Weight Watchers Teams Up With McDonald's, Angering Nutritionists

Anti-obesity campaigners have hit out against plans by Weight Watchers to team up with McDonald's.

The deal, which is taking place in New Zealand, will involve the weight watchers logo being placed on the packaging of three McDonald's meals - Chicken McNuggets, Filet-O-Fish and Sweet Chilli Seared Chicken Wrap.

Under the Weight Watchers plan, dieters are allowed to consume 18 to 40 points a day. The three meals at McDonald's, which also include a salad and water or a diet soft drink, are each worth 6.5 points on this scale.

Chris Stirk, Weight Watchers' director of business in Australia and New Zealand, said the partnership showed "part of our philosophy that you can enjoy life ... while still achieving your weight loss goals".

The managing director for McDonald's in New Zealand described the deal as a "noble cause", and told reporters, "We're making the best effort to generate a change in our behavior, to create an awareness in consumers about making healthy choices."

However, obesity campaigners complain the deal is a marketing ploy.

"It's all about sales really," Australian Obesity Policy Coalition senior adviser Jane Martin said. "It implies this food is healthy ... when often it is high in fat and salt. Chicken McNuggets are Chicken McNuggets whether its got Weight Watchers on it or not."

Boyd Swinburn of the Australian Society for the Study of Obesity, said, "Mum can go in and feel good about her Weight Watchers meal while she buys the kids burgers. Anyone who thinks otherwise is naive."

Comments

[allsmiles]

09:51 AM on 03/08/2010

If any of you were on Weight Watchers you would know that this is a great idea. Weight Watchers changes the way you think about food rather than deprive you of guilty pleasures. If I am on the go, or my only option is fast food at the time, I would like to know how many points I'm going to be eating before I order. And the chicken nuggets, fillet-o-fish, or chilli wrap with water and a salad is not the healthiest option but it is a healthier option than adding large or supersize fries and a soft drink.

Not everyone is able to at home all of the time.

[BebeLush]

05:16 PM on 03/04/2010

Ask any nutritionist. Fast food should never, ever be eaten.

[MED1025]

04:58 PM on 03/04/2010

Is this from the Onion?

[Macready]

07:04 AM on 03/04/2010

this is very funny . . why all the outrage? . . .it is just part of life's varied and rich tapestry of absurdities

[beckpod1]

10:44 PM on 03/03/2010

Sounds like something FOX NOISE would promote....their so-called-news...is full of pork!

[MichelleRodulfo]

10:21 PM on 03/03/2010

This is wrong on so many fronts. I am just speechless. As usual, it's ALL about the $$$$$$.

[wellingtonian]

08:11 PM on 03/03/2010

I lol'ed when I saw this. Maccas, stop trying to pretend you are healthy, noone in NZ believes you! Sure, you got lucky with the whole Sarah Ulmer sponsorship thing, but this will never work.

[TakeSake]

05:55 PM on 03/03/2010

French Fries with ketchup count as fruit and vegetables!

No kidding.

There was a "change your diet for the better" campaign here at work. I questioned some of the things that counted as fruit and vegetables. By their guidelines, I was able to get an admission that ketchup counted as fruit, and potatoes as vegetables - no matter how they were prepared.

Imagine how McD could market that!

[Diogenis]

04:12 PM on 03/03/2010

Make life a bit easier. Avoid fast food. Cook at home. Prepare a lunch to take to work. Take charge of your life, physically, mentally, and spiritually. And this takes discipline !

[Spencaa]

03:59 PM on 03/03/2010

Well I can be assured I am eating healthy when I take a bite out of that greasy burger. It has weight watches on it, they would never lie to me :D

[Dwells75]

03:53 PM on 03/03/2010

How can a cup and a half of extra heavy mayonnaise and a deep fried fish patty only be 1/5th of ANYBODY'S recommended intake?

So, according to Weight Watchers, people could lose weight eating FIVE filet-o-fish a day? Phew... I wonder what they are currently eating that 5 filet-o-fish is a better choice.

[elijahsharma]

03:38 PM on 03/03/2010

I don't see why people are outraged, if the food meets the criteria for the point system how can anyone be mad at Weight Watchers for putting their logo on it? People become obese because they make poor decisions for years upon years, it isn't McDonald's fault, it is only the fault of the individual who chooses to engage in high risk behavior.

People need to get "outraged" over things like endless wars and soaring health care costs, not over what McDonald's and Weight Watcher is doing. Obese people causes the obesity epidemic by choosing to eat the way they do! Call my old fashion but what happened to personal responsibility?

[siafu]

11:15 AM on 03/04/2010

Exactly. Fanned.

[maxben]

03:01 PM on 03/03/2010

So if I eat one of those meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner that's only 19.5 points. According to Weight Watchers that would put you on the low scale of 18-40 and put you right on track for losing all the weight you want! Yeah right... this is sick.

[johnnygoodwud]

02:30 PM on 03/03/2010

i love watching people naush on a double 1/4 pounder, supersize fries, and a diet coke,,,,,,,,,,,as if that's going to make a difference. yes, i ate that way once, and went from 6'2", 185, to quickly 215 in one yr. now i just drive by and wave.

[Anjo6991]

11:40 PM on 03/03/2010

I just prefer the taste of diet coke to regular coke...has nothing to do with whether or not what I'm eating is super sized or not.

[BikeFreak]

01:38 PM on 03/03/2010

I wonder how much money McDonald's gave to Weight Watcher's to score this deal.