Weight Watchers is a commercial weight loss program that focuses on balanced low fat nutrition, exercise and group counseling. Its latest diet creation is called “TurnAround” and is based on its successful “Flexpoints Plan” and “Winning Points Plan.” Every item of food from pizza to ice cream to carrots to bread has a points value based on its nutritional content. You may eat as you like as long as you stay within your allotment of points.
This new program is basically the same as the old, but uses the points in a slightly different manner. You are encouraged to use an online resource called “eTools,” along with a points “calculator” and recipes provided by Weight Watchers. To assist the dieter in their lifestyle changes all members are encouraged to attend group discussion and counseling sessions, mostly in person, at local Weight Watchers centers.
Weight Watchers programs have historically been good programs, but they are increasingly relying on gimmicks and slick marketing. The new “TurnAround” plan is basically the “Winning Points Plan” with re-freshed marketing. They advertise aggressively, trying to convince overweight people that they can lose weight without sacrificing the foods they love.
The points-based plans control portion size by allowing calories that should be consumed on healthy food with very small portions of potentially unhealthy food. This strategy gives the dieter a false sense of the real nutritional changes they need to make in their lives for long-term success. If one seriously wants to lose weight and keep it off in the long-term, they need to think more comprehensively about the foods they eat.
The program does not put a priority on exercise, which is essential. Long-term group therapy impedes the development of self-reliance and self-discipline, which is clearly the most important trait in those 5% of dieters who succeed in the long-term.
Bottom Line:
The points-based method of Weight Watchers is outdated and doesn’t go far enough to promote healthy lifestyle changes. Just because a certain food is within the “points” doesn’t mean it’s going to help us lose weight or is healthy for our bodies.
As modern dieters, we should focus more on PORTION control and the QUALITY of food we’re stuffing in our mouths. You will have far greater success with diets like Nutrisystem and Medifast, as these diets RETRAIN our body to eat smaller portions and to eat more frequently throughout the day. After only a couple of months, you’ll have the tools to last a lifetime, free of diets and weekly meetings.
Hi, I've battled my own weight loss for years and have experience with hundreds of weight loss programs and fad diets. When forming my list of the
You guys are absolutely right about weight watchers.
This article is “RIGHT ON” nuff said!
I agree. I don’t think weight watchers teaches people to eat healthy. What I learned was how to eat the most for the least amount of points. And the meetings were far from group therapy; it was mostly people talking about how to eat the most food for the least amount of points. There really was no mention of eating smaller portions of nutritious foods. I knew people who would eat cake for dinner or a pile of broccoli because they had no points left. I lost 50 pounds on my own and my BF 25. How did we do it? We ate smaller portions of healthy foods and exercised on a regular basis. There really is no secret, no magic. It’s really quite simple. The hard part is staying motivated and disciplined.