WEIGHT WATCHERS LOOKS TO FEAST ON ATKINS DEFECTORS


August 16, 2004 -- Weight Watchers International Inc. is hoping to reel in U.S. dieters disillusioned with low-carbohydrate plans like Atkins, though it remains to be seen if its new program will revitalize battered profits and membership rolls.
"We are seeing all sorts of people, and more and more of them are people who have tried one low-carb diet or another," Eliot Glazer, Weight Watchers vice president of marketing, said in an interview. Yet whether more of these so-called low-carb refugees find a home at Weight Watchers is another question. The Woodbury, New York, company on Thursday said profit fell in the second quarter while acknowledging the low-carb craze may not be ebbing as quickly as it had forecast.

CEO Linda Huett told investors during a conference call on May 11 she expected to see a growing number of low-carb refugees. Two days later itsstock hit a two-year low of $31.83.


High-protein, low-carbohydrate regimens like the Atkins and South Beach diets have generated a massive following among weight-conscious U.S. consumers, though the craze has leveled off after peaking in January, said Harry Balzer, vice president at market research firm The NPD Group.

About 7 percent of adult Americans now follow some kind of low-carb diet, down from a high of 9 percent, Balzer said. Yet attendance at Weight Watchers meetings in North America declined in the past quarter, spurring the company to narrow its profit forecast for the year.

In the face of such membership declines, Weight Watchers hopes its new initiative will boost attendance by attracting dieters who are weary of shunning foods like bread and pasta.

Atkins Chief Marketing Officer Matt Wiant said because of its meetings format, Weight Watchers will be a haven for dieters who need social reinforcement to lose weight. He added that Atkins' own research showed that Weight Watchers' plan was not seen by consumers as being as effective as low-carb.

"They are not turning to Weight Watchers for their nutritional brilliance," Wiant said.

http://www.nypost.com/business/28928.htm

LOL I love this quote



I'm surprised they haven't caved in yet and added a low carb option to their program. It's probably because it's still viewed as controversial. I remember that it took them quite a while to modify their plan to high-carb many years back.

Well, we have a bunch of WW defectors here...

Actually, their plan can work, if you can live on it. Me, I lasted three days. I'd run out of points by mid-afternoon. It's hard to go hungry.

I am a Type II diabetic and the health benefits I have found doing low-carb will never make me look at another silly plan again. They can say whatever they want but for me low-carb is a wonderful plan that has saved my life, which is not something I can not say for WW or any high carb diet.

I joined weight Watchers...It worked..I watch my weight go up.

People who have defected from a low carb lifestyle were probably never committed in the first place. They didn't read or do any research.

As a carb addict and a WW flunky of 5 times over the years, I am so happy with my new WOE that WW will never see me again!!

They have way too many refined carbs in their plan for this girl! They need to see that there are many of us out there that are intelligent enough to find what works and stick with it. WW never worked for me, not one time!!

to Judy: Ok, this is totally off topic but I just GOT to ask. What is it with the new profile pictures everyone seems to be sporting these day.

OK...off topic response....there is a site where can construct a pic of yourself using their software. Cute huh?

I will try to find a link for you later today

I knew something was wrong with my eating plan when I saved all my points for the WW snacks.

WW worked for me over a decade ago when it was lower carb (e.g., 2 "breads" a day) -- and I had only 15 pounds to lose. In the 70s and 80s I believe it was a reasonable diet based on real food choices.

When WW changed the diet in the early 90s to 6 "breads" a day, I was thrilled speechless. WW was now selling it's "diet" foods in the supermarket, along with tons and tons of desserts. Strange how I never lost weight doing WW again.

I never felt well on WW because I didn't break my carb-addiction. If I could have ice cream or a vegetable, guess which one I'd have? I kept letting myself down because I wasn't "stronger" or more mature about eating but now I'm thinking that 2/3 of the time I was just feeding my body what it was craving (carbs) and it wasn't all about me being "weak" willed.

Sandy

Maybe we're just finally learning the WW isn't the end all be all diet! It certainly didn't help me reach my goal weight and trust me I tried it at least 10 times! All I got was over 300 pounds and feeling like a total failure because I just didn't have the will power to stick to the plan. Hard to stick to win you have to white knuckle it everyday!

I will NEVER go back and I wish I would have found LC years ago! It might have saved me a ton of cash and many years of feeling miserable because I couldn't control my eating.

I just had lunch yesterday with a lady who said, "Weight Watchers was the only thing that ever worked for me," and plans to go back on it. She knows what I'm doing...she knows what I look like...the problem is, any failures will be blamed on herself, not WW!

Whereas when people "fail" on low-carb, it's always the fault of low-carb. Interesting dichotomy.

I know a lady that was saying the same thing. I sent her the Gary Taubes article and now she is trying low-carbing