Weekly weigh-ins and support meetings for Weight Watchers take part in church basements, office conference rooms and company-branded retail outlets across America. Weight Watchers has grown into a multibillion-dollar corporation that estimates its weekly meeting participation at one million people. The reach of Weight Watchers extends beyond the home kitchen and into restaurants across the nation.
History
The first meetings of Weight Watchers took place in the living room of Jean Nidetch's Queens, N.Y., home in 1961. This led to franchised training programs throughout the United States and internationally. The group's original focus of weight loss through dieting and behavior management remains in 2010.
Methodology
While Weight Watchers has changed its terminology over the years, its core program assigns point values to food portions. The points program uses a matrix that assigns a value to a serving of food based on its calorie count, total fat and dietary fiber content. Dieters receive a daily Points allotment based on their current weight, as well as a flex points bank they can use over the course of seven days.
Partnerships
According to Lunch Ladies at the Roanoke website, Weight Watchers partnered with the Applebee's chain in 2004 on a menu of foods with 10 points or less. The jointly-developed menu covers appetizers, entrees and desserts. While the menu rotates seasonally, there are some mainstays. For example, tilapia has been on the menu since the partnership began. In October 2010, the dish was grilled Cajun lime tilapia, topped with a black bean and corn salsa and served with rice pilaf and a side of vegetables. Dieters could opt for this meal for seven points.
Resources
Weight Watchers publishes its own books on eating out, including its "Dining Out Companion." The guide assists dieters in making smart choices based on the points assigned to menu items at popular restaurants. Most chain restaurants offer nutritional guides at the hostess station, and nearly every regional and national restaurant brand has nutrition information on its website. Dieters can purchase a special points calculator, and enter calories, fat and dietary fiber to determine the menu item that best fits their plan. Weight Watchers also makes applications for smartphones to calculate points.
Expert Advice
Weight Watchers partnered with Lisa Lillen of The Hungry Girl blog in 2009 to provide content for its web community. Lillen built a popular following of Weight Watchers dieters on her blog, which includes tips, taste tests and recommendations, as well as a search for the best and worst foods for a Weight Watchers dieter. In a September 2010 post, Lillen reviewed menu offerings at national restaurants. Using nutritional values from restaurant websites, she found entrees with less than 10 points offered at national casual dining chains. She also noted a hamburger at a national chain with a value of 26 points.
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