Diet & Fitness 

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Diets A-Z: Weight Watchers

Celebrity follower
Catherine Zeta Jones

The theory
Weight Watchers maintains that healthy weight management involves a comprehensive programme including food and activity plans and behaviour modification in an environment of group support.

The plan
Just about everyone has heard of the Weight Watchers diet or knows someone who's tried it. Weight Watchers has historically been based on a food exchange system, where each participant is given a set number of calories and food exchanges to follow for each meal and snack. The new 'Pure Points' programme is based on a point system, where every food is assigned a number of points based on its fat, fibre and calorie content. Each person is assigned a set number of points for each day, and you can add up your points as you like.

Pros

• The group support is often fun and encouraging and the meal plans are based on sound health principles.
• The 'Pure Points' programme allows all foods to be enjoyed as long as you can fit in the point system.
• Weight Watchers groups are to be found everywhere in the UK.

Cons

• None really, except if you're looking for rapid weight loss. This programme could be frustrating since it focuses on slower, long-term weight loss ? but that is a good thing.

Duration
Indefinite.

Checklist
Restaurants: Yes.
Alcohol: Yes.
Caffeine: Yes.
Need to buy special foods: No.
Ok for vegetarians: Yes.

The pros say
Weight Watchers has changed with the times and encourages everyone to figure out how to control their weight for the long haul. This is one of the better programmes and the support can be a key motivator.

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