Oprah, Obesity, & Ozempic
Did WeightWatchers Know 18 Years Ago That Their Program Didn't Work?
Note: this 4-page e-book on the 80Bites website on January 19th
In April 2023, WeightWatchers (WW) acquired Sequence, a telehealth company, to make weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy available to its customers. This move, seemingly influenced by Oprah's usage of these drugs, appears to be an attempt to rectify WW's 60-year-long error in the weight loss industry.
The Mistake and Its Impact on Generations
This letter in the e-book originated from a conversation I had with WW in 2006. It reveals that WW was aware for at least 18 years that their "scientific" diet was ineffective. Only recently, CEO Sima Sistani admitted in a CNN interview the company's failure (CNN interview).
Given the recent developments with Ozempic, I'm revisiting that conversation. I propose offering WW my 80Bites program for free. Weight loss drugs can be prescribed by any MD, who can explain their hormonal regulation effects, contrary to WW's approach of constant eating which stimulates hunger hormones.
WeightWatchers’ Eureka Moment
In 1963, when WW was launched, obesity was not as prevalent as it is now, where 65% of Americans are obese. WW's approach has contributed to widespread health issues like diabetes and heart disease. My journey with WW began in October 2005. Meredith Luce, MS RD LN, and I were invited to discuss our Diet Directives program (now 80Bites) with WW, as it offered an alternative to their method. During a meeting with Dr. Karen Miller Kovach, WW’s Chief Scientific Officer, we explained our approach, which initially baffled her due to WW's focus on calorie counting. Eventually, she acknowledged the potential effectiveness of our program, but WW continued with their flawed approach.
Oprah & Obesity: The Media's Role
Oprah's involvement stems from her long-running TV show and her status as the largest WW shareholder. The show often featured weight loss topics, feeding into the problematic diet culture. This narrative obscures the harmful effects of constant dieting, leading to a cycle of guilt and overeating.
Can WeightWatchers Correct Its Past Mistakes?
As a recent WW member, I'm struggling with their complex points system. The program seems incompatible with drugs designed to suppress hunger. I reached out to Dr. Karen Miller Kovacs recently, reflecting on our past meeting. Perhaps there's regret now that the truth about hormone regulation in weight loss is more widely accepted.
I wouldn't have shared this story if Oprah hadn't publicly discussed her use of weight loss drugs and the WW CEO hadn't apologized. The current discussion about these drugs highlights a crucial point: reducing intake, not the type of food, is key to weight loss.
I propose that WW adopt the 80Bites program, aligning with current understanding and moving away from nutrient manipulations. Perhaps now is the time to rectify a long-standing mistake.
Note: The text was reformatted for clarity and coherence, maintaining the original message and content.
YOU are embarrassing yourself. STOP. Find a job. Eat some ice cream. Get laid but stop driving everyone nuts. EAT.
I can see where your approach would have merit. Both fasting and exercise accelerate throughput of polyunsaturated fatty acids in this manner. "The increased proportional intake of dietary fat, decrease in feeding frequency and increased physical activity in free-ranging compared to captive cheetahs are all predicted to result in enhanced mitochondrial FA oxidation through the lowering of circulating glucose concentrations and insulin:glucagon ratios. During fasting/refeeding cycles and increased levels of exercise, tissue PUFA concentrations have been shown to deplete rapidly in both humans and rats. These studies show that most PUFAs, including α-linolenic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid (LA), are preferentially oxidized in periods of exercise or fasting. During refeeding, SFAs and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), such as palmitic acid and oleic acid, are also more rapidly replaced than any of the PUFAs. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5167222/
Why is it important to keep from accumulating polyunsaturated fatty acids? "Fatty acid composition in the Western diet has shifted from saturated to polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and specifically to linoleic acid (LA, 18:2), which has gradually increased in the diet over the past 50 y to become the most abundant dietary fatty acid in human adipose tissue. PUFA-derived oxylipins regulate a variety of biological functions. The cytochrome P450 (CYP450)–formed epoxy fatty acid metabolites of LA (EpOMEs) are hydrolyzed by the soluble epoxide hydrolase enzyme (sEH) to dihydroxyoctadecenoic acids (DiHOMEs). DiHOMEs are considered cardioprotective at low concentrations but at higher levels have been implicated as vascular permeability and cytotoxic agents and are associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome in severe COVID-19 patients. " https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9060469/
More on the PUFA problem: "Separately, on analyzing global COVID-19 mortality data and comparing it with 12 risk factors for mortality, they found unsaturated fat intake to be associated with increased mortality. This was based on the dietary fat patterns of 61 countries in the United Nations' Food and Agricultural Organization database. Surprisingly, they found saturated fats to be protective." https://www.medpagetoday.com/reading-room/aga/lower-gi/86940