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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
Earlier
Keto
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. ↩
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
It actually worked well for me because it was somewhat low carb--I ate a lot less bread , pasta, fruit, and junk WW foods when I had enough fat for satiety. But the leaders hated this because they didn't get it, and it was a short lived program.
I lost weight once with WW but quickly regained more. The second try was a failure. I didn't try dieting again until LCHF, which not only worked, but I was able to maintain weight loss for many years.
After another diet project (very low fat - extreme exercise), I managed to lose 50kgs. Unfortunately, I could not keep that up either... A divorce and a job loss later.... back to square one. For the past 12 years, I have been (morbidly) obese and suffering from Cluster headaches and inflammation.
I only recently encountered LCHF/KETO (November 2018) and I am already a huge fan. Three months in and 15kgs lighter, much more energy, much less inflammation, no headaches anymore and several other minor health issues resolved, I am convinced that this is not only working extremely well, but it is sustainable as well. It does not cost anything, it is simple, it is a way of life... After one month, becoming a DD member was obvious, as I had already saved quite some money on groceries and headache medication. DD is doing a fantastic job, for which I am so grateful and millions of others with me, I am sure. Turning 54 next month, I feel already better (physically and mentally) than 20 years ago. Yes, I still have a long way to go, but I am convinced that with the support of DD and the motivation of other members and their success stories, I too will be successful and healthy. Thank you DD, from the bottom of my heart!
By Sept 2016 I was barely holding on to my lifetime status--anxiety stricken with every bite that entered my mouth. A friend recommended The Obesity Code and I read it. Then I devoured the entire IDM website. IDM recommended DD and here I am. I went moderate carb immediately and lost an additional 9 lbs in 6 weeks.
I am still a lifetime WW-- I just have a different zero point food list. :)
I go to the meetings because I need the support. It is not an ideal support system but they are good people with similar struggles.
I have seen many changes in WW; no matter how they shake things up, they just keep modeling their program after USDA guidelines (they literally won't go against the grain). There is an underground Keto/LCHF movement (and it is growing) within WW and it can be found in their exclusive social media--but I doubt they can do anything about it. Before their exclusive social media was an open (and free) network, where Keto/LCHF ran rampant. WW thought making their network private would end the movement but that backfired. In essence WW is simply backing the wrong horse. I get the feeling they will be offering a low carb plan for people who get a Dr approval (so they cannot be held liable). I imagine that few Drs will sign off for that.
But thankfully DD will take them all.
I have a membership here at DD and will forever.
There is so much to learn and I am ever so grateful to DD for providing untainted science based information.
Thank you Dr Enfeldt for taking the career risk and putting your reputation on the line by daring to go where the science led you.
The first time 33 years ago when they used “exchanges” as a plan
I can remember it so well and actually think that plan was a very healthy plan at the time
Your daily limit was 3 fats, 2 milks, 5 protein, 3 breads, 3 fruits and 3 veg. You were also allowed up to 100 calories for a daily treat. It was actually eating real food
I lost loads of weight after my first baby.
Then later throughout the years they developed the silly point system suggesting to us that we could choose whatever we wanted within our point system.
My biggest bug bear at the meetings was the complete over processed rubbish that was offered for sale
So many times I witnessed very overweight people attending these meetings and sitting there “snacking” on this merchandise having just being weighed!
I hope that weight watchers can learn from all of great advice out there and hopefully one day embrace the Lchf eating and encourage their members to take up the plan
They have a captive audience and it would certainly be in their interest to adapt their plans to this way of eating
People need support and weight watchers have and probably still offer this
It’s just they have their hands tied with the big food companies who need profit
The Lchf diet for me has definitely been the easiest way of loosing weight and now if a lifestyle choice for me
Eating real food heals your body in so much more ways than just loosing body fat
So I don’t worry too much about the scale.
First I was only trying the Keto diet
I ordered the book from amazon
I watch the magic pill over and over again! I decided with all the benefits of eating keto I have decided to make it a way of life !
Merci pour tous les articles !
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.
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.
Sometimes I don’t track all of the oils on my app because I do better with the reward system of a “blue dot” for staying within my points.
I also need the in person group support- for accountability and ideas.
I gladly share my Keto ideas too - without saying “Keto” :)
Diet Doctor has been a great help for meal planning and the food is good. I really don’t eat meat except fish and rarely a bit of grass fed beef. I substitute salmon for some of the chicken recipes.
I also LOVE the videos and find them so helpful when I have time to watch.
So in conclusion - I will probably continue to do both :)
The main issue here is your blood sugar. If the vegetables do not affect your blood sugar then you can continue to enjoy them but if they raise your blood sugar, then they will keep keto from working as well as it could otherwise.
https://www.tops.org/
https://www.tops.org/