If you have heard of a dieting fad in your lifetime, you have probably heard about Weight Watchers. This diet, based around a point system, transformed itself during the ’90s from a temporary fad into a dieting empire that arguably has outdone such competitors as Jenny Craig. Now Weight Watchers is attempting to outdo itself. Last week, Weight Watchers changed its dieting system for the first time in over a decade.

The original Weight Watchers system was based on points. Each dieter was given an allowance of points each day, as well as a few weekly points, which they could apply to whatever food they wished. Each food’s point value could be determined based on the amount of calories, fat and fiber it contained.

While a point system is still the base of the Weight Watchers system, it has changed dramatically. The total number of points allowed has increased. However, the point value of many foods has changed as well. The point system now takes into account not only calories, fat and fiber, but also carbohydrates and protein.

I’ve been aware of the Weight Watchers diet for a while now and have had several family members and friends try it. Like many fad diets, they would lose weight for a few months, reach a stagnant point and then eventually quit the diet. However, unlike many of the diets I have seen people try, they would often return to the diet later.

Weight Watchers has some unique characteristics that sets it apart from many other mainstream diets. It doesn’t tell you to eat certain foods and to avoid others. Rather, it makes the individuals responsible for their own choices.

Unfortunately, this did not always work out in the past, and the point system will still allow some to feel that if they spend all their points for the day on chocolate cake, but don’t go over their point value, they have somehow eaten “healthy.”

This new system makes individuals even more aware of their choices. The switch to including protein and carbohydrates into the equation clearly aims the user towards a more balanced, maintainable diet. This is the factor that is missing in most fad diets.

So thank you Weight Watchers for bringing a little bit more of reality to the dieting industry. While you are not perfect, you are certainly a better choice than the Atkins diet!

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