How many of you have been on a diet? Have you ever tried to eat only a banana for
breakfast, and one more for lunch? Have
you ever suffered with cabbage soup for dinner while your friends were munching
on take-away fried chicken? Have you
ever stood on a set of scales and looked fearfully down, praying that your
weight will have fallen?
Well you don’t need to worry any more. The concept of dieting is officially dead.
The company which is probably best known in
Western countries for helping people to lose weight has changed its name from
“Weight Watchers” to “WW”. According to
their new advertising slogan, “WW” now stands for “Wellness that works”. The company offers regular face to face
meetings with customers. Along with
getting advice on foods to eat and foods to avoid, customers are weighed at
these meetings. Instead of being called
“weigh-ins”, they will now be called “wellness workshops”. The CEO explained that the changes were “to
reflect that we are becoming the world’s partner in wellness.”
The problem seems to be the politically
correct nature of modern life. Companies
are now scared to offer dieting or weight-loss, in case they are accused of
“fat-phobia”, or discrimination against fat people. After all, if you offer a product designed to
help people lose weight, doesn’t that mean that you are disrespecting fat
people? Doesn’t the idea of going on a
diet unfairly suggest that one body shape is better than another? So to avoid criticism, the weight loss
companies have to pretend that they are offering “wellness” instead.
I find the name change and the worry about
“fat-pｆhobia” all a little silly. Being
fat has been clearly shown to lead to early deaths. There’s nothing wrong with a doctor
encouraging fat people to lose weight to improve their health, or with
companies offering products to help people follow their doctor’s advice.
What change will come next? Will products designed to help people quit
smoking be banned because they discriminate against smokers? Is it wrong to suggest that not smoking is
better than smoking?
I have never been on a diet, but I have put
on a little weight in the last few years.
I shall try to use the Weight Watchers/ WW name change positively. It is a great incentive to lose weight by
myself. I would hate to go to something
called a “wellness workshop”. It sounds
like an awful office training course.
Vocabulary:
to munch on something – to eat something
loudly, or slowly and with enjoyment
a set of scales – a device which measures
the weight of something placed on it
a concept – an idea or thought
a weigh-in – often used before a boxing
match, an event at which people’s weight is measured
politically correct – of a person or group,
tending to avoid using language which could be offensive to others, especially
minority groups
discrimination - unequal and unfair treatment
an incentive – a motivation; a reason or
encouragement to do something
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