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2003/02/24, 11:18 AM
"The secret weight watchers points formula exposed..."
Founded in the early 1960's by Jean Nidetch, Weight Watchers runs
one of the most popular weight loss programs in the world. The
program is based on reducing the number of calories you eat each
day. But rather than count calories, you use weight watchers
points.
A Weight Watchers Shepherd's Pie, for example, contains 241
calories — the equivalent of 4.5 points. No foods are forbidden,
although you're only allowed a certain number of points each day.
Since it began, Weight Watchers International has helped millions
of people worldwide to lose weight. However, the weight watchers
points system ignores several nutrients that are important for
anyone wanting to lose weight and keep it off for good.
The higher the calories in a food serving, the more points are in
there. Numbers in the low tens are easier for people to deal with
than the numbers in the thousands which calorie counting
involves. Most dieters follow the weight watchers points program
by joining a class, where they're weighed each week, meet other
dieters, and receive support and advice from the class organizer.
Believe it or not, the "secret" formula used to work out how many
weight watchers points a meal contains is protected by a US
patent. Although there are many variations of the formula, here's
one that's included in the patent.
One point = (calories/50) + (fat grams/12) - (min{r, 4}/5)
The last part of the formula — min{r, 4} — is equal to the number
of grams of dietary fiber or 4, whichever is the smaller number.
The formula means that one point is equal to the number of
calories in a food serving divided by 50. The value increases by
about one point for every 12 grams of fat, and drops by about one
point for every five grams of fiber.
In simple terms, total fat becomes a point penalizer, while fiber
is a point enhancer.
For people who want to lose weight without the hassle of weighing
food or learning about good nutrition, the weight watchers points
system is reasonably effective. Not only is it based on the main
"law" of successful weight loss — eating fewer calories than you
burn — the program incorporates several techniques proven to make
losing weight easier, such as keeping a written record of what
you eat.
However, like all weight loss programs, the weight watchers
points system is not without limitations. One of the main
problems is that the formula doesn't take into account the amount
of protein in a meal.
Most people think of protein as a nutrient that's only important
for people wanting to build muscle. However, there's a growing
body of research to show that it helps you lose fat too.
Specifically, protein can reduce the extent to which your
metabolic rate drops when you go on a diet. The metabolic rate
refers to the total number of calories you burn each day. When it
slows down, you burn fewer calories, and weight loss gets harder.
Protein also helps to control your appetite, meaning that you'll
feel fuller on fewer calories.
A good example comes from a research team from Boston. They
compared two diets over nine days, both providing an average of
1,492 calories. The low-protein diet contained 67% carbohydrate,
15% protein, and 18% fat. The moderate-protein diet contained 43%
carbohydrate, 27% protein, and 30% fat.
Daily metabolic rate dropped to a greater extent in the group
consuming the low-protein diet. The results show a 10% decline
during the low-protein diet, but only a 5% drop during the
moderate-protein diet. It might not seem like much, but over a
period of several weeks and months this would have a significant
impact on weight loss.
The bottom line is that the weight watchers points system will
help you lose weight. However, the nearer you get to your goal,
the less effective it will become. That's when you'll need to pay
more attention to the quality and not just the quantity of the
calories in your diet.
Reference
Agus, M.S.D., Swain, J.F., Larson, C.L., Eckert, E.A., & Ludwig,
D.S. (2000). Dietary composition and physiologic adaptations to
energy restriction. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 71,
901-907
To view this update on-line, visit:
http://thefactsaboutfitness.com/research/diet.htm
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"Don't follow leaders and watch your parking meters!"
-- Bob Dylan
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