simply EAT?
Folks won’t ever cease desirous to drop some 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 some pounds than to topic your self to WW or one other industrial weight loss plan program.
Weight Watchers, if you happen to’re listening, listed here are my suggestions:
Eliminate the factors in favor of a extra intuitive eating-style program. Folks might be mad at first, however within the long-run, it’s a more healthy technique to see meals and consuming.
In the event you’re really excited about peoples’ well being and general wellness, cease making weight reduction the first aim of your program.
Get some type of upkeep help, as a result of a number of folks 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 may have the cash. Simply do it.
Who am I kidding…WW won’t ever change their methods. We will hope, although.
SHAMELESS PLUG: if you happen to’re struggling along with your vitamin and relationship with meals, I can assist! I’m taking 1:1 shoppers now. I’m costlier than WW, however you might be able to get protection for my providers if in case you have non-public insurance coverage. Right here’s the hyperlink for extra info and to request a session.
