WeightWatchers is ditching its famous fat and calorie-based ‘points’ plan in favour of a new system that allows weekend booze and the occasional fast-food binge.

The new system ‘ProPoints’ is set to be launched in time for the annual new year slimming rush and will be backed by a £28m multimedia ad campaign throughout 2011.

It will centre on the amounts and types of protein, carbohydrate, fibre and fat in food, while the old calorie-based point system has been recalibrated to factor in the energy used in chewing and digesting the food.

WeightWatchers said it had decided to make the switch because “science had moved on” and the previous style of calorie-counting had been proven inaccurate and “outdated”.

In an added twist, followers will for the first time be granted weekly bonus “real living” points so they can treat themselves to their favourite drink and fast foods, while all fruit and most veg will carry zero points. Dieters will be allowed a typical daily allowance of up to 29 of the recalculated ProPoints, compared with 18 points previously, plus a weekly bonus of 49 “real living” points.

Under the new system guilty pleasures such as a gin and low-calorie tonic account for two ProPoints, a pint of lager tots up six points and a Big Mac a whopping 12.

The changes to the 15-year-old WeightWatchers points system, which has been used by more than a million registered followers and casually observed by many more, would help consumers lose weight while living in the real world, said Weight-Watchers products and licensing director Chris Stirk.

While Stirk denied the dramatic changes were an admission that the old system was flawed, he admitted it had needed to be updated to keep pace with the latest scientific thinking.

“Points have been phenomenally successful but science has moved on,” he said. “We have learned so much more about how we metabolise the food we eat and how we can give people the best programme for sustainable weight loss success.”

WeightWatchers dietitian Zoe Hellman added: “We’ve taken all the best nutritional science from around the globe and distilled it down into one simple, easy-to-follow plan to give healthy, sustainable weight loss for life.”

There are currently 250 SKUs in the Weight-Watchers range, which have notched up sales of £317m in the UK over the past year [Kantar 52w/e 5 September 2010]. As part of the overhaul, 57 are being reformulated.

Manufacturers who will have to make changes to their WeightWatchers packaging to carry the new ProPoints sytem include Heinz, Yoplait, Greencore and Warburtons.


Points mean sizes
Banana
Was 2 points of 18 per day
Now 0 points of 29 per day

Bacon rasher
Was 1.5 points
Now 1 point

Chicken breast
Was 2.5 points
Now 4 points

175ml wine(white or red)
Was 2 points
Now 5 points