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| History of Weight Watchers |
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Weight Watchers International was founded by Jean Nidetch in the 1960’s and has since become a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange that also operates in 30 countries around the world.
Several celebrities have acted as spokesperson for the Weight Watchers dynasty, including Lynn Redgrave, and in more recent years Sarah, the Duchess of York, better known as Fergie. |
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How Weight Watchers Came to BeWhile privately started in the sixties by Nidetch, ownership of Weight Watchers was taken by H.J. Heinz Company in 1978. The company maintained complete ownership and control of the corporation until 1999, at which time the company was acquired in a leveraged buyout. Two years later, the company went public and is now traded on the NYSE. To date, the Heinz Company still packages food labeled a “Weight Watchers” recipe, complete with the ‘points value’ identified clearly for those who wish to operate the diet independently.
Because of backlash in the past due to trends of anorexia among young women, Weight Watchers and the franchises beneath the corporation typically have minimum weight limits, which must be adhered to in order to receive assistance from the company. There were some lawsuits regarding the sickly health of some young women who entered the program and were put on a regimented diet, and after seeing the abuse of the program by those who were not overweight, the company decided it was appropriate to limit who could enter the program.
Weight Watchers recipe options are all low calorie, healthy portions meant to assist in losing weight and maintaining a goal weight once reached. This achievement can only be made if the individual determines to change their lifestyle on a permanent basis. Many who are successful use the Weight Watcher cook book and continue counting their “points” even after the program has ended. Interestingly enough, this point system is actually based on a formula, which is published information.
The point system works for many because it means there is no need to count calories, keep track of how many grams of carbs and protein are consumed, or even monitor the actual food that is eaten. As long as the points allowed for the day are not exceeded, a dieter can eat what he or she wants whenever it is desired.
The downside to the program is that, often upon reaching their goal weight, dieters stop counting even the points and return to old habits. This has also led to bad press for Weight Watchers and other diet programs that are intended to change lifestyles rather than work as a fad diet. To its credit, the program does everything within its reach to assure that individuals who enter their program in need of assistance are dedicated to changing their eating habits permanently to correct their weight and to maintain an overall healthier lifestyle upon completion.
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