Well, I did WW last year and lost 40 pounds. It taught me how to eat and look at nutritional labels, which I never did before (hence why I was 40 pounds overweight!)

I guess the reason for the marketing about it not being "on a diet" is that you can eat many of the foods you wouldn't normally eat on a regular diet (ex. you can eat pizza or a hamburger, small fries, etc.) you just need to count the points.

I did the "Core" version not the "Points" version because I knew counting all those points would drive me crazy

But yeah, I guess in the end, it really is being on a diet.

purely promotional. nobody wants to say their on a "diet".

it's a lifestyle change. we all know that a diet is only temporary, and you eventually gain weight back. this program teaches you to be aware of what and how much you are putting into your body, and you are accountable for it. for instance on the points plan, you CAN eat a bag of cheetos, but you have to give up something else later, and you end up hungry. so it makes sense to fill up on things like veggies and other healthy foods so you won't be starving by 5pm. it makes you look up the health information for different foods so you can track them, and it is totally revealing! you will be so surprised that some of the things you think are healthy are not so much. long after i stopped counting points, i took with me the lessons and habits it taught. so yes, at first, it's a diet. then it becomes habit. and personally, i don't care if you call it a diet. it works, and in a healthy way.

I am on WW right now. I consider it more of a lifestyle change than your traditional "diet". I mean, if you think about it, a diet is simply your eating habits, the usual food and drink one consumes. So, in essence, over the past we've taken the word diet and twisted it. WW is definitely doing an awesome job of marketing, I will admit. WW teaches portion control in a world where portions have become out of control. You keep track of what you eat in order to be more concious of it and going to meetings is a way for some to connect with others. I personally do not consider it a "diet". I've learned to become concious of what I'm putting in my body, I've definitely become quite a bit healthier and I never feel deprived. Also, about counting points - I'm a scientist and the counting points (as sad and geeky as this is) is really fun for me.

i guess i don't understand the need to be cynical about something that actually works and isn't a gimmick. if you follow the plan, it'll work! diet or not.

If you're using it just to lose weight and going to throw the whole point system out the window once you do, then it's a diet.

If you plan on following it the rest of your life, then it's a lifestyle change.

I am a BIG fan of Weight Watchers as I've done it in the past and know how easy it is (they have an online program which requires no meetings).

I feel the advertising campaign is trying to present a reader with a positive take on changing their life, not running damage control (heh...like scientology) or trying to dupe consumers into thinking it's one thing when its really another (like a lot of the drug companies do).

It is a diet. But everything you eat is part of your diet, whether it follows a "diet plan" or not. WW encourages people to keep up the healthy habits even after they are done losing weight and has helped a lot of people avoid yo-yo dieting...because it really revitalizes how much they eat, what they eat and how they think about food. This ad campaign seems right on par to me.

I'm on the fence. I think it's a little bit diet, a little bit lifestyle change. A friend of mine is on it right now, and she definitely treats it like a diet, but it's also teaching her about eating and food for the long term as well. Either way, from what I've seen it works much better than traditional diets do.

I think points are just a way of understanding everything you're putting into your body. I don't do ww but i keep track of the calories i eat. I don't consider myself dieting because i eat what i want, but i have to have some awareness of when it's time to stop.

plus, peers can be very negative if they think you're on a diet. people get very threatened by other's progress. ww can be a good way to avoid this unfortunate habit because you're just doing the whole "lifestyle" thing

if it's temporary.. then i'd call that period a "diet program" but if you continue counting your calories for your lifetime.. then it's a lifestyle.. then it's not called a "diet" period anymore because you're doing it all the time, every single day of your life, every time you eat

and i agree with jiujiu in the previous comment, that peers can be very negative if they think we're on a diet!!!

Don't get me wrong, I think WW is great and really helps a lot of people, but I also think that it's a bit misleading to say that it's not a diet. I don't think it's a diet in the traditional sense of you can only eat this or this and not this. But it's a diet in the positive sense of the word. Definitely a lifestyle change as well.

My only experience with weight watchers is watching my sister-in-law go on it- she signed up last fall, goes to meetings regularly, and is probably 35 pounds heavier now than she was when she started. So I don't know what to think.

If it were me, and I was restricting my eating to a particular number of units (points, calories, whatever), then I think it should be classified as a diet.

I think it's a lifestyle change - I've been following weight watchers now for 5 years. I went from a blob who couldn't walk to a marathon runner. I'm not on a diet anymore, but I follow it. I have a healthy lifestyle. Now, if you're a yo-yo eater, then it's probably a diet because you cant stick with something any longer than a chocolate covered donut sticks to your lips. But that's not me - I made a lifestyle change and it stuck.

I am doing weight watchers online, so much easier for me than the meetings. I can hop on anytime and it figures out all of the stuff for me. I have lost 7 pounds in three weeks. The great thing is it is something I believe I can stick with as a lifestyle change. My mind is changing with each pound as I have never had success with anything else.

I have friends who have lost hundreds on WW, and I think they keep it off because it is a lifestyle change. My husband lost his 150 by making a lifestyle change w/o the support system of WW, but then he had me supporting eating better and working out... I think the idea of a diet as just how and what you eat (I eat a diet of X) isn't how we really use the word... we use it to mean the termporary diet we're going on to lose weight... but viewing a 'diet' as a temporary change is what makes WW different. You never get to stop, it is a commitment to better eating long term rather than the awful cleanses and cabbage soup fads.

i think it depends on the individual - some treat it as a diet, some treat it as a lifestyle change.

i considered it, but the point system drove me away after seeing a friend go crazy because of it (avoiding eating in public and at restaurants... which is what ww is trying to tell you you can do?).

I am on it right now and it's more like a lifestyle change for me rather than a diet. I have been on it since November and it has worked wonders for me. Its teaching me to control my eating habits rather than saying don't eat this and don't eat that crap. I would have to agree with their ad under the right circumstances.

1. food and drink considered in terms of its qualities, composition, and its effects on health: Milk is a wholesome article of diet.
2. a particular selection of food, esp. as designed or prescribed to improve a person's physical condition or to prevent or treat a disease: a diet low in sugar.
3. such a selection or a limitation on the amount a person eats for reducing weight: No pie for me, I'm on a diet.
4. the foods eaten, as by a particular person or group: The native diet consists of fish and fruit.
5. food or feed habitually eaten or provided: The rabbits were fed a diet of carrots and lettuce.
6. anything that is habitually provided or partaken of: Television has given us a steady diet of game shows and soap operas.

So yes, techinally it's a diet.

I joined WW when I initially started losing weight because it was cheap and I could eat regular food on it (at the time, I was a broke college student). What WW did for me was that it taught me how to eat a lot smarter than I had been. My "old" breakfast used to be 2 pop tarts and a 20 ounce juice drink. I discovered that combo had almost 15 points and I was floored. It didn't even keep me full! I instead chose to eat cereal with skim milk and a piece of fruit for something like 5 points and it kept me fuller longer. I never thought of WW as a temporary thing either. I used it as a tool to help me learn which foods were genuinely healthy and which ones were "play foods" that I could eat in moderation. And at first, I would do stupid things like blow all my points on a big piece of cake and be starving all day, but pretty soon I really got into the program and I liked the healthier foods.

Plus, I think it's great that they promote exercise. I was so psyched that you could earn "Activity Points" on the plan. I started doing Tae Bo tapes and walking a lot...then I started to incorporate running into the mix and pretty soon I was running 5-6 miles a day easily.

I never really went "off" WW; now, I pretty much eat a diet that's basically "low points" foods, but when I want a treat, I think about how many points it was on WW. It helps keep me in check. I think WW has the most realistic maintenance plan of any commercial plan out there as well. You don't have to transition to "real food" or go from shakes to food or anything like that. You just increase your points so that you can maintain your weight.

Some of the women I work with do Weight Watchers and they speak very highly of it. I also had a couple of roommates back in college who swore by this program.

I don't think it's a diet, I think it's more about a lifestyle change. It teaches you about portion control and making smart choices. To me, the word "diet" brings up the idea of not eating certain foods because they are "off limit" or limiting your food intake to a point that is below healthy. I don't do WW myself, but I think its a great way to lose weight and stay healthy.

cmon fit, I think they just want to communicate that losing weight and maintaining that loss requires a healthy approach to eating. That's what they offer and it seems to help many. Dieting as a word implies a finite amount of time, and they just want you to see that it's a lifestyle overhaul. I'm in favor of this campaign; they're just trying to shift the paradigm and reach more people that way.

it's not a diet; it's absolutely about making smarter choices and making activity a part of your daily routine. diet's are temporary; weight watchers is about making a lifetime commitment and lifestyle change.

I think it is a diet and a lifestyle change. I went on it and lost weight but I also felt like it made me more food obsessed then ever before, and not necessarily in a good way. The group of people I did it with felt the same way too, so I am on the fence about it, I guess it depends on the person if it's a diet or a lifestyle.

According to the guidelines set forth by the American Counseling Association, Weight Watchers fits under the category of "self-help" group--a place where people help each other with stabilizing and balancing their weight and lifestyle needs. Weight Watchers, like other self-help groups such as AA and NA, allows people to come together to share ideas and utilize the time in a manner that best suits the group. So technically speaking, Weight Watchers is not a diet; it is a self-help group.

Depends on your definition of the word "diet". I think the diet part of Weight Watchers is just one facet of a much broader package.

Regardless, it's a genius advertising campaign.

I mentioned this in a post on my blog...
weightwatchen.com/2008/01/weight-watcher-maintainer-rant
I don't understand the big deal, yes it's a diet, we are all on diets, if we eat we are "dieting". We could get into semantics all we want but when push comes to shove it's a marketing campaign and a motivator for those that want to lose.

Being a WW'er myself I dig it. I life the lifestyle.

they're just doing this cause everyone is scared and put-off by the word 'diet', it's obviously still a diet since by definition, a diet is when you follow a certain meal plan and not just eat whatever you want.

From what my friends on it have told me, it does seem more of a lifestyle change than a traditional diet, so I think it's valid advertising. It makes them pay attention to portion control, and by allotting points, encourages eating fruits and veggies, but does not ban any foods, which a traditional diet normally does. I think it's the most well-reviewed and effective weight loss plan also...wow I sound like an ad, I need to lose pounds, I should go on it!

Yeah, it's still a "diet," but I definitely think they are being accurate in their advertising in identifying what makes it different from a traditional diet, so I'd give them a pass!

I mean, compare Weight Watchers making this claim with like...the Fat Flush people making this change....

I did WW over 5 yrs ago and lost 30pds. To this day I still keep in check my points! Oh yeah, I still weigh 115 pds so yeah I would think its a life style change. But with all diets you have to stick to it!!!!! and change your life!!!!

So if the distinction is that you adopt the principles for a lifetime, then it's not a diet? That means any eating plan you adopt for the long term is not a diet.

So in that case, I never diet, I just do the Zone 30/30/40 and have for at least three years.

Shouldn't we all wrap our heads around the fact that there is no quick fix for any of us? We all know its reducing calories and increasing exercise, and there are a number of programs out there that work for different people.

Personally I did weight watchers for 3 months and only lost 5 lbs. Went to the meetings, bought all food, and I didn't like it at all. Turns out that I needed to eat more protein which in the meetings I went to they didn't emphasize. As soon as I started eating a 30 30 40 diet I lost 30 lbs and became more healthy.

People think it's too hard to follow, but it's totally worth it.

I've done WW for 8 years. If I called it a diet, I'd fail too. It's the way I eat. Yes, in the dictionary sense of the word...it's a diet. In the sensationalist sense..nope. It's my way of life.

I'm on WW (I've lost 75 lbs, thank you very much.) Leaders are supposed to stress constantly that it is a "Lifestyle Change" and not a diet. That is what they are going for here, also.

I've never done Weight Watchers, but know people who have and had great results. From what I gather, it's not a diet. It's based on learning how to eat right. They just use a points system that basically teaches you what is bad for your based on how many points it is. Which makes sense if you think about it. AND it's good for people who need and want a support group. And if you talk to people who've done it and stuck to it, it's now just a healthier way of eating/living for them.

I think in the long run, it's not a 'diet.' The way we look at dieting is more like "don't eat this, don't eat that, just eat this and ONLY drink that for X amount of time and you'll lose 10 lbs!"....this is more about protion control and making better decisions. The points are just a tool to help you if you have trouble knowing what to eat and how much to eat.

When I think of a diet, I think of having to give up certain things. My fiance did South Beach a while back, and that was absolutely a diet -- there was so much that he couldn't eat, and the idea, at least in the first phases, is to ELIMINATE it altogether, not moderate what you eat.
Weight Watchers, on the other hand, sounds like it allows you to eat whatever you want -- but teaches you to make smart decisions. You want that slice of peanut butter pie now? Fine, but you're going to have to plan your meals carefully for the rest of the week. If you can still eat whatever you want, granted absolutely in moderation, then I don't think of it as a "diet".

I hate that ad campaign.
It may be a "lifestyle change", which I agree with, but it's still a diet in that it restricts either what you eat or the amount you eat with the goal to lose weight.
Weight Watchers is fine, and I am definitely trying to lose weight myself -- through the old lifestyle change -- but don't try to pretend that you're not the same as all the others. It's a marketing scheme, to me.

I'm a WW lifetime member, and I see it as a way of living. WW helped me to develop a healthy outlook - not just about food but activity and emotional wellbeing and stress management and making healthy choices. So I agree with the ad campaign.

I do WW and It is not really a diet to me. It is more of a simple way to know what is good and what is bad. The points to me are just a simplified way of knowing just how much damage is being done. Almost like counting calories. I love it and actually hate it when people ask me 'how the diet is going' because to me that implys reaching a goal and then quitting. It is way more than that and it is a great ad campaign! It is so much healthier than so many of fads too!

Chiming in late (just joined today), but I agree with the posters who see WW more as a lifestyle change and not a diet. To me, points are (or can be) like training wheels -- you use them for a while, and then eventually you can put them aside and go on your own. I haven't counted points in years, but I've kept off the majority of the weight I lost on the program because I finally learned to eat in a sane and healthy way -- keeping portion sizes in check, all things are fine in moderation, etc. (That said, the program's built-in accountability is a HUGE and helpful motivator.)

weight watchers is not a diet, it's a lifestyle as opposed to diets which only last short term.

I think the "stop dieting" campaign makes sense for WW. When I think of "dieting" I think of being hungry all the time and not being "allowed" to eat certain foods. WW is not like that at all.

Also, the program is really geared towards making permanent changes, which you can only do if your plan fits in with the real world.

I am following the Core Plan on WW right now, which I think is a much more realistic plan for the long term because you don't have to count everything, unlike on the Flex Plan. I feel the Core Plan does a better job in encouraging people to eat nutritious food, and pay attention to portion control and your body's hunger signals.

A GP in the UK has recently had Weight Watchers remove the misleading "Stop diets, start Weight Watchers" ad removed via the ASA.

See:

http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/adjudications/Public/TF_ADJ_45834.htm