W.Va. turns to Weight Watchers to slim down

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Facing more than $100 million in annual costs linked to obesity, the Medicaid program in one of the country’s most overweight states is turning to a familiar name to help residents slim down.

Up to 75,000 West Virginians will soon be eligible for free weight loss courses through Weight Watchers, thanks to an effort by the state Medicaid program and the health benefits group UniCare, the largest provider of Medicaid coverage in the state.

Medicaid clients of Unicare who obtain a physician’s referral and score within specific ranges on the fat-measuring body mass index will be eligible to take up to 16 weeks of courses for free from Weight Watchers. The group is famous for its regular meetings and system of assigning points to different foods.

When a person pays a service to help them lose weight, and they in fact get lasting results, then that's fine, a good thing.

But the weight-loss industry, including Weight Watchers, is wrong-headed in their approach and mission. (the "weight-loss" business is not the same thing as the "fitness" business)

• many people wish to lose weight
  
• the idea that weight loss is achieved without exercise, is appealing
  
• the mere appeal of weight loss without exercise, can be sold as a food or information service, a pill, a soft drink...
  

These 3 premises are the three highest principles of the weight-loss business. They're well-known but unspoken. Also, my problem with Weight Watchers is:

• focusing on "losing weight" and "dieting" means deprivation and misery and pain, and puts attention toward something universally considered "dreadful" and is much more difficult than simply picking fun activities. Even the name itself, "Weight Watchers" is dreary
  
• whether or not the customer loses weight is completely and ultimately dependent on the customer and this is actually made clear to people who want to lose weight. (and which is also great for business, incidentally)
  
• nutrition classes, point counting, and meetings are what Weight Watchers offers, but introduce novelties that are, quite frankly, distractions and misspent psychic energies (away from regular physical activity. Just do it.)
  

Instead of giving money to Weight Watchers, wouldn't it be more wise, during this time of shrinking school budgets, to invest the money toward prevention? Toward improvement of physical fitness and wellness education?

Giving money to Weight Watchers and hoping that they can "fix" what is already broken, after the fact, is a poor solution.

This is a much better idea from West Virginia and has at least, a chance of being effective.

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