“Weight Watchers: Putting women in “chains”? Is it enough just to loose the weight? Just say No.” ~ Cynthia G. Creel

“Weight Watchers: Putting women in “chains”?

Is it enough just to loose the weight? Just say No.” 

~ Cynthia G. Creel

March 21, 2013

Update: March 23, 2013

Yes they are loyal, they love the points, the other women and they just lost weight feeling better then ever before. The company Weight Watchers did what they promised to help these women and a few men to loose weight. In the process the company, CEO and a few have gotten rich. Is this enough or is this like a movie that starts out great and ends up being the worst movie you have ever seen? Could this be more than a company, but a whole industry?

The commercials say it all that you can go out and eat “bad food”. The new Weight Watchers TV Commercial (3) featuring Jennifer Hudson states that  “I love bread I love cheese I love chocolate I am human and the new 360 program, the reason I am still in this body isn’t because I don’t enjoy extra large, extra cheese world we live in it is because I do” The question might be how much “bad food” and still maintain healthy” So they promise to let a person be “bad” and to loose weight, sounds like a fairytale ending. The heart of the problem is I don’t know how you have a goal of only to loose weight and have a body that can function the way it is designed too. Our beauty industry promotes skinny, buying beauty in a box, a jar, tube or pill. Weight Watchers is no different they are there to make a profit and provide the person what helps them to bring in business to make money wrapped around the idea that they are helping women and a few men. The question of are they helping or hurting especially women that have low self esteem and lack the ability to create self compassion. Women are not the same emotional package as men. I would suggest if Weight Watchers was for mostly men the company would be designed very differently. What I see is Weight Watchers taking what they can and leaving very little behind except some women that feel so grateful and have the feeling of being healthy, not truly healthy, just some what better off. They look good on the outside, but are they rusting on the inside?



Flawed system:

Yes, it is obvious the Weight Watchers system helps people to loose weight. What happens if the formula used to create a point system is great to met the goal of loosing weight  some times, but doesn't take into consideration of a healthy weight loss is more then general fiber, carbohydrates, protein and fat. A fast way to calculate the points that has been used in Weight Watchers in the past is to divide the carbohydrates in a food by 10 to equal approximately what the real formula does. This system is flawed if a person is trying to actually become healthy. It is too general, helping weight loss often, but does not consider the health of the cells and intertwined system of the body. If becoming healthy is the goal then the side effect of gaining health is becoming the weight your body was designed to carry. The body will work the way it is designed too.

Punitive damage to each using Weight Watchers:

I have been told if a women is part of the program there is a small fine for gaining weight. Is this a punitive damage? Is it fair? Or a way to make more profits?  A formula to follow that does not take into consideration of the dynamics of weight gain, which is only partly responsible by the food that is consumed is not even close to being perfect. It seems highly likely it is possible to stay within their points system, gain weight and have to pay money for the right to be in their program, even when doing everything correct. The food formula doesn’t take into account sleep patterns, stress, or other life style choices.

It is also possible to eat a totally empty calorie item for a meal and still be on target with their formula. I have a friend who is a faithful Weight Watchers women that has been in the program  for many years. Most Fridays I watch her consume an Elephant Ear pastry for a late breakfast snack. She keeps track of the points by writing them down and talks about staying within the program. This has kept her thin, is she healthy? In my opinion she is thin, and lacks True Health. It is the little things that make the difference like having smooth, soft vibrant skin vs. pale, dry, whitish, puffy skin. The fading dry, coarse hair maybe even gray vs. depth of many colors, smooth, soft hair.  Of course being bald as a women or maybe as a man should signal there might be a problem with the functions of the body that needs care from a medical professional to reveal the why behind the sign.

A system that does not allow an empty calorie food to be consummated as part of the lifestyle choices helps to create good health, it is a system I have developed and used over the last three years to help me and others to stay on a path of True Health.

Preying on the needy:

Is Weight Watchers preying on the needy, knowing some that come to Watch Watchers have tried before and failed. That if they gain their loyalty that they will be able to get them to not only ignore what they are doing is not quite great to defend all parts of the company no matter the facts. If they are promising only weight loss and are saying how good some one looks and in reality they are ignoring other signs of health issues does that say they are helping or hurting the person? And through out this process pulling a little payment her and a little payment there, helping only their bottom line.  They promote they know what they are doing, that skinny is what is good, which leads women and some men down a path that is a dead end. If there is beauty on the outside and a heart attack or cancer or diabetes on the inside waiting to happen how does this justify what they are doing to make money? Is it implied by them that the beauty of  Jennifer Hudson or Jessica Simpson means long life and good health? That it is ok to eat some bad and be thin? We don’t have a weight problem in this country we have a health problem and those only concerted about weight may not become healthy.




Only one goal vs. more goals:

The question is should loosing weight be anyone’s
only goal? Would a better goal be to become healthy to help your telomere to become stable to increase the ability to stay healthy much more likely to avoid  catching a common cold as I wrote in the article,  “Old “age” starts at 22: Keep life rolling with healthy telomeres. Valerie Harper is hoping for the best” (2) A telomere is simply put is the tip of the DNA which is in each cell ready to reproduce, and new evidence says the length of the telomere is relevant to maintaining health leaving the body often times strong enough to fight off the common cold before the virus can set up housekeeping. Along with the studies that show a reversal in the aging process of mice by manipulation of the telomeres. It seems the answer to the question when do we start aging can be answered by the study of the telomeres.





The challenge:

I believe the largest effect from a company like Weight Watchers is it leaves women mostly with a “new body” that is thin and maybe even they exercise so there is some fitness, but leaves them with a weak body unable to defend itself well from the common cold or many other signs that the body is healthier, but not healthy. This would be ok if the women I talked to thought they still need improvement and they looked beyond Weight Watchers knowing it was a great start to at least stepping forward with an imperfect system. I am sure there are some women who go beyond Weight Watchers and do head for True Health. As I wrote in a previous article “WEIGHT WATCHERS: Are women employees willing to settle for less with companies profits in the millions?” about law suites and profits (1) I am sure the strength it took the people that worked for Weight Watchers and sue Weight Watchers to win a $6 million  class action lawsuit in California was settled over how the employees were being treated unfairly including minimum wage violations, clear understanding of how a person was being paid or working off the clock. These women and/or men had to be able to make decisions from strength to be able to go up against the ones that had helped them become thin and earn money. From a companies stand point if they gross $1.83 billion with an income of $257.4 million plus the company’s chief executive, David Kirchhoff , who made $2.96 million in 2011. This is an institution that has power, money and means to help themselves and not do anything unless forced to. The lawsuit say they didn't think they would have to pay in the long run or could delay a payment. If they lost a lawsuit it would be a calculated risk and most likely would still be a “great” business decision paying out only $6 million while having income for one year of $257 million. I am not sure how many years this company policy was enforced, but if it went on for 5 years that would be $6 million against lets say an average of $200 million income, so that would still make the company profits of almost $1 billion. If a company only goal is to make a profit it is a winning situation.


Does Weight Watchers truly want there women employees to be successful creating a fair wage system or are they just taking advantage of women who are grateful enough to stay with the company knowing they would be able to help other women and some men. Who would work for hours and hours each week and only make $7,600 per year? As a women did in Wichita Falls, Tex, running 4 meetings a week. Now just like teaching isn't just time in the classroom for 6 hours a day neither is running meetings that last only a few hours a week. There is set up, inventory, plus so much more like convincing women and a few men that they can do this. This is no easy task to hold and maintain someone’s attention that is in need of a major change in their lives. One wrong word, look and some one is out the door never to return. I am always impressed by the ground floor women and some men who run meetings, they have great talents and are paid little.

Final thoughts:

Really this could be any company out there not promoting health, but weigh loss. Weight Watchers over all are they helping women and some men or hurting them? They do what they promise and are legally bound to except the lawsuit they lost and were forced to show they didn’t take care of the workers.  They give a great impression of health by having talented, young, stars talk about feeling  better and look great by loosing weight without promising, just implying heath. They make the weight loss  a big deal so no matter the cause of weight gain you get a penalty instead of just focusing why are you gaining the weight. They do what they promise and help women and some men to loose weight, is that enough? Do they do more harm then good for women and a few men? Are women being “chained” down  by the feeling of being so thankful that you will work with little compensation? Are  women and some men  being “chained” to ideas that are less helpful then they think? The idea that there is health in Weight Watchers, not just weight loss? That is for you to decide.

For me an my thoughts about weight has never been about the weight. It is to be where the body works the best and follow the Path of True Health. It helps the body support a system that not only brings a beauty to the body and a mind that is capable of intelligent conversations that  lead to common ground to move life forward. If the body can defend itself against the world with the side effect of becoming the person who was always there to make decisions out of strength not weakness. This is the best goal I can think of.

Vote with every dollar you spent who you want to support and what products you want to be offered. If you don’t lead, the industry will lead you where ever they want you to go and that might not be the best thing for you.

By Design ~ “Life is good By Design”


Photo by Cynthia G. Creel all rights reserved ©2013
A kitty roiling over on the sidewalk enjoying the sunshine.



All rights reserved ©2013 written permission is needed to duplicate
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of By Design or Cynthia G. Creel. Consultation of a medical professional is highly recommended before any changes are considered. This article is only offering a different  point of view of programs offered and is up to each person to decide what is right for them. What is healthy or unhealthy needs to be determined by each person and a medical care professional.





(1) http://lifeisgoodbydesign.blogspot.com/2013/02/weight-watchers-are-unhealthy-employees.html

(2) http://lifeisgoodbydesign.blogspot.com/2013/03/old-age-starts-at-22-keep-life-rolling.html

(3) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu9kR0nRspU