There’s a lot of talk in the Diet World about Ophra’s purchase of WeightWatcher’s stock which caused the value of the stock to soar, to the extent that she doubled her $40 million investment in one day. 

She is now acting as a spokesman in WW advertisements, and the 2016 catch phrase is “Beyond the Scale.”  Allegedly the focus is now “Healthy” eating …although the diet program is … and has always has been… WEIGHT WATCHERS.

As someone with years of participation in that diet program,… between 1972 and 1992 I joined and involved myself as a WW member more than 15 times,….. I am greatly amused by this recent development, and the fact that otherwise intelligent people will no doubt buy into this latest Shell Game.  

My own position is:
Every diet works for someone, but no diet works for everyone.
 
Decades of records show that only a very tiny percentage of WW members have ever achieved long-term weight-loss. (Long-term is 5 years or more.)

This current plan is clearly an attempt to refocus members toward the belief that it’s okay to continue shelling out the big bucks for an unsuccessful diet program because…  “Well, I’m still fat (or fat again), …but NOW I’m healthy.”

As part of my dieting hobby, after a bit of online research, I made a brief visit to the local WW store and bought a few books about the 2016 program. After that review, I was unimpressed, but even more amused when I understood that their “new” point system contains limitations which, if followed correctly, will serve to ban all but the tiniest amounts of sweet, fatty foods.  WW’s new system also penalizes saturated fats despite the tons of current scientific research on that matter.

Originally WW used an extremely restrictive Food Exchange Plan in order to guarantee that memers ate a "healthy" diet while losing weight.  See the detailed 1972 food rules posted below. Over the years the Food Plan evolved into a more flexible Exchange System.

By 1997 WW had changed it's Food Exchange System to a "Point" system, which was highly advertised as a change that was designed to allow a great deal of personal choice in the selections of one's daily foods.

WW’s previous point systems have treated all types of food in a similar manner, assigning about 40 calories as 1 point, however their 2016 new points+ system limits choices of foods such as sweets and saturated fats by assigning them a far higher point number than the points of “healthier” foods which have the same calories. 

Almost all fruits and vegetables are still “free” foods with zero points, (as they were in the most recent past points ...

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 "This Made Me Laugh."

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I feel certain that EVERY diet works for somebody, but NO diet works for everybody;  and, that NO “Way-of-Eating”, “Diet”, “Non-Diet” or “LifeStyle” will provide MAGICAL CHANGE.

Here in Maintenance, my own diet/lifestyle is to experiment with a variety of different ways-of-eating-or-not-eating to see what works best for me personally… meaning, eating-or-not-eating in a way that I can enjoy my life, ….or at the very least, will allow me to tolerate my life …. while keeping my weight within a BMI range of “normal”.

I sometimes experiment with Low Carb, Paleo, or Ketogenic Diets, (as well as many others), but, up to this current date, I’ve not yet found any one of them to be an ongoing, sustainable way-of-eating for me personally.   However, while no diet is "magic", every diet seems to work some of the time, for some people.

The author of the article below is a Calories-In/Calories-Out, Fitness guy, an anti-low-carb, big-time-advocate of: Exercise/Physical Activity, while eating a Moderate, “Balanced Diet” of "Primarily Whole Foods".  Up through this present date, I’ve found counting calories with minimal exercise to be the most sustainable way for me to personally deal with losing weight and maintaining weight-loss, and I haven’t found James Fell’s specific diet and exercise recommendations to be workable for ME.

The article below says some interesting things about Dieting as a Religion, in an amusing way.  Although the author frames this issue from an anti-Low-Carb point of view, there are many things about the author's  own "way-of-thinking, or personal truths"  that I disagree with.  One thing that I’ve consistently observed is that Diet Zealotry is NOT limited to any one specific type of diet, but, instead, seems to exist within EVERY type of “Diet, Non-Diet, Way-of-Eating, or Lifestyle Change”.

LOW CARB & PALEO DIETING ZEALOTRY
                               by James Fell  @ Bodyforwife.com

Some believe Dr. Atkins was the greatest thing since sliced bacon. I am not one such idolizer.

Perhaps Gary Taubes will issue a fatwa, proclaiming me an infidel and demanding I be publicly pulverized with frozen steaks for daring to question the validity of the Lord Atkins bestowed prophecy.

Or maybe I’ll just get some hate mail.

Some low carbers love to defend their faith, and there are many interesting parallels between low carb and paleo dieting and religious zealotry, but first I wish to provide a brief explanation about my opinions on religion.

I am friends with and related to some devout religious people. In my experience, people of faith are often the kindest, most giving and decent folk I’ve met. I think much ...