WeightWatchers 2002 Annual Report Download - page 10

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Please find page 10 of the 2002 WeightWatchers annual report below. You can navigate through the pages in the report by either clicking on the pages listed below, or by using the keyword search tool below to find specific information within the annual report.

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techniques to assist in handling the barriers to long-term weight loss. Our international members learn
similar principles and receive similar publications.
Healthful Eating
Our food plans allow our members to eat regular meals instead of pre-packaged meals. By giving
members the freedom to choose what to eat, our plans are flexible and adjustable to modern lifestyles.
In order to keep sound nutrition at the forefront of weight-loss science, our food plans are designed in
consultation with doctors and other scientific advisors. We continually strive to improve our methods by
periodically testing and introducing new features.
Our current food plans are based on the POINTS system, which assigns each food a POINTS value
based on its nutritional content. Members are given a daily POINTS range to use on whatever
combination of food they prefer so long as the total does not exceed the goal. While no food is
forbidden, our POINTS-based plans encourage members to eat a wide variety of foods in amounts that
promote healthy weight loss. The POINTS plans help members choose foods that are low in fat, high in
complex carbohydrates and moderate in protein. We customize our plans from country to country in
order to suit local tastes and nutritional concerns, as well as package labeling differences between
countries. Our plans allow members to carry-back or carry-forward unused POINTS and thus gives
members the flexibility to participate in special occasions and special meals. Our current United States
plan is branded Winning Points, our current United Kingdom plan is branded Time to Eat, and our
current plan in Continental Europe is branded Points Plus. We typically launch an innovation in a
region’s plan every two years. These innovations are staggered so they do not occur at the same time.
Exercise
Exercise is an important component of weight loss and our overall program to lose weight. Our
classroom leaders emphasize the importance of exercise to weight loss and in leading a healthy,
balanced lifestyle. In addition, our program promotes exercise by allowing members additional POINTS
as part of their menu planning based on the type and amount of exercise in which they engage. Our
United States members currently receive ‘‘Get Moving,’’ which is designed to promote exercise and
activity outside of the classroom. This exercise guide is consistent with the recommendations for
physical activity outlined by both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American
College of Sports Medicine. International members receive similar information.
Additional Delivery Methods
We have developed additional delivery methods for people who, either through circumstance or
personal preference, do not attend our classes. For example, we have developed program cookbooks
and an At Home self-help product that provide information on our plans and guidance on weight loss,
as well as CD-ROM versions of our food plans for the United Kingdom, Continental Europe and
Australia.
In the United States during 2001, our affiliate and licensee, WeightWatchers.com, launched two
online paid subscription products, Weight Watchers eTools and Weight Watchers Online. Weight Watchers
eTools is designed to supplement and strengthen the Weight Watchers classroom business. Weight
Watchers eTools is a suite of electronic tools available only to Weight Watchers members, designed to
help them achieve greater success by making it even easier to follow Winning Points and by reinforcing
our weight-loss approach between meetings. Weight Watchers Online offers information on Winning
Points, POINTS values, content on various weight-loss subjects, professionally-developed low-POINTS
recipes and weekly meal plans for different POINTS ranges. In addition, Weight Watchers Online
provides an online journal, an online POINTS calculator, a recipe POINTS calculator, a weight tracker
and progress charts and targeted messages to help subscribers achieve their weight-loss goals. This
product targets self-help dieters.
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