I wasn’t going to blog about this, but I decided I kinda needed to, just to get it off my chest. Maybe then it’ll stop annoying me.
I’m a Weightwatcher. We parted company for some time last summer but I recently rejoined, and for the most part I think Weightwatchers is the best way of losing excess weight easily and sensibly.
Every now and again I treat myself to the official Weightwatchers magazine, and every time I wonder why I bothered my arse. It’s honestly nothing like the classes and I find it for the most part contradictory.
Each month they feature a “success story”. Now I could be alone here but a success story for me is anyone who WAS overweight and goes on to lose a sensible amount of weight, thus leaving them at a “healthy weight”. Seems fair, right?
So imagine my delight when I spotted the month of September’s vital statistics.
I’ve removed the WW member name, that’s not what this about. It’s about the hypocrisy within Weightwatchers magazine HQ.
So she’s 5ft 6″ tall, above average height for a woman, and she weighed 10st 7lbs and was a UK dress size 12 when she decided she needed WW help…. doesn’t sound overweight to me…. also sounds like she’s more likely be a size 10… although we have to allow for the fact that she might have freakishly large child bearing hips or something… (which she doesn’t btw).
One little google later and I’ve worked out her starting weight BMI
23.7 = Normal
So I sought reference in my little blue WW file (every member has this, it’s like the WW bible). Someone who 5ft 6″ tall as you can clearly see would need to be 11 stone 2lbs to be classed as overweight.
Making this woman, at 5ft 6″ tall and 10 and a half stone a COMPLETELY HEALTHY WEIGHT. In fact she was 9lbs CLEAR from ever being even slightly overweight. You with me?
So this COMPLETELY HEALTHY WEIGHT woman slims down with the help of WW to 8 stone 13lbs.
Let’s check the file again. Hmmm minimum joining weight for a woman of 5ft 6″ tall is 9 stone 3 lbs. This woman is now 4lbs under that. Not only that but WW tell us (right next to that figure) that a MINIMUM HEALTHY WEIGHT for someone of 5ft 6″ tall is 8 stone 12lbs. This woman is 1lb above that. She arguably and with the help and backing of WW is now MINIMALLY HEALTHY. She’s 2lbs away from being underweight and in turn unhealthy.
Why does this gall me so much?
Is it jealousy? Auch y’know who wouldn’t kill to be a little slimmer. Of course I’d love to lose a stone BUT the difference is that at 5 foot 7 and 11stone 11lbs I AM ACTUALLY OVERWEIGHT!!
To my mind Weightwatchers have taken and glorified the story of a woman who was never underweight to start with, in fact she was perfectly healthy and turned it into some kind of modern miracle that she’s now a bony size 8.
I think it’s an absolute insult to everyone who is struggling with real weight issues and pays almost £6 a week to the Weightwatchers franchise in the hope of perhaps some day becoming the subject of one of these success stories.
The difference is that those people would actually be deserving of such a story.
*Gets down off soap box*
xo
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you so much for writing this clearly and articulately. It's a classic example of why the current obsession with weight is harming everyone. While it may not be ideal for many people to be carrying large amounts of excess weight, the panic about fat has also made regular women feel it is unacceptable to be at the middle or high end of their BMI, even if they are active, healthy and fairly toned. It's becoming normalised to consider almost underweight according to BMI as 'healthy' or 'ok'….
This negates the achievement of losing weight and changing habits and body size and creates a cycle where women (in particular) never feel good enough. It makes unrealistic expectations mainstream. I'd also hazard it messes with younger women and girls' minds and leads to some very unhappy thoughts at the least. And it makes me think WW isn't about getting healthier, just skinnier and we all know the two aren't equal.
I think you should avoid this side of the company, stick to what works for you and thank you for drawing attention to this nasty little trick. Grrr!
Auch the world's gone mental in regards to weight.
My issues are without a doubt the direct result of all the glossies I read and celeb tripe I watch. Has to be, because my Mum was never ever on a diet and has always been a healthy weight and happy about it.
I can't even blame it on some ex boyfriend or other. No one ever complained or complains about my weight except me.
BUT even I realise (the sane part of me anyway) that at 5'7 and 11 stone 11 a BMI scale might class me as overweight but really, lets be honest, there's nothing disastrously wrong with my weight. I'm reasonably healthy, I could just do with toning up. I'm well aware that lots of people have REAL excess weight issues and would kill be 11 stone 11 any day of the week.
I really worry for future generations, I look at my step daughter Meggan and can't bear to think that she might think the only route to happiness is to have jutting hip bones and a 25" waist. I guess I need to rethink my own approach to healthy living and be a responsible parent by setting a good example.
*sigh*
I agree with you in this. As for your stepdaughter, I think we all have our generational "skinny person". Growing up we had Kate Moss, supermodels, etc. Just being a positive influence, showing healthy relationship with food and acceptance are things I find important. There is also competition with being thin and pretty as well, whether or not it's you who is feeling that way or someone putting that on you. Happiness isn't meeting a certain size, but it's the overall lifestyle change and choices-and not giving up if you mess up once or twice. Just pick up tomorrow. -I learned that from Crossfit.
I'm also 5'7", and just had two babies in two years. I was 237 at 9 months with my second in February. I am now 166, which is my old (sorta chubby) weight. But I am really proud of being back! I put forth effort, run a few times a week. I know that the magazine is sending a bad message-maybe they should have said, "This lady just wants to lose those measely 20 pounds and she did!" —haha, like me. The thing is she's like us, and those last pounds can be hard to lose, but it wasn't portrayed that way.
Sheesh. I just noticed this was an OLD post I just commented on. LOL. Found your blog from looking up MAC cosmetics-You have a great blog! De-lurking now. : )
LOL no harm done, in fact your comment is very valid and I can totally see what you mean now. I may or may not have been on a bit of a PMT rant that day
xox
Its madness that weightwatchers would even accept someone with a normal BMI into their programme. They are suposed to be concerned with improving the nations health- not extracting money from vulnerable people with low self esteem.
Exactly! I had to re-read the article as I was convinced I was missing something… but no… they really were just promoting an already slim girl getting slimmer with the help of their programme.
God that WW article is horrifying, after you pointed out the reality of that womans weight. Would you recommend WW classes though? Always wanted to try them, but my self consiousness has always prevented me from going.
Love the new blog theme btw-very chic
In all honesty I find Weightwatchers classes a god send. Mostly because of the social aspect. Trying to lose weight can seem like a very lonely task sometimes, you can feel like no one else in the world has the same problem. As soon as you go through the door people are friendly. Someone will always strike up a conversation and before you knowing it you're comparing life stories.
I successfully and healthily lost 19lbs following WW last year. I kept it off for a good 8 months or so but then it started to creep on again.
My fault. I just stopped eating well/ watching my portions etc. WW can give you all the tools in the world but it only works if you're in the zone and able to follow it.
I've been back 2 weeks and I think it would be fair to say I'm not in the zone yet. lol
Give it a go! Just don't buy the bloody magazine!
xxxx
P.S Thanks re new blog layout. I love it too xx
Hi hun,
I've joined WW a few times and totally understand how hard it is to try to lose weight. I do understand your point about the magazine…..it would be more inspirational to see someone go from overweight to normal! However I feel slightly differently about it….I am 5 foot 8 and joined WW when I was a size 12-14…I lost over 2 stone and was still a size 12 all be it a smaller size 12. At the time I felt horrible about the way I looked. My BMI was "normal" but I definitely wasn't healthy! The weight didn't sit well on me….I was bloated and unfit. I had to deal with everyone telling me "you don't need to lose weight" and mocking the fact I went to WW. The truth is….it's down to the individual how they feel about themselves. The girl in the magazine may have been extremely unhappy with her "normal" weight and so worked really hard to get rid of it. I don't think normal weight neccesary means you're the healthiest you can be. I don't mean to dismiss your post but simply give an opinion from a different point of view. I wish you loads of luck on your WW journey! xxxx
Good point Nic!
I guess it's just hit me that very few women seem happy with their weight, and if a clearly normal weight woman feels so unhappy that she has to lose 2 dress sizes that's a weight "issue" not a real weight problem. There's something emotional there which probably needs tackled and last time I checked WW weren't shrinks.
I just wonder if WW are being responsible by supporting unnecessary losses such as this and then subsquently bigging them up.
Personally I think it's irresponsible. The girls pictures speak for themselves if you do happen to get a peak at the edition.
Im completley with you on this one Arlene, this is ridiculous and i definatly wouldnt consider it as a success story. To me a success story would be someone who lost a good amount of weight like you said. However, i must agree with some of the previously posted comments that just because she was classed as a "normal" weight she may not have been happy. I am 5 ft 6 (sometimes 5ft 7,dont ask) and i weigh just under 10 stone and like most women Im not happy and have body hang ups. My issue with this is that it was classed as a success story as im sure there are other WW members out their more deserving of the title. Just goes to show that the world really has gone weight crazy. Great post Arlene xx
Auch yes, I hope no-one thinks I'm poo pooing the notion that a healthy weight woman can still feel deeply unhappy about her weight.
I just think a WW magazine is the wrong place to celebrate the weight loss of one, and "extreme" weightloss at that xx
I think sweetlikejelly's comment sums up what I'd say perfectly. WW should be referring anyone with a good BMI to a local gym. Does the magazine take letters? Maybe you could paste this into an email and let them know what you think directly. They should be celebrating successes that their readership identifies with.
On another matter, I use googlereader and all I'm getting from you now is the title of your post. Is it possible to put the full content into the feed? Cheers
I agree. I hate to think that anyone would be unhappy with their body be it overweight, average or under and I think that if you do have a good BMI a gym would be a better place to tackle those insecurities. I know from my own weight loss journey that the gym can lift me out of many a dark day.
I'll look into the Reader issue, bit lost in my new theme at the moment
xx
Really well said, Arlene. I have a real problem with the way this idea has been presented to the readers of WW magazine and, like you say, it isn't about the motivations of the woman who lost the weight. No, it's the fact the WW have put this up as aspirational to other readers and other followers of WW – because it certainly is throwing out the notion of healthy and just going with thin. Obviously there is nothing to say that thin and healthy are mutually exclusive, and losing that bit of weight may well have been healthy for that particular woman but the point is we don't know if it was healthy or good or otherwise because the focus of the article is not on health or emotional well being , it's purely on the number of pounds/inches lost. I find that distressing and angering in equal measures.
It's really interesting what you say in your reply to a commenter about glossy magazines having an effect on your self-esteem because I find this to be the case myself as well. Even though I know better, reading the magazines is a direct route to feeling bad about myself. It's not so much about my weight or my looks – more that the magazines are foisting this totally unattainable lifestyle onto me, which leaves me feeling depressed.
Anyway, enough of that – a really interesting post, good to see you back blogging again! x
"aspirational" yes you've hit the nail on the head. It worries me that this is seen as something to aspire to xx
Yes I have been in and out of WW for years,it works at times,depends on me and if I follow it and count points I am grand,but I get bored after a while and it kills me handing over e10 when I know I am going to be up! But that my own fault but I do need to get weighted and shamed every week it keeps me on track a little!!
Take a look at my new blog called Feisty forties I know you are not anywhere near 40 but its for all ages!! Thanks Martina
You didn't put your link in and I'm having difficulties finding it. What's the full web address bird? xx