A rant

Today, it's been highlighted that WeightWatchers have a major contract with the NHS to deal with weight loss patients. This is also going to be on the Dispatches programme tonight on Channel 4 at 8pm. 

When I read this, I was furious. I had seen that south Lincolnshire were sending people to Weight Watchers groups but wasn't aware it was now nation wide. There two things I have an issue with here:

• Firstly, WeightWatchers meetings are not run by qualified nutritionists or dietitians. They are run by former members who have lost weight using the WeightWatchers program. So why does the NHS bother to employ dietitians and nutritionists if they are then not going to use them??
• Secondly, WeightWatchers is a diet which teaches you to count points. It doesn't teach you healthy eating and the importance of exercise. Most people know the importance of them both but we should promoting that not Calorie and point counting. We need to encourage people to make healthy lifestyle choices which will continue for the rest of their life and be something the whole family can partake in to encourage healthy eating habits in children.

I'm very much looking forward to watching the Dispatchers programme although it will have to be on catch up as I have food club and hope to be able to find out the reasons why the NHS feels WeightWatchers is appropriate. I will also be taking my food club leaflets to doctors surgeries and promoting a healthier way of losing weight and eating which doesn't involve Calorie and point counting.

Incidentally does anybody else think Greg Wallace looks ill now on all the WeightWatchers adverts?

Hannah