{"id":605070000434,"title":"Weight Watchers Review: Does Their Point System Work?","created_at":"2023-03-13T23:43:11-04:00","body_html":"\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\/\/ \u003c![CDATA[\n{\n \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n \"@type\": \"Article\",\n \"headline\": \"Weight Watchers Review: Does Their Point System Work?\",\n \"keywords\": \"weight watchers, weight watchers review, weight watchers reviews, ww weight watchers, weight watchers recipes, weight watchers points, how does weight watchers work, weight watchers diet, weight watchers promo code, does weight watchers work, noom vs weight watchers, weight watchers meals, weight watchers foods, weight watchers program, free weight watchers, weight watchers lawsuit\",\n \"description\": \"Our research team reviews clinical studies on Weight Watchers to see if it's proven to cause weight loss, how much weight loss it can cause and how it compares to other weight loss programs like Jenny Craig. We explain why the brand was sued in 2022.\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/weight-watchers-review\",\n\"author\": {\n \"@type\": \"Person\",\n \"name\": \"Calloway Cook\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/pages\/calloway-cook\",\n \"sameAs\": \"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/calloway-cook\/\",\n \"jobTitle\": \"President\",\n \"knowsAbout\": \"entrepreneurship, dietary supplements, herbal supplements, eCommerce, medical research\",\n \"alumniOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"EducationalOrganization\",\n \"name\": \"S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University\"\n },\n \"memberOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\"\n }\n},\n\"editor\": {\n \"@type\": \"Person\",\n \"name\": \"DJ Mazzoni\",\n \"honorificSuffix\": [\n \"M.S.\",\n \"R.D.\",\n \"C.D.N.\",\n \"C.S.C.S.\"\n ],\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/pages\/dj-mazzoni\",\n \"sameAs\": [\n \"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/dj-mazzoni-rd-cdn-cscs-00a33038\/\",\n \"http:\/\/djmazzoni.com\/\"\n ],\n \"jobTitle\": \"Medical Reviewer\",\n \"knowsAbout\": \"exercise, drugs, pharmaceutical, health, workout, strength and conditioning, nutrition, dietetics, medicine, medical research, scientific research, scientific method, healthcare, patient care, wellness\",\n \"alumniOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"EducationalOrganization\",\n \"name\": [\n \"State University of New York College Oswego\",\n \"D’Youville College\"\n ]\n },\n \"memberOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\"\n }\n},\n\"image\": {\n\"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\"url\": \"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Weight_Watchers_Thumbnail_Optimized.png?v=1678765940\",\n\"width\": \"2500\",\n\"height\": \"2500\"\n},\n\"citation\": [\n\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3539041\/\", \n\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC9023388\/\",\n\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4446719\/\",\n\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/noom-review\",\n\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5568610\/\",\n\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/golo-review\",\n\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7444011\/\",\n\"https:\/\/www.ftc.gov\/news-events\/news\/press-releases\/2022\/03\/ftc-takes-action-against-company-formerly-known-weight-watchers-illegally-collecting-kids-sensitive\",\n\"https:\/\/www.bbb.org\/us\/ny\/new-york\/profile\/weight-loss\/ww-0121-21583\/customer-reviews\",\n\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/31174214\/\",\n\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/25636220\/\"\n],\n\"mentions\": [{\n \"@type\": \"Brand\",\n \"name\": \"WW\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Brand\",\n \"name\": \"Jenny Craig\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Brand\",\n \"name\": \"Noom\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"points\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Brand\",\n \"name\": \"Nikki Gets Fit\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Brand\",\n \"name\": \"HomeWithHailey\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"FTC\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n \"name\": \"lawsuit\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Brand\",\n \"name\": \"iiluminaughtii\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"BBB\"\n }\n],\n\"datePublished\": \"2023-03-13\",\n\"copyrightHolder\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\"\n},\n\"publisher\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Illuminate Labs\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/\",\n \"description\": \"Illuminate Labs is the most transparent supplement company in the U.S., and is a leading publisher of research-based health information.\",\n \"knowsAbout\": \"supplements, science, nutrition, exercise, health, medication, pharmaceutical, wellness, diet, weight loss, medical research\",\n \"publishingPrinciples\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/pages\/editorial-guidelines\",\n \"memberOf\": [\n {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"U.S. Chamber of Commerce\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.uschamber.com\/\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Certified B Corp\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.bcorporation.net\/en-us\/\"\n },\n {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"Natural Products Association\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.npanational.org\/\"\n }\n ], \n \"logo\": {\n \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Illuminate_Labs_Favicon_48x48_7595c3cc-e27b-47b8-a4fe-edcc7ed9b29a.png?v=1666502785\", \n \"width\": 48,\n \"height\": 48\n},\n \"foundingDate\": \"2019-01-30\",\n \"sameAs\": [\n \"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/illuminatelabs\",\n \"https:\/\/twitter.com\/illuminatelabs\",\n \"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/illuminate-labs-supplements\",\n \"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCpgSJAsIPb-fZ25djtTxBEA\"\n ]\n }\n}\n\/\/ ]]\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Weight_Watchers_Review_Article_Header_Image_Optimized.png?v=1678765193\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"dc\"\u003eW\u003c\/span\u003eeight Watchers, which was recently rebranded to \"WW,\" is one of the most well-known weight loss programs in the U.S. The brand suggests that you can lose weight and still eat what you want, stating “Lose weight, not your favorite foods!” right on their homepage.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBut is Weight Watchers actually proven in research studies to work, or is it a waste of money? What foods are allowed and disallowed? Why was the brand sued? And how do real users rate and describe the weight loss effects of Weight Watchers?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIn this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more as we analyze medical studies on Weight Watchers to find out if it’s actually proven to work and how much weight loss the program causes on average.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe’ll compare the effectiveness of weight watchers to other weight loss programs, explain why the brand was recently sued, and feature real, unsponsored Weight Watchers user reviews.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eIs Weight Watchers Proven to Work?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe weight loss effects of the Weight Watchers program have been tested in research studies.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eA 2013 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3539041\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eclinical trial\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e tested the effectiveness of Weight Watchers on Tennessee Medicare recipients who were overweight or obese. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe median weight loss was 4.19 pounds after 9 weeks of participation, which equates to a potential annualized weight loss of 24.48 pounds.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eA \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC9023388\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eclinical trial\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e published in the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eMaternal and Child Health Journal\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e tested Weight Watchers in women around 30 years of age who were overweight. Women who completed the course lost an average of 5.7% of their initial body weight.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWeight Watchers has also been compared to other popular weight loss programs in research studies. A 2015 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4446719\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003emedical review\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e on the efficacy of commercial weight loss programs looked at how much weight loss was caused by Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, HMR, Medifast, Optifast and Atkins.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Jenny Craig program was found to cause the greatest weight loss, with 2.3% greater weight loss than Weight Watchers.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e Noom is another weight loss program clinically shown to cause greater weight loss than Weight Watchers, as we documented in our \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/noom-review\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eNoom review\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e article. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eBased on the available research, we consider Weight Watchers likely to cause weight loss given that it consistently caused weight loss in clinical studies.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eBut what does the diet actually look like and are any foods disallowed? We’ll review in the next section.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight Watchers Diet Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWeight Watchers does not restrict any foods. Instead, it assigns points to foods. Each plan has a “Points Budget,” which refers to how many points are allotted per day.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eHigher-calorie foods tend to have higher points, so a pizza will have a higher point score than a salad.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThis is a logical approach in our opinion, and Weight Watchers’ claim that tracking food consumption is the biggest factor in weight loss is accurate. A \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5568610\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003emedical review\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e published in the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eJournal of Diabetes Research\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e found that of all dieters, those who consistently tracked their food intake experienced the greatest weight loss.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe like Weight Watchers approach for two reasons:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e    1. It doesn't incentivize eating disorders\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWeight loss programs that assign “good” and “bad” scores to foods can encourage eating disorders. As we explained in our \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/golo-review\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eGolo Diet reviews\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e article, many commercial diet programs claim that certain whole foods like bananas are “bad,” and discouraging people from eating whole foods is illogical and can be harmful.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e      2. It can reduce cravings\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eTelling people to entirely cut out a certain food (especially one that they may like) can cause cravings and binging. Weight Watchers’ approach allows for flexibility which is why it seems to have better long-term outcomes than most diet programs.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eOverall we like Weight Watchers’ diet plan, and we would recommend that those using this program try to stick to whole, unprocessed foods because avoiding processed foods is \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7444011\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eclinically shown\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e to improve weight loss efforts.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eBut how do real people rate the Weight Watchers diet and how much weight loss it causes? We’ll review in the next section.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReal, Unsponsored Weight Watchers User Reviews\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eA YouTube creator called “Nikki Gets Fit” reviewed Weight Watchers and included before-and-after images, tips for how to get the most out of the program, thoughts on the daily calorie counts and more: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qM1WhhkWyBU\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eA YouTube creator named “HomeWithHailey” shared a full day of meals on the Weight Watchers program, which is useful for people who want to get a glimpse of the recipes before purchasing:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/e0wgMZ1n9SQ\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhy Was Weight Watchers Sued?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIn March of 2022, the FTC \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ftc.gov\/news-events\/news\/press-releases\/2022\/03\/ftc-takes-action-against-company-formerly-known-weight-watchers-illegally-collecting-kids-sensitive\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003esued\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e Weight Watchers for illegally collecting children’s health data.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAccording to the lawsuit, Weight Watchers “marketed a weight loss app for use by children as young as eight and then collected their personal information without parental permission.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWeight Watchers ended up paying a $1.5 million penalty and was ordered to destroy all data that was illegally collected.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWhile this lawsuit obviously has nothing to do with the efficacy of the Weight Watchers program, it does suggest that parents may benefit from avoiding use of this program and app in children.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eWas Weight Watchers’ Rebrand Bad for Users?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eA popular YouTube channel called “iiluminaughtii” published an exposé on Weight Watchers, alleging that the company’s rebrand may be bad for consumers:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-QXsPtvb_bs\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReal Customer Complaints About Weight Watchers\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWeight Watchers has been reviewed 75 times on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.bbb.org\/us\/ny\/new-york\/profile\/weight-loss\/ww-0121-21583\/customer-reviews\"\u003ewebsite\u003c\/a\u003e, with an average review rating of 1.07 out of 5 stars.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eMost customer complaints are about billing issues, such as this complaint from a user named “Amy C”:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e“Go with any other company, but avoid WW. I cancelled my account and they literally argued with me and refused to delete my credit card from their website. I had to talk to 5 different people before someone finally agreed to fully delete my account as ‘this is the only way to delete your payment information\" I will not ever go back to them.’\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eTo the credit of Weight Watchers, the brand responds to the majority of the complaints to try to resolve the situation, which is the sign of a high-quality brand.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe would recommend that unsatisfied Weight Watchers customers submit a complaint on the BBB page, because this may fast-track resolution of your issue.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eOur Clean Weight Loss Picks\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Weight_Loss_Supplements_Image_Optimized.png?v=1686024026\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere are food-based nutrients which have been shown in medical studies to be effective for weight loss.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eD\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cb\u003eietary fiber\u003c\/b\u003e was shown in a\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6768815\/\"\u003emedical review\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003epublished in\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Journal of Nutrition\u003c\/em\u003e to cause\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e16 pounds of weight loss in 6 months\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ewhen combined with moderate caloric restriction (750 calories per day below baseline).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ca rel=\"sponsored\" href=\"https:\/\/shareasale.com\/r.cfm?b=2011129\u0026amp;u=3153363\u0026amp;m=124607\u0026amp;urllink=www%2Esupergut%2Ecom%2Fresistant%2Dstarch%2Dfiber%2Dmix%2F%3Fsku%3D300101%2D1\u0026amp;afftrack=\"\u003eSupergut Fiber Mix\u003c\/a\u003e is our top fiber supplement, because it contains three different types of fiber powder, and retails for \u003cstrong\u003eonly $1.75 per serving\u003c\/strong\u003e at a subscription rate.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMCT oil\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e was shown in a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/25636220\/\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003emeta-study\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e to cause more than one pound of weight loss over 10 weeks. \u003cstrong\u003eThis equates to potential annualized weight loss of 6 pounds per year with less than one tablespoon's worth of MCT oil per day.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca rel=\"sponsored\" href=\"https:\/\/bulletproof.fdf2.net\/4eNQ4M\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBulletproof MCT Oil\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is our top MCT oil product, because the only ingredient is MCT oil derived from coconuts. and\u003c\/span\u003e it currently costs\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eonly\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e$15.50 for over a month's worth of product.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGinger\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eintake\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"significantly decreased body weight\"\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eaccording to a 2019\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/29393665\/\"\u003emeta-study\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eon ginger and weight loss that analyzed data from 14 clinical trials.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca rel=\"sponsored\" href=\"https:\/\/piquelife.sjv.io\/QyWado\"\u003ePique La Ginger\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis our top ginger product, because it's an organic tea in convenient crystallized form, and all that's needed is to pour the powder into a glass and add hot water.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll three of the products mentioned in this section are entirely free of additive ingredients that we consider to be unhealthy or unsafe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePros and Cons of Weight Watchers\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere are the pros and cons of Weight Watchers in our opinion:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003ePros:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClinically proven to work\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDoesn't restrict foods\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRecommended by many doctors\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eCons:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMay be less effective than Jenny Craig and Noom\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCollected data and marketed to children\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDoesn't appear to be clinically studied for long periods (over 1 year)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eConclusion\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWeight Watchers is a good option for short-term weight loss. In all clinical trials we reviewed, the program caused weight loss. We haven’t seen any clinical studies showing Weight Watchers to cause weight loss over longer periods of time, but this an issue for all commercial weight loss programs not not just Weight Watchers.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe consider Weight Watchers to be a better option than most weight loss programs, but Jenny Craig or Noom may be better options because those programs were shown to cause greater weight loss in clinical trials.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe like that Weight Watchers does not unnecessarily restrict foods in its diet, but rather assigns food scores so that the diet is more flexible. This makes it more sustainable and less likely to cause eating disorders in our opinion.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":49281925193,"author":"Calloway Cook","user_id":26601750601,"published_at":"2023-03-13T23:58:29-04:00","updated_at":"2023-11-22T01:35:16-05:00","summary_html":"We review clinical studies on Weight Watchers to see if it's proven to cause weight loss, how much weight loss it can cause and how it compares to other weight loss programs like Jenny Craig. We explain why the brand was sued in 2022.","template_suffix":"","handle":"weight-watchers-review","tags":"_related:weight-loss"}

Weight Watchers Review: Does Their Point System Work?

Weight Watchers Review: Does Their Point System Work?


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Weight Watchers, which was recently rebranded to "WW," is one of the most well-known weight loss programs in the U.S. The brand suggests that you can lose weight and still eat what you want, stating “Lose weight, not your favorite foods!” right on their homepage.

But is Weight Watchers actually proven in research studies to work, or is it a waste of money? What foods are allowed and disallowed? Why was the brand sued? And how do real users rate and describe the weight loss effects of Weight Watchers?

In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more as we analyze medical studies on Weight Watchers to find out if it’s actually proven to work and how much weight loss the program causes on average.

We’ll compare the effectiveness of weight watchers to other weight loss programs, explain why the brand was recently sued, and feature real, unsponsored Weight Watchers user reviews.

Is Weight Watchers Proven to Work?

The weight loss effects of the Weight Watchers program have been tested in research studies.

A 2013 clinical trial tested the effectiveness of Weight Watchers on Tennessee Medicare recipients who were overweight or obese. The median weight loss was 4.19 pounds after 9 weeks of participation, which equates to a potential annualized weight loss of 24.48 pounds.

A clinical trial published in the Maternal and Child Health Journal tested Weight Watchers in women around 30 years of age who were overweight. Women who completed the course lost an average of 5.7% of their initial body weight.

Weight Watchers has also been compared to other popular weight loss programs in research studies. A 2015 medical review on the efficacy of commercial weight loss programs looked at how much weight loss was caused by Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, HMR, Medifast, Optifast and Atkins.

The Jenny Craig program was found to cause the greatest weight loss, with 2.3% greater weight loss than Weight Watchers. Noom is another weight loss program clinically shown to cause greater weight loss than Weight Watchers, as we documented in our Noom review article. 

Based on the available research, we consider Weight Watchers likely to cause weight loss given that it consistently caused weight loss in clinical studies.

But what does the diet actually look like and are any foods disallowed? We’ll review in the next section.

Weight Watchers Diet Review

Weight Watchers does not restrict any foods. Instead, it assigns points to foods. Each plan has a “Points Budget,” which refers to how many points are allotted per day.

Higher-calorie foods tend to have higher points, so a pizza will have a higher point score than a salad.

This is a logical approach in our opinion, and Weight Watchers’ claim that tracking food consumption is the biggest factor in weight loss is accurate. A medical review published in the Journal of Diabetes Research found that of all dieters, those who consistently tracked their food intake experienced the greatest weight loss.

We like Weight Watchers approach for two reasons:

    1. It doesn't incentivize eating disorders

Weight loss programs that assign “good” and “bad” scores to foods can encourage eating disorders. As we explained in our Golo Diet reviews article, many commercial diet programs claim that certain whole foods like bananas are “bad,” and discouraging people from eating whole foods is illogical and can be harmful.

      2. It can reduce cravings

Telling people to entirely cut out a certain food (especially one that they may like) can cause cravings and binging. Weight Watchers’ approach allows for flexibility which is why it seems to have better long-term outcomes than most diet programs.

Overall we like Weight Watchers’ diet plan, and we would recommend that those using this program try to stick to whole, unprocessed foods because avoiding processed foods is clinically shown to improve weight loss efforts.

But how do real people rate the Weight Watchers diet and how much weight loss it causes? We’ll review in the next section.

Real, Unsponsored Weight Watchers User Reviews

A YouTube creator called “Nikki Gets Fit” reviewed Weight Watchers and included before-and-after images, tips for how to get the most out of the program, thoughts on the daily calorie counts and more: 

A YouTube creator named “HomeWithHailey” shared a full day of meals on the Weight Watchers program, which is useful for people who want to get a glimpse of the recipes before purchasing:

Why Was Weight Watchers Sued?

In March of 2022, the FTC sued Weight Watchers for illegally collecting children’s health data.

According to the lawsuit, Weight Watchers “marketed a weight loss app for use by children as young as eight and then collected their personal information without parental permission.”

Weight Watchers ended up paying a $1.5 million penalty and was ordered to destroy all data that was illegally collected.

While this lawsuit obviously has nothing to do with the efficacy of the Weight Watchers program, it does suggest that parents may benefit from avoiding use of this program and app in children.

Was Weight Watchers’ Rebrand Bad for Users?

A popular YouTube channel called “iiluminaughtii” published an exposé on Weight Watchers, alleging that the company’s rebrand may be bad for consumers:

Real Customer Complaints About Weight Watchers

Weight Watchers has been reviewed 75 times on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website, with an average review rating of 1.07 out of 5 stars.

Most customer complaints are about billing issues, such as this complaint from a user named “Amy C”:

“Go with any other company, but avoid WW. I cancelled my account and they literally argued with me and refused to delete my credit card from their website. I had to talk to 5 different people before someone finally agreed to fully delete my account as ‘this is the only way to delete your payment information" I will not ever go back to them.’

To the credit of Weight Watchers, the brand responds to the majority of the complaints to try to resolve the situation, which is the sign of a high-quality brand.

We would recommend that unsatisfied Weight Watchers customers submit a complaint on the BBB page, because this may fast-track resolution of your issue.

Our Clean Weight Loss Picks

There are food-based nutrients which have been shown in medical studies to be effective for weight loss.

Dietary fiber was shown in a medical review published in The Journal of Nutrition to cause 16 pounds of weight loss in 6 months when combined with moderate caloric restriction (750 calories per day below baseline).

Supergut Fiber Mix is our top fiber supplement, because it contains three different types of fiber powder, and retails for only $1.75 per serving at a subscription rate.

MCT oil was shown in a meta-study to cause more than one pound of weight loss over 10 weeks. This equates to potential annualized weight loss of 6 pounds per year with less than one tablespoon's worth of MCT oil per day.

Bulletproof MCT Oil is our top MCT oil product, because the only ingredient is MCT oil derived from coconuts. and it currently costs only $15.50 for over a month's worth of product.

Ginger intake "significantly decreased body weight" according to a 2019 meta-study on ginger and weight loss that analyzed data from 14 clinical trials.

Pique La Ginger is our top ginger product, because it's an organic tea in convenient crystallized form, and all that's needed is to pour the powder into a glass and add hot water.

All three of the products mentioned in this section are entirely free of additive ingredients that we consider to be unhealthy or unsafe.

Pros and Cons of Weight Watchers

Here are the pros and cons of Weight Watchers in our opinion:

Pros:

  • Clinically proven to work
  • Doesn't restrict foods
  • Recommended by many doctors

Cons:

  • May be less effective than Jenny Craig and Noom
  • Collected data and marketed to children
  • Doesn't appear to be clinically studied for long periods (over 1 year)
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Conclusion

Weight Watchers is a good option for short-term weight loss. In all clinical trials we reviewed, the program caused weight loss. We haven’t seen any clinical studies showing Weight Watchers to cause weight loss over longer periods of time, but this an issue for all commercial weight loss programs not not just Weight Watchers.

We consider Weight Watchers to be a better option than most weight loss programs, but Jenny Craig or Noom may be better options because those programs were shown to cause greater weight loss in clinical trials.

We like that Weight Watchers does not unnecessarily restrict foods in its diet, but rather assigns food scores so that the diet is more flexible. This makes it more sustainable and less likely to cause eating disorders in our opinion.