Is it any good? 

As a tool to help you shift some pounds I’m actually quite impressed with what I have seen and heard of Weight Watchers. I’ve known a few people who have done it and I find it is based on fact and practical advice over hype and fashions.

Does it help?

I have seen it work. I’ve seen people lose weight. Keeping it off is the challenge, like all other interventions. It has some really useful tools to help you monitor and manage the food you eat, and a lot of thought has gone into making food fun.

You can see the expert advice that has shaped the programme and the benefit of experience the brand offers. The regular group sessions seem to help people the most. That regular dose of inspiration, encouragement, and progress checking is what so many say makes the difference.

Do you learn much

This is where it falls down. I like the education given. It’s better than its competitors, but it’s still not enough. I don’t feel that those who have gone through the Weight Watchers programme know much more about how their bodies work than before they started.

That means they don’t know that much about how to keep the pounds off. There isn’t much support for how to adjust your life to keep off the weight you have lost and continue losing as you go. So I would prefer more practical education in this aspect of the transition into a real long-term lifestyle.

Overall

Sadly, Weight Watchers is still mainly a short-term fix and needs more support to help its followers transition to make the weight changes a long-term success.

I would recommend it, but only as part of a wider strategy. It can be great when you are in the right mindset. It’s like a turbo boost for weight loss. It just doesn’t offer much when the turbo runs out. It’s still too dull compared to normal food and the lifestyle that put on the pounds. They haven’t figured out how to live a full life and lose weight. No one in this sector has.