The Weight Watchers diet has over one million followers worldwide. Many people rely on its guidelines in their journeys towards weight loss.
However, the inherent philosophy of this diet is flawed, and its methods and marketing of processed foods is not the way to go if you want to lose weight AND be healthy.
The Weight Watchers system gives foods different point values, and its principle states that you can eat whatever you want, as long as you stay within a certain number of points per day. While this does limit calories, and many people do lose weight, a great number of them gain it back.
This is largely because Weight Watchers does not encourage people to change what they eat, and does little to promote healthier options. Members can fill their entire daily points with empty calories devoid of nutrition, and still be ‘succeeding’ as far as the program is concerned.
One of the biggest negatives about Weight Watchers is that they actually manufacture and market their own line of processed foods! The ingredient lists on these foods reveal high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils (trans fats) and refined, white flour.
These three additives alone greatly contribute to our country’s obesity epidemic. The processed items that Weight Watchers sells are essentially the same as other processed items on the market.
While it seems surprising that a company targeting weight loss would include these types of ingredients in their meals, one look at their list of sponsors says a lot. They include several big names in the processed food market: Tyson, Eggbeaters and Progresso. In Australia and New Zealand, Weight Watchers has actually created a partnership with McDonalds.
In a feeble attempt to encourage members to eat more fruits and vegetables, Weight Watchers created their ‘PointsPlus’ system, which gives fresh fruits and veggies a zero point value, meaning members can eat as many of them as they like. However, while they do seem to be trying, there is no encouragement to eat MORE fruits and veggies than other foods, and they make no distinction between commercial and organic.
According to Dr. Joel Fuhrman, “a healthy weight is almost impossible to maintain without serious attention to excellent nutrition, prevention of all deficiencies, sufficient anti-inflammatory super foods and the resulting elimination of addictions and cravings. Weight Watchers mostly serves those who remain forever on the weight loss merry-go-round, struggling with marginally effective recommendations and outcomes.”
The key to effective, healthy long-term weight loss is a diet of whole, organic foods, the elimination of processed ‘junk’ foods, and daily exercise.
This does require some self-discipline, and although you may not be able to ‘eat whatever you want,’ your body will greatly thank you in the long run.
-The Alternative Daily
Sources:
http://www.pvnutritionaltherapy.com/why-weight-watchers-wont-make-you-healthy/
http://www.drfuhrman.com/library/article4.aspx
http://wyckoff.patch.com/groups/opinion/p/high-fructose-corn-syrup-ingredient-to-avoid
