Weight Watchers

Upon registering, members set their first goal as losing 10% of their body weight. Once this goal is reached, a final weight goal is selected based on the individual's height, age, and gender.

Weight Watchers has traditionally assigned points to foods. The points values of given foods are available in an online database. Points calculators let members calculate the point value of any food based on nutrition information on the product's label. Members are allowed a certain number of points per day, which makes it simple for them to track their overall consumption of calories. They may eat anything they wish so long as they stay within their allotted points. In reality, to follow the plan customers must select low-calorie options—lean meats, lots of fruits and vegetables, and reasonable helpings of carbohydrates. Points are designed to accommodate an occasional treat.

In 2018, the company listed over 200 foods that had no point values at all, which customers were allowed to eat in unlimited quantities. These zero-point foods included shellfish, chicken breasts, and eggs. This move was intended to make it easier for customers to measure and track their intake.

Every Weight Watchers meeting has a behavioral module. These modules help dieters uncover harmful behaviors and suggest ways to correct them. For instance, one module may deal with eating in response to stress. Others might focus on how to handle people who want to sabotage your diet, the challenges of eating out, handling holiday meals, fitting exercise into daily life, or overcoming feelings of low self-worth. These topics are presented by the leader and are often supported with short worksheets or take-away information. Members are encouraged to share their experiences and make suggestions for solutions that are then summarized and reinforced by the leader. The company's social media platform allows customers to feel that they are part of the community when they are away from the group. Customers enjoy trading weight-loss stories and advice, and community membership keeps them in Weight Watchers longer.

Motivation is a big part of the Weight Watchers program. At every in-person meeting, each member is privately weighed, and the weight is recorded. Even small successes are celebrated. Members receive recognition for every 5 pounds (2 kg) of weight loss, along with larger recognition for attending 16 weekly meetings (the number Weight Watchers says is needed to change behavior), losing 10% of their body weight, and reaching their goal weight. Lifetime membership is conferred on individuals who reach their goal weight and stay at or below that weight for at least six weeks. Lifetime members may attend meetings free so long as they weigh in at no more than 2 pounds (1 kg) above their goal weight. If their weight is out of that range, they pay the weekly meeting fee but never have to pay a registration fee once they have achieved Lifetime status.

Daily exercise is strongly encouraged at Weight Watchers, but it is not a required part of the program. Individuals who exercise can earn extra points to spend on food if they wish. Walking is strongly encouraged, and Weight Watchers sells branded pedometers to encourage walkers to gradually increase their walking activity to 10,000 steps a day (about five miles). Some motivational exercises involve group tracking of physical activity. For example, one group may set a challenge to walk a certain number of steps in a specified time frame.

Weight Watchers is a calorie- and portion-controlled diet plan that is intended to change individuals' eating and exercise habits for a lifetime. Weight Watchers uses nutrition education, behavior modification, and motivational psychology to help members achieve their goals.

One of Weight Watchers International's goals in 2018 was to keep customers for a longer period of time. This was part of the company's rationale behind rebranding itself as a lifestyle brand instead of just a diet program. If customers hold long-term subscriptions, the company makes more money, but the program is also meant to be better for the customers; lifelong attention to food intake will give them better overall health and well-being. In the past, customers would often join Weight Watchers long enough to achieve a weight loss goal and then quit. After ending their diets and resuming their old habits, they would regain the weight and end up joining Weight Watchers again. The company hopes to help people avoid this destructive cycle of yo-yo dieting and instead keep them healthy for life.

Some benefits of the Weight Watchers program include:

The Weight Watchers program is not for everyone. Some people find the group meetings uncomfortable. However, many dieters who do attend the same meeting week after week develop relationships with other members and a sense of accountability to the group that motivates them to stay on the diet.

Weight Watchers does not accept children under the age of 10 or pregnant women. Children and adolescents under the age of 17 must present written medical permission to join the program. Teens and breastfeeding women must agree to follow a special plan to meet their dietary needs. Weight Watchers will not accept anyone whose weight is within 5 pounds (2.3 kg) of the lowest weight in their goal range, nor does it accept people with a diagnosis of bulimia nervosa. The Weight Watchers program is not intended to treat or cure any particular disease or disorder.

People who are obese or with any existing health conditions should talk to their doctors before starting an exercise program.

Individuals who are under treatment for an illness, taking prescription drugs, or on a therapeutic diet (e.g., low-sodium diet, gluten-free diet) should consult with their doctor about the Weight Watchers plan and follow any changes or modifications the physician may make to the plan. Failure to do so can increase the risk of health complications.

Of all the commercial diet plans, Weight Watchers is the plan that is most enthusiastically accepted by the medical community. In its 2017 diet review, U.S. News & World Report ranked Weight Watchers the easiest diet to follow, the best commercial diet, and the fourth best diet for weight loss. The program has been in existence for over 50 years, and many independent studies have confirmed that it is a safe and effective way to lose weight. In comparison studies, members who attend Weight Watchers meetings lose more weight than those who join the program but do not go to meetings; this is thought to be due to the feelings of camaraderie and accountability invoked in the meeting setting. The Weight Watchers plan also compares favorably to other diet plans in terms of total weight loss and maintenance of weight loss. The Weight Watchers plan does not address specific health issues, such as lowering blood pressure or cholesterol levels, but adherence to the diet and any resulting weight loss will help to promote overall health.

See also Obesity .