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ScienceIs Weight Watchers ‘getting crushed by keto’?
, medical review by Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt, MD
in About Diet Doctor, Keto, News, Weight loss 
According to CNN, Weight Watchers is “getting crushed by keto”.
A surprisingly poor quarter led Weight Watchers’ CEO Mindy Grossman to mention a “keto surge” as one of the company’s challenges in her call with Wall Street analysts.
In the aftermath of reporting poor earnings and sales, the weight-loss company’s stock plunged more than 33 percent on Wednesday. In less than a year, the stock has lost more than 80 percent of its value.
CNN Business: Weight Watchers is getting crushed by keto
CNN reports that a “rival weight-loss service” called Diet Doctor is a challenging competitor to Weight Watchers:
JPMorgan analyst Christina Brathwaite downgraded the stock to “underperform” last week and slashed her price target. One of the reasons? She was worried about competition from rival weight-loss service Diet Doctor, which is a proponent of keto.
To be clear, we don’t see ourselves as a “weight-loss service”. We are a health company. We give inspiration and tools to dramatically improve people’s metabolic health. Significant weight loss is often a side effect of that, and losing significant excess weight can often improve health and wellbeing. But our primary focus is on health, not weight loss.
That said, we’re still encouraged by the fact that our service and website – despite zero paid advertising – is rapidly catching up to Weight Watcher’s in traffic.1 We see this as the result of the scientifically proven effectiveness of a keto diet to help reverse type 2 diabetes, improve metabolic health, and enable many people to lose meaningful amounts of weight without hunger.2
Results matter, and people vote with their feet. We are grateful to be in a position to make low-carb and keto diets simple to understand and sustain, and to be able to provide everything that people need for free.3
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According to traffic numbers from Alexa.com. ↩
Scientific studies now prove that compared to other diets, low carb or keto diets are often more effective for weight loss, and for improving certain health markers:
PLOS ONE 2015: Dietary intervention for overweight and obese adults: comparison of low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets. A meta-analysis [strong evidence]
Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice 2018: Effect of dietary carbohydrate restriction on glycemic control in adults with diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis [strong evidence]
BMJ Open Diabetes Research and Care 2017: Systematic review and meta-analysis of dietary carbohydrate restriction in patients with type 2 diabetes [strong evidence] ↩
Our premium membership features offer extra inspiration and simplicity, but are not required.
Our members support our company and make it possible to provide our services for free to everyone else, despite zero ads, products for sale or money from industry. ↩
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- Anne MOops typo - I meant Type 2 diabetes diagnosis.
- Anne MCan you please change the typo "Type 3" to "Type 2"?
- marianneHum, je suis très déçue : - les commentaires ne sont pas traduits en français !
Merci pour tous les articles ! - jeannormal c'est un site anglophone
- Anne BerkeleyI am a lifetime WW member who rejoined 7 months ago after gaining 40 lbs. In that time, I have lost 20 lbs. I am struggling to lose an additional 20; but I will. What I have done is taken the best of the WW point system and combined it with Keto. I do not eat starch or sugar. However, I find, in my case if I add the fat amounts that Keto recommends, I tend not to lose the weight. I also practice intermittent fasting, which was recommended on the DD web site. It is easy for me, since I have never been a breakfast eater -- except for coffee -- and like to eat 2 meals daily: the first at around 11 a.m., the second around 6 p.m. (In between, I'll drink beef or chicken broth and eat raw veggies, if I am hungry). Then, I don't eat anything after my second meal til around 11 a.m. the next day. It is easy to do, since 8 of those hours are spent sleeping. I also like to have a martini every evening. With this plan, I am allowed my luxury.
Of course, I do cheat occasionally, when my craving for a bagel, pasta, a piece of chocolate or ice cream becomes very strong. But strangely enough, I don't miss the sweets and starches that much.
- HeidiThere are heaps of keto bread and biscuit recipes on line, like linseed focaccia, biscotti, etc. I used to make my own bread too,including Lebanese, but these are excellent substitutes.
- Donald MorganIf you've noticed the Weight Watchers program has edged closer to the ketogenic diet.
I have an associate who has worked for WW for over 25 years. She sent me the link to Susan Hallberg's
Ted Talk on how we have no dietary requirement for carbohydrates period! I simply find in unbelievable
that our so called medical profession can't or won't accept the benefits of a ketogenic lifestyle. - Mary II am not sure if this is ok to post here but feeling so confused. I am 63 and have been overweight most of my adult life. Currently doing WW and find losing extremely slow and hard to keep hunger at bay. My Doctor recommended LCHF eating. Where my confusion lies is on non starchy vegetables. Some say to limit because they have carbs even though they are complex and full of fiber, others say they are unlimited as long as they are non starchy. I love vegetables and salads are my go to. This is they only reason I hesitate going Keto, if I have to limit my veggies and protein and bulk up on fats just doesn't seem healthy. I would have no problem with moderate protein, high fat as long as I could have unlimited veggies though. Am I missing something? Any information would be so appreciated!
- Mary IThank you Kristin for your reply. I will monitor my blood sugar with my Keto Mojo monitor and adjust my veggies accordingly.
- Diane SwartWhen Oprah got involved with WW it went down in my mind. She has been on every diet with a personal chef and trainer, and doesn’t stay in her goal range. It cheapened the WW name. I have been lifetime for nearly 13 years and do not like going to the workshops with her face on the walls.
- 1 comment removed
- Hope RichettI have tried ever diet under the sun. The only one that has truly helpedme is the Keto. I have lost over 50 pounds in 8 months. I feel healthier in my mind and body. I have had a Thyroid issue and it seems to put that finally under control. Its easy and you can make it funny by trying to make many recipes that fit your life style. I never lost the weight on WW just money.
Points, smoints.....keto is healing my body! Weight Watchers never did that. 8 months keto and I have normal blood sugar, no more fatty liver, have lost 48 pounds, triglicerides were cut in half...and I haven't spent a penny!! I do buy the monthy DietDictor extras, to support their efforts to spread healthy lifestyle info. I would happily pay more if there were a supporter level to contribute to "the cause".
My internist had told me my type 2 diabetes would just progressively get worse. He is amazed by what keto can do.
Deb