If you haveprediabetes, losing weight can help prevent type 2 diabetes.If you’ve never dieted before, you might find it easier to follow a program likeWeight Watchers, which was rebranded as WW in 2018.
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This article looks at how following the Weight Watchers program might help prevent diabetes. It also discusses how the program works and what its specific guidelines are for people with diabetes.
Benefits of WW for Prediabetes
When you haveprediabetes, your blood sugar levels are higher than normal but still too low for a diabetes diagnosis. Having prediabetes increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
After you’re diagnosed with prediabetes, your healthcare provider will probably recommend weight loss and exercise. That’s because losing just 5% to 7% of your total body weight can significantly lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
A 2017 study also found similar results, but again, WW International provided funding for the study’s publication.
WW was developed more than 50 years ago before diabetes or prediabetes were well understood. This means it wasn’t originally designed for people with these conditions. Over the years, though, it has developed a more scientific-based approach. Today, the program encourages both weight loss and an overall healthier lifestyle.
Simple Ways of Tracking Food Intake
WW uses a “points” system instead of asking members to track calories. Each individual food is assigned points based on calories, saturated fat, sugar, and protein. The number of points a member is allowed per day is personalized based on height, weight, age, and gender.
This system is designed to optimize nutrition as well as weight loss. Because cutting down on sugar and othercarbohydratesis vital for managing diabetes, the points system can be particularly helpful for people who have diabetes or prediabetes.
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Slow, Steady Weight Loss
The goal of the WW program is a healthy and maintainable loss of no more than two pounds per week. This type of slow weight loss is considered optimal for most people. It could be particularly helpful for people with prediabetes since keeping blood sugar levels steady is so important.
Multiple Sources of Support
A Focus on Fitness
Exercise is important for managing prediabetes.The WW program also uses points to encourage exercise. Specific physical activities are assigned point values based on the intensity and length of the activity. Through exercise, members can accrue points they can exchange for extra food points to use throughout the day.
A Workout Program for Diabetes
WW Guidelines for Preventing Diabetes
Being on WW does not require eating or avoiding specific foods. You can eat whatever you like, as long as you stay within your individual points parameters.
If you have prediabetes, though, you also need to keep an eye on your carb intake. WW doesn’t have a system for counting carbs, but it does provide smart food choice guidelines for members who are prediabetic or have type 2 diabetes.
They also provide some healthy eating tips:
WW Drawbacks
You can join WW independently and choose not to attend workshops, but the system is heavily slanted toward encouraging group participation. This is not for everyone. The system also includes weekly weigh-ins, which can be discouraging especially if you’re not consistently meeting your goals.
Because the program lets you eat whatever you want, it is possible to make poor choices. You might be tempted to eat too many unhealthy foods or overindulge on zero-point foods.
Some employer health care plans offer a Weight Watchers program for people with diabetes. If you join this way, you can get support from a certified diabetes educator (CDE). However, this service isn’t available through the regular WW program.
Summary
WW (formerly Weight Watchers) is one of many plans that can help people with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes lose weight and adopt a healthy lifestyle.
Instead of tracking calories, the system tracks your nutrition with an easier-to-follow points system. If you have prediabetes, WW offers guidelines for limiting your intake of carbohydrates.
The goal of WW is to help you lose weight in a slow, maintainable way. The program also offers personal support and encourages exercise.
A Word From Verywell
WW is a proven way to prevent diabetes,but the program isn’t free. Fees vary depending on how you want to follow the program. For example, you can attend workshops only, become an online member, or enlist the help of a personal coach.
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Galaviz KI, Weber MB, Straus A, Haw JS, Narayan KMV, Ali MK.Global diabetes prevention interventions: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of the real-world impact on incidence, weight, and glucose.Diabetes Care. 2018;41(7):1526-1534. doi:10.2337/dc17-2222
Weight Watchers.Solera Health to connect patients with prediabetes to Weight Watchers.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What is the National DPP?
Marrero DG, Palmer KN, Phillips EO, Miller-Kovach K, Foster GD, Saha CK.Comparison of commercial and self-initiated weight loss programs in people with prediabetes: a randomized control trial.Am J Public Health. 2016;106(5):949-56. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2015.303035
Weight Watchers.How to use the WW app.
Khadilkar KS, Bandgar T, Shivane V, Lila A, Shah N.Current concepts in blood glucose monitoring.Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2013;17(Suppl 3):S643-9. doi: 10.4103/2230-8210.123556
American Diabetes Association.5. Facilitating behavior change and well-being to improve health outcomes: standards of medical care in diabetes—2022.Diabetes Care. 2022;45(Supplement 1):S60–S82. doi:10.2337/dc22-S005
Weight Watchers.I have prediabetes. What do I eat?
Weight Watchers.Weight Watchers launches new offering through employers tailored for people with type 2 diabetes.
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