Weight Watchers (WW) is a weight loss company, operating in about 30 countries around the world. The chief products of this company are dieting plans and services to aid in weight loss.

The strength of this weight loss program is the optional support groups which meet regularly and help members attain their weight loss goals. The unique selling point of WW is not weight loss by dieting, but weight loss by a lifestyle change. They show their members the way to eating right. This program teaches its members to eat till they are satisfied, not until they are full.

At WW, two different programs are offered. The first is the Core Plan. When crash diets like Atkins and South beach diet became popular, WW introduced their own variant-the Core Plan. According to this plan, some food types are categorized as core. Members are encouraged to eat core foods, the only restriction being that they must eat until they are satisfied, not until they find themselves stuffed. Core foods include food items from all the food groups, such as fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, and grains. Members are not completely prohibited from eating non-core food. They are just restricted to a certain quantity per week. This way the members don’t feel deprived.

The other program on offer is the Flex Plan. Under this program, each member is first evaluated for height, weight, age, and activity level. Depending upon the evaluation, the member is assigned a number of points that they can consume on any given day. If a member performs sufficient exercise, his points may be increased. This program basically quantifies the member’s calorie intake and his or her energy expense through the day. The point system is developed based on servings and the food family and also the exercises. Exercising enables the members to accumulate negative points. This program offers the members a great deal of flexibility. There is no specific type of food that members can’t eat. The goal for them is to stay in the total points allotted for the week. If they gorge on excessive food, they can counterbalance it by exercising more than their usual amount. If a member chooses not to exercise, then he or she must reduce the total number of points consumed. The slogan for this program is apt- Where no food is a sin!

Weight Watchers is a good program for people who want to lose weight and lead a healthy lifestyle. This is endorsed more than aptly by Sarah, the Duchess of York.


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