This Weight Watchers evaluate publish is an opinion piece primarily based 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 one of the crucial profitable industrial weight loss plan packages ever. Based in 1961 by Jean Nidetch, a housewife and mom, it has grown to turn out to be a weight loss plan behemoth with 4.6 million members worldwide.
Maybe in an try and shuck off its unhealthy weight loss plan juju amongst a big proportion of the inhabitants, Weight Watchers rebranded in 2018 as ‘WW.’ All of a sudden, 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’ll be able to’t give folks a calorie *ahem* factors finances, have a main consequence that entails weight reduction, after which say that you just’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 accessible 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 data from kids.
Now, underneath 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 evaluate right here.
WW conferences at the moment are principally on-line, and weekly weight-ins are nonetheless a part of this system. When you do go to an in-person ‘workshop’ as they’re now referred to as, the weigh-ins are personal, as a substitute 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 “fallacious” 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”. The whole lot was off limits and all I discovered was methods 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 loss plan?
There are a few research right here, right here, and right here, that seem to point out WW’s efficacy by way of weight misplaced and diabetes administration. Nonetheless, WW funded these research, and the outcomes are pretty unremarkable.
Do not forget 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 typically because the wind blows, or a minimum of 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. It’s also possible to ‘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 principally centered on weight reduction, asking my present peak, weight, purpose weight, intercourse, and age. The one medical historical past query it requested was if I’ve diabetes.
Related elements corresponding to exercise degree, 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 acquired this message:
As a dietitian, my foremost concern 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 evaluate.
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, nevertheless it’s human nature to not assume that approach when offered with an possibility (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 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 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 possibly can 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 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 primarily based on its vitamins. Positive, greens and fruits have low factors values, however there are extraordinarily bodily nourishing and satisfying meals which might be greater 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 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 in the event you’ve been given a factors finances 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 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 when you’ve got factors left over (which most likely 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 purpose.
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.
When you go over your factors finances or eat the ‘fallacious’ meals, this may result in guilt and disgrace, one thing that perpetuates the weight loss plan cycle.
Contributors should observe their level consumption, which might 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 girls and 1 in 7 males.
We additionally know that prevalence of consuming issues peaks once more in girls 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 girls, and 43% of these girls 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.
When 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 a great relationship with meals seems 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 purpose weight with WW and maintained it for a minimum of 6 months.
Clearly, this isn’t satisfactory coaching to advise folks on their vitamin. Vitamin and the psychology behind meals selections are advanced. Unqualified folks can probably do hurt once they contain themselves in different peoples’ relationships with meals and consuming.
Learn my Noom evaluate right here.
As with most diets, many individuals drop extra 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 pieces 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 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 all the pieces 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 typically return to WW time and again, as a result of of their thoughts, it ‘labored’ as soon as for them, so 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 packages 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 weight loss plan that’s made to fail anyhow.
Sound acquainted? A lot of you who’re studying this can recall having these experiences with WW. I’m sorry.
I joined many instances and by no means made purpose weight. On account 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 instances that I actually misplaced depend. I by no means reached the purpose 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 effectively, 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 folks panic a couple of 0.3lb acquire, get obsessive about which model of hummus is 1 level vs 1.5, too centered on the minutia, not an total wholesome sustainable long run weight upkeep answer. Any program will work when 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 acquired feedback from followers who stated optimistic issues about their time with WW.
Issues like, it gave them construction and taught them about portion measurement. 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 loss plan will ‘work’ for somebody. And by ‘work,’ I imply reducing weight 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 unfavourable.
181 out of 194 have been so-so or unfavourable, or 93%. This isn’t a scientific consequence, 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.
Irrespective of how WW places it, it’s nonetheless a weight loss plan.
Oh hey, how about we simply EAT?
Individuals won’t ever cease eager to drop extra pounds, and as a dietitian who helps intentional weight reduction the place applicable, I completely perceive. Nonetheless, I believe there are higher methods to drop extra pounds than to topic your self to WW or one other industrial weight loss plan program.
Weight Watchers, in the event you’re listening, listed below are my suggestions:
Do away with the factors in favor of a extra intuitive eating-style program. Individuals will probably be mad at first, however within the long-run, it’s a more healthy approach to see meals and consuming.
When you’re really occupied with peoples’ well being and total wellness, cease making weight reduction the first purpose 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: in the event you’re struggling together with your vitamin and relationship with meals, I may also help! I’m taking 1:1 shoppers now. I’m dearer than WW, however you might be able to get protection for my companies when you’ve got personal insurance coverage. Right here’s the hyperlink for extra data and to request a session.