Is 13 too immature for a diet? Weight Watchers doesn’t consider so

Weight Watchers is confronting a ascent recoil for opening a doors to teenagers.

Earlier this month, a world’s oldest and largest weight-loss association announced it will offer children ages 13 to 17 giveaway summer memberships as partial of a plan to some-more than double revenue and memberships by a finish of 2020.

“They will have giveaway entrance to Weight Watchers when they join with an adult, assisting them rise healthy habits during a vicious life stage,” new CEO Mindy Grossman said during an worker eventuality in New York on Feb. 7.

She told a assembly she accompanied her mom to Weight Watchers meetings when she was 14.

“I was feeling unequivocally insecure. we had this unfortunate enterprise to be a cheerleader. I did it with my mom. we mislaid weight. we felt better.”

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Both a National Eating Disorder Information Centre of Canada (NEDIC) and a National Eating Disorders Association in a U.S. have cursed the offer. 

NEDIC spokesperson Kelsey Johnston pronounced dieting is a poignant risk means in young people for building eating disorders. The classification pronounced approximately one in 5 Canadian teenagers is already dieting.

@Weightwatchers More than 1 in 5 Canadian teenagers are on a diet, putting them during risk for an eating disorder. You explain that your teen module is not diet focused, however images such as this one (taken from your possess website) advise otherwise. #WakeUpWeightWatchers pic.twitter.com/daCGsYYs2b

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@theNEDIC

​”[Weight Watchers] settled that it is not a diet program, though with a name like Weight Watchers … we consider that engrossment with physique picture is cryptic for immature people,” she said.

The amicable media debate #WakeUpWeightWatchers and a petition on Change.org call on a association to revoke a offer to teens.

In response to a pressure, Weight Watchers offered assurances that a teen weight-loss module will be responsible.

“We know that a teenage years are in a vicious life theatre for building healthy habits, and opening WW to teenagers with agree from a parent/guardian is about families removing healthier,” a association pronounced in a statement. “We have and will continue to speak with health-care professionals about a criteria and discipline as we get prepared to launch this program.”

‘That’s not their place’

Toronto dietitian Rosie Schwartz is not persuaded. 

“But a kids are still entrance in, and a initial thing that would occur is that they would be weighed on a scale. And that’s a emanate — weighing kids during that indicate is not what should be happening.”

Schwartz’s clients embody immature people who are overweight or vital with obesity. She pronounced a child plumpness widespread is a sign of a deeper problem that is mostly not addressed by dieting.

“We need to change a food sourroundings for kids,” she said. “Families need to be eating improved together. Families need to know how to cook. Parents need to know how to ready and kids should get into a kitchen, ready food.”

Katelynne Edmonds, 25, calls a offer of giveaway memberships for teenagers ‘a sleazy slope.’ She’s recuperating from an eating disorder.

Toronto university student Katelynne Edmonds, who is recuperating from an eating commotion that began in her teens, agrees that minors fasten Weight Watchers is not a good idea.

“Introducing immature teenagers to a diet enlightenment is such a sleazy slope.”

The 25-year-old pronounced there unequivocally needs to be a place where teens can get assistance if their weight is inspiring their health.

“I don’t consider it’s a diet association like Weight Watchers, that’s not their place.”  

‘It could be a advantage or it could potentially means harm.’

– Dr. Tom Warshawski

Dr. Tom Warshawski, chair of a B.C.-based Childhood Obesity Foundation, pronounced he had churned feelings when he listened about a Weight Watchers offer. 

“Well, my initial suspicion was that it could be a advantage or it could potentially means harm. You unequivocally have to know what a curriculum is like,” he said.

Warshawski acknowledged dieting can lead to eating disorders, though he pronounced “the bulk of a problem doesn’t utterly review to a widespread of overweight and obesity.” 

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The Kelowna pediatrician pronounced when he treats immature patients for plumpness he considers a accumulation of risk factors such as physique mass index, family history, ethnicity and their theatre of adolescence.

The goal, he said, is a healthy rate of weight gain. 

“As we grow taller you’ve got to put on some some-more flesh mass. You have to get heavier,” he said. “So weight detriment is infrequently not even what we’re looking for in teens. We’re looking for weight upkeep and have a physique grow into a weight.” 

Since former TV speak uncover horde Oprah Winfrey became a vital shareholder of Weight Watchers in 2015, a association has increased revenues and memberships, while perplexing to rebrand itself as a partner in compelling healthy lifestyles.

The association recently recruited American song writer DJ Khaled as a code ambassador.

Article source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/weight-watchers-teens-1.4557702?cmp=rss