First of all, the short answer is yes (in my opinion) weight watchers does seem to be a rip off . There are several reasons why i said that. First of all, the rate in which you lose weight is excruciatingly slow. (how does a diet that only helps you lose on average 0.2 pounds per month be the BEST diet in 2011 ranked by U.S News and World Report?)
Notice that they are ranked by the newspapers and some unknown organization. The credibility of these organization is flawed at best. Where do I get the 0,2 pounds on average per month? It is from Journal of American Medical Association or JAMA as they are popularly known. In a study funded by Weight Watchers themselves, participant in the JAMA weight loss study lost on average only 6 pounds of weight in 2 years. This is by adhering to the strict points system.
Now, is there any wonder that this JAMA study is nowhere to be found on their website even though they funded the study themselves? Is it any wonder that they cannot provide you with an exact number on their website?
Points System – The 2nd Scam
They make their Weight watchers point system sounds so good it made me blush to attach the word scam at the end of it. Weight Watchers claim that you won’t need to calculate calories anymore and you can eat anything you want. Well, looks like its nothing but hot air.
Let me give you an example. If you are about 35 years old and you want to lose about say 40 pounds you will be allocated only 27 poinds per day. To put that into perspective a Beef sandwich (not the restaurant type but made according to weight watchers recipe) will cost you 9 points. You are now being left with 18 points after your mini sandwich snack. If you ate this sandwich on a restaurant you can bet your last dime that it will cost you way more than 9 points.
As such, the number one complain that people have on this diet is the constant hunger and craving for food. This is despite the claim that their recipe is filling. Yes, they are pretty filling if you only eat their high fibre food. Which is essentially processed food made by the company themselves. More money for them i guess but bad for your health and wallet.
They also claim that you won’t need to calculate any calories but they conveniently forgot to tell you that you will need to count points. Is there any difference between the two? Of course, Weight watchers make it easy by providing you with tracking tools and calculators. But then, is there any difference with the abundance of free calorie calculators and tracking tools out there?
Weight Watchers Food – Bland and Tasteless
Now, a lot of you might want to refute my final point here but you will be disappointed. Hey, I admit that the weight watchers system has plenty of good tasting food like beef and chicken. However, there is little of that to be had when you are on their point system. Here’s how the point system calculates the food point. The higher the fibre, the lower the point is for that food. The higher the fat content, the higher the point will be.
If you want to stay within your points (very hard) you will have to eat a lot of oats and whole wheat. Last time i checked, they taste like card boards to me. Unless you like vegetables a lot then you will probably fall off the bandwagon on this diet plan. Of course, you won’t need weightwatchers anyway if you are a vegetarian.
Weight Watchers Meetings – Boring But Good
You don’t think I would bash everything about weightwatchers do you? Of course, there are good things about them. One shining example would be the meetings (depending on who you ask of course) done every week to keep each other accountable. You will meet up and do a weight in every week to determine where you are in your goal. This will be followed by some sharing and pep talk with each other. Nothing you couldn’t do on your own with the Internet nowadays. (Maybe that is why they are offering weight watchers online? Meetings just aren’t the added value they used to be)
Will You Need To Exercise
According to them you won’t need to be it is of course encouraged. This is because their system is so good that you won’t need to. (as insinuated by them) This is of course, false. I suspect that many men and women on this diet program will not have the energy necessary to carry out any exercise. You eat so little you start wondering if you can go through the day without thinking of food constantly. (maybe some low points food to curb your cravings?)
