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According to the Time Magazine issue dated 19th February 2011, Weight Watchers admitted that "Calorie counting has become unhelpful. When we have a 100-calorie apple in one hand and a 100-calorie pack of cookies in the other, and we view them as being 'the same' because the calories are the same, it says everything that needs to be said about the limitations of just using calories in guiding food choices."
"The radical overhaul, which is the first major alteration to the Points program, comes at a time when Weight Watchers is trying to revive its recession-battered business."
Weight Watchers have eliminated the company's popular "Points" system, introduced in 1997, which encouraged dieters to lose weight by eating any foods as long as they kept the portions small. The new system tries to encourage dieters to consume more natural, less processed food.
This is pretty remarkable news. Weight Watchers has been the front-runner of calorie counting for weight loss for over a decade, so admitting that counting calories is "unhelpful" is a radical move.
The best part about their revised program is the fact that they're now committed to more natural, unprocessed foods, which "punishes" dieters for indulging in foods rich in empty calories, i.e. foods with poor nutritional value.
Those that were unaware of the pitfalls in the system, helped take their business into a $2.7 billion weight loss empire.
The Points system allowed dieters to eat whatever they wanted, but each food was assigned a certain number of points, which simplified the calorie counting process and many millions of people used this system.
David Kirchhoff, President and CEO of Weight Watchers International, explains their decision to change their hallmark system:
"We needed a program that recognized that calories are most definitely not created equal.
We knew that counting, budgeting and planning still made fundamental sense, but we wanted a better and more accurate currency. We wanted a POINTS formula that was much more "opinionated" about food choices beyond just calories."By eating fewer cookies than you did before, you're not going to get healthier, even if you manage to shed weight. If you really want to lose those extra pounds of fat to improve your health, then you must consume foods that contain true nutrients!
A major flaw of the new Weight Watchers' program is their allowance to eat an unlimited amount of fruit. They do warn against eating an excess of fruit, which is not normally an issue with overweight people.
However we must be aware of the fact that fructose - including that from fruit – can be detrimental health-wise, to anyone who struggles with insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, all of which typically go hand in hand with obesity and overweight. Those falling into these categories should avoid ALL sources of fructose until their insulin stabilizes, and then proceed with caution. Limiting fructose from fruit to 15 grams per day or less is recommended.
This table should be of value:
Hopefully, by Weight Watchers' changing their program, the eating habits of millions may change for the better.
Take a glance at one or more of the following easy-to-read articles to obtain down-to-earth natural advice on the needs of your body and how best to satisfy those needs.
The All-Important First Stage of the Digestive Process