It appears that Weight Watchers doesn't like finishing third. The venerable weight loss company released a statement on Tuesday, May 10 2011, in response to Consumer Reports Magazine's recent diet ratings that ranked 7 weight loss methods, with Jenny Craig listed at the top.
Jenny Craig was awarded 85 out of 100 points in the CR method of ranking, while Slim-Fast, in second, was given 63 and Weight Watchers, in third, only 57. CR Magazine said rankings were based on the ability of each method of dieting to deliver nutritional calories and produce weight loss in the short and long term. Cost of each program and how easy they can be followed was also considered.
Journal of American Medical Assoc. Study on Weight Loss
The high-ranking of Jenny Craig was in part based upon a study published last October in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that reflected well on Jenny Craig. Weight Watchers says there is data on its program that wasn't taken into account and the company also says that CR did not include all relevant details of the JAMA study.
"We are disappointed some key points in the JAMA study, used prominently by Consumer Reports in their evaluation of the Jenny Craig program, were left unsaid," the Weight Watchers statement begins.
"The JAMA study, 'Effect of a Free Prepared Meal and Incentivized Weight Loss Program on Weight Loss and Weight Loss Maintenance in Obese and Overweight Women,' was done to see what happens if you provide people with free food...this is hardly the real life scenario that a consumer faces when choosing a weight-loss method."
Weight Watchers Teaches "Real World" Dieting
The Weight Watchers statement goes on to say that Weight Watchers "advocates and teaches how to live in the real world" and that under their program people learn to make smart food choices including "fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains." They also said CR left out data on the effectiveness of their methods.
"Although there are more than 60 studies on Weight Watchers lifestyle approach, Consumer Reports did not include those in its analysis because we recently launched a major upgrade. Clinical data on the new PointsPlus Program are in the process of being published."
Jenny Craig "Pleased" With CR Ranking
Jenny Craig also released a statement, as did all 7 diet programs ranked by CR. Not surprisingly Jenny Craig's statement said they were "pleased to be rated as Consumer Report's best rated diet" and said they had a "clinically proven, comprehensive approach to weight management."
Weight Watchers was founded in the U.S. back in 1963, 20 years before Jenny Craig began in Australia. Both companies feature support meetings for clients combined with menu plans and advice. Recently, actor Carrie Fisher has been advertising her success using Jenny Craig, while singer/actor Jennifer Hudson has advertised her success with Weight Watchers.
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