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found it ideal for people who want a balanced, portion-controlled menu which they don’t have to think about and are looking for something differ- ent and more personalised than the traditional weight loss group meeting.
Weight Watchers
www.weightwatchers.co.uk
The food element of the Weight Watchers Discover™ plan is based on a points system. Points are assigned to foods based on calorie and satu- rated fat values. The range of foods on the points list has grown over the years to more than 30,000, so there is plenty of choice. Members are allocated a number of daily points based on their gender, weight, height and activity level. The points allocat- ed are calculated to achieve weight loss of 0.5-1kg per week and weight loss targets aim for 10 percent of the member’s original weight. The member decides on the balance of foods they want to eat in order to make up their points for the day, although the emphasis of advice is on healthy eating and keeping full with wholegrains and lean proteins. Weight Watchers offers weekly group meetings for members to attend where they can be weighed, meet other members and receive information and tips for behavioural change with support and advice from the group leader. All group leaders are existing Weight Watchers members who have achieved and maintained their goal weight before training as lead- ers. The group leader monitors and adjusts a member’s points alloca- tion as their weight loss progresses and also sets a maintenance points plan once they reach their goal weight. Members who maintain their goal weight are given free membership for life. There is an alternative interactive online membership for members who don’t wish to attend group meetings. Weight Watchers On- line provides a wealth of food and weight loss information, member forums and progress monitoring fa- cilities. Members who attend weekly meeting are also given access to Weight Watchers online. Daily physical activity is an integral part of the Weight Watchers Discover™ plan and extra food points can be awarded for planned exercise. The online facility offers interactive exer- cise and activity demonstrations.
NHDmag.com June '10 - issue 55
Weight Watchers also has its own food brand which includes break- fast foods, ready meals, snacks and treats- these are widely available in supermarkets and all carry their points value so that members can include them in their diet plan.
Patient experiences
Weight Watchers meets the NICE best practice standards. The com- pany has carried out significant research and evaluation to design the existing plan. The research, published in the European Journal of Obesity in 2008 demonstrated both the efficacy and cost effectiveness of the plan and concluded that it is a viable option for referral of NHS weight management patients. In a similar vein to Slimming World, attendance of the whole of the group meeting rather than just the ‘weigh-in’ appears to be important for success, but is not mandatory. Some patients report being com- mitted to counting and monitoring their points while others describe it as a little time consuming and some- what irritating. The points system does not guarantee a member will be following a balanced diet to lose weight. However, there is such an extensive database of healthy reci- pes and meal ideas that a member has to be pretty determined to eat badly to ignore it all.
The key to long-term weight management
Clearly there is a choice of excel- lent commercial weight manage- ment options which offer robust in- formation, advice and support. The maths of ‘calories in’ versus ‘calories out’ to achieve the right deficit for weight loss isn’t rocket science, but weight loss plans come in many dif- ferent guises. So it’s helpful that NICE have provided us with very clear standards to assess the suitability of different plans.
The key to long-term weight man- agement is keeping positive changes to diet, activity and behaviour going. Perhaps that’s where the devil is in the detail when it comes to talking to patients about different commercial weight management options. Taking just a few minutes to discuss a patient’s lifestyle, their time com- mitments, work schedule and family set up, along with previous weight loss attempts, can help identify what it is they need to change for good. Is it group motivation, one-to-one sup- port, the convenience and flexibility of food delivery or a specific type of accountability the patient needs? By working through this with our pa- tients, we can help them match their needs with the most appropriate commercial programme and get on the road to permanent weight management success.
Summary of Commercial Weight Management programme compliance with NICE best practice standards
NICE Best Practice standard
Realistic weight loss target
Weekly weight loss target 0.5-1kg
Long-term lifestyle – not quick fix
Multi component approach Healthy eating Recommends activity Behaviour change advice Ongoing support
Suitable for recommenda- tion by health professionals
Slimming World
√ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ YES
Jenny Craig
√ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ YES
Weight Watchers
√ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ YES
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