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Are you a Weight Watcher?
The decision to lose weight
is not one that many people make lightly - excuse the
pun. Often, it has been flitting around in the mind
for years. It may even have been reached, acted on and
abandoned as another fad diet bit the dust. Then, a
rogue photograph appears depicting you doing your best
whale impression, or you are unexpectedly required to
move quickly (perhaps during a fire drill at work, where
everyone sees you panting), and almost expire from the
effort. Shamed into action you decide once again that
another attempt to shed weight will be worthwhile.
The good news is that you needn't do
it on your own. A huge range of weight-loss programs
exist today - from independent, locally run clubs to
the multi-national organizations- all offering weight-loss
plans to suit individual needs and budgets.
Arguably, one of the most successful
of the large organizations is WeightWatchers. Founded
in a New York apartment over 40 years ago by Jane Nedetch,
the small support group for friends has grown into the
vastly successful international company that it is today.
By combining a program of healthy eating and exercise
with group support, WeightWatchers developed a 'partnership'
approach to dieting which has since been emulated by
many other weight-loss organizations world wide.
How does WeightWatchers operate?
Membership:
After locating a local meeting venue via the internet
or the local press, members can join the organization
for a fee of around $25-$30. This membership fee is
often waived during special promotion months, which
are generally advertised in the media.
A weekly fee of around $10-$15 is paid
at each meeting, although monthly and three-monthly
packages can be bought in advance at a discounted rate.
Membership lapses if a member fails to attend meetings
for four weeks. Members must pay for a missed meeting
but if they have missed more than two, they need only
pay for the first week missed and for the current week.
Each member is allowed to miss two meetings in the course
of the year without having to pay.
When a member has reached an agreed
'goal' weight and maintained it (within two lbs or one
kilo) for six weeks, he or she becomes a Life member
and may attend future meetings free of charge, provided
the goal weight is maintained and at least one meeting
is attended each month.
Online membership is now available for
those who cannot attend meetings or who live in a rural
area. A monthly online membership costs around $44.
The Points System:
The dietary part of the WeightWatchers program works
on a 'points' system. Every food is allocated a point
value according to its fat and sugar content. For example,
an apple may be valued at one point, while a sausage
may be valued at five. Most vegetables and salad ingredients
are 'free' and can be eaten without penalty. Members
are given a daily point allocation of around 18-22 points,
depending on their current weight. No food is forbidden,
as long as the point value is factored into the daily
point consumption. Points may be saved for later in
a week to allow members to eat out.
Various exercises are also given a point
value. Bonus points gained by being active, allow the
member to save for later in the week, or may be spent
on an extra treat to the value of the bonus on that
day.
There are ceilings on the number of
points which can be saved or earned in any one week
to prevent binge eating, starving and excessive exercising.
All members receive a points-value guide
to the basic foods in Week One of the program.
The Meetings:
On joining WeightWatchers, the member's height and current
weight are recorded in the 'passport' document, which
holds each member's personal details for the duration
of the program. The member retains the passport and
only has to produce it when being weighed. A general
goal weight is then set in consultation with the group
leader, based on healthy weight to height ratios. A
more specific goal can be set later when the member's
weight lies within this ratio.
The member receives the Week One support
materials which included a weekly brochure containing
a tracker (for recording food intake, exercise and points)
a possible weekly menu, some words on the topic of the
week and a Quickstart DVD ( a support DVD to be used
during the first six weeks of the program).
The member then attends the weekly meeting
during which the leader delivers a talk on the week's
topic and members are invited to share their experiences,
questions and advice.
Why is WeightWatchers so popular?
Many devotees of the organization will answer this in
just one word: Flexibility.
The weight-loss plan which runs for
24 weeks can be tailored to meet a wide range of needs.
The points system allows for total flexibility of menu.
No food is forbidden or compulsory and the menus if
used are written with busy lifestyles in mind.
Meetings are also flexible; with members
being able to attend meetings at other venues should
they find themselves unable to get to their usual meeting.
Members are also free to choose the level of their involvement
at these meetings. While some need the group support
each week, many people opt to just 'weigh-in' then leave.
Either is acceptable.
In addition, WeightWatchers offers a
wide range of support materials: a points value guide
to specific brands of foods, a Supermarket guide, the
Eating-Out guide, a monthly WeightWatchers' magazine,
WeightWatchers' own food products, cookbooks and scales.
Like any weight-loss program, the WeightWatchers
system does have some drawbacks. As it is run at a local
level by leaders who have previously lost weight on
the program, and current members who volunteer, the
effectiveness of the support group is dependent on individual
personalities. If a new member has trouble fitting in
with the existing group, he or she may choose not to
return.
Some people may also argue that the
points' system approach to weight control is a short
term method and just one of many weight-loss options,
although none of these other options are promoted to
members.
Finally, for many people the weekly
fee is too expensive, especially if the member does
not like to attend the meetings. It does seem extravagant
to spend $15 each week just to step on a pair of scales.
Regardless of these criticisms, people
are still flocking to join WeightWatchers and many similar
weight-loss organizations across the globe. In today's
world, weight-loss needs to be less about vanity and
more about health and well being, with all the benefits
of looking good 'thrown in'.
Weight Watchers offers a practical,
accessible and structured way forward to a fit, healthy
lifestyle.
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