Weight Watchers Online Review

 

Balanced Review

Weight Watchers Online is the online version of the traditional weight loss center-based weight loss program. The online version follows either the "Flex Plan" (point counting) or the "core" plan (no tracking/counting). Both focus on balanced low fat nutrition, exercise, 24/7 online chat and support groups. Included is a newsletter as well. The standard monthly plan costs $46.90 for the sign-up fee and first month and $16.95/month thereafter. The 3-month prepay plan costs $65 and $16.95/month thereafter.

On the "flex plan" every item of food from pizza to ice cream to carrots to bread has a points value based on its nutritional content. You may eat as you like as long as you stay within your daily allotment of points for specific foods. You are assisted by a points "calculator," a weight tracker, meal planner and recipes posted at the official Weight Watchers Online website. To assist the dieter in their lifestyle changes, all members are encouraged to participate in online chat and support groups as well as attend group discussion and counseling sessions, mostly in person, at local centers.

Although the Weight Watchers Online is excellent, it relies too heavily on gimmicks. They advertise aggressively in order to convince overweight people that they can lose weight without sacrificing the foods they love. The points plan often does this by allowing calories that should be consumed on healthy food with very small portions of potentially unhealthy food. This strategy gives the dieter a false sense of the real nutritional changes they need to make in their lives for long-term success. If one seriously wants to lose weight and keep it off, they need to think more comprehensively about the foods they eat without the confusing points scheme. The program also does not put a priority on exercise.

But, Weight Watchers Online is one of the good guys in this industry of pill pushers and unscrupulous "experts." The online plan does an effective job of teaching portion control and educates the dieter on what nutritional value certain foods have. The program is more expensive than our favorite program, eDiets, which has a similar focus without the gimmicks and inconvenient counseling sessions. It seems a bit strange that they are not competing at a similar price, but they must figure on the power of their brandname.