Weight Watchers to ditch ‘before and after’ photographs
FOR decades, it has been used as irrefutable proof that dieting works.
But now Weight Watchers, a pioneer of the “before and after” photograph, is ditching the concept after its chief executive suggested it was outdated and not in keeping with modern lifestyle values.
At a conference in the US on Wednesday to relaunch its brand, Weight Watchers announced it was phasing out the “before and after” concept because it wanted to promote permanent life changes rather than shortterm diets.
The company’s head of social media said: “So we’ve made the decision to lose the expression ‘before and after’ because our members’ journeys are so much more about then than now. A journey of health, with no beginning, middle or end.”
Mindy Grossman, Weight Watchers’ global chief executive, said: “We want to understand people’s journeys and connect with them through it, and we think it’s a much more relevant and modern way to talk about health.
“If people feel great about themselves and they’re proud of themselves and they want to show it that’s up to an individual, but us as a brand and as a company, what we’re saying is that we want to be your partner no matter at what point you are.”
Weight Watchers has signed DJ Khaled, the US music producer, as its social media ambassador, who will be documenting his weight loss.
Dr Jane Ogden, a psychologist at the University of Surrey, said: “Sending a message that a diet will be all done and dusted in a few weeks may not be helpful.
“If you follow up with someone six months after they have ‘finished’ a diet, they may look more like their before photo.”