MyWW program’s choices aim to lessen hunger

Color-coded system looks to balance a diet

More options and less hunger are central to Weight Watchers’ new colorcoded myWW program.

For the first time, the preeminent weight-loss company, which rebranded as WW in 2018, is rolling out three customized plans simultaneously, officials shared exclusively with USA TODAY.

The Oprah Winfrey-backed company’s new plan includes whole wheat pasta, brown rice and potatoes as “ZeroPoint” foods, meaning they don’t have to be measured or tracked.

“There’s no foods off limits on any of our programs, and it’s going to be sustainable,” said Mindy Grossman, WW president and CEO, told USA TODAY. “It’s easy, it’s simple and I think that’s what people are craving for – something they can really live with.”

More options result in less hunger

Gary Foster, WW chief scientific officer, said the new plan, which arrived Monday, took about two years to develop and it builds on science and behavioral data.

“The science is very clear on this issue,” he said. “Personalized plans get people to be more engaged.”

New members will take an assessment to figure out the best plan for them while current members can choose any of the plans. The blue plan is the same as the most recent WW Freestyle plan.

“Balance is important. We don’t want people to just eat from a list,” Foster said.

Not one of the plans is considered better or healthier, he said. A clinical trial found a 24% drop in hunger overall.

“I’ve never seen a 24% reduction in hunger,” Foster said, saying they are encouraged by other stats such as 90% of people saying it’s easier to stick with.

Keri Gans, author of “The Small Change Diet,” thinks the new program is going to appeal to more people and are a better option than fad diets that teach restriction and are not sustainable.

“There really is no one size fits all so I think by offering three new plans it’s really getting more to what would fit best for the consumer,” Gans said.

And what does Winfrey, who bought about 10% of the company in October 2015 and has since sold some of her shares, think of the new plan?

“She’s been on the plan and she’s been having fun,” Grossman said

Plan options

The three plans in the my WW program are based on the company’s SmartPoints rating system and ZeroPoint foods lists, which differ by plan.

Green: There are more than 100 ZeroPoint foods, which are fruits and vegetables. Green members get a larger SmartPoints budget.

Blue:There are more than 200 ZeroPoint foods, which include fruits and veggies along with lean proteins, eggs, beans and nonfat yogurt.

Purple: The new plan has more than 300 ZeroPoint foods and adds grains including whole wheat pasta, potatoes to the category. Purple has a more modest SmartPoints budget.