The Weight Watchers program is based on four principles: healthy, nutritious eating; an activity plan for exercise; behavioral thinking skills; and group support. The program is called TurnAround, and it features two food plans: the Flex Plan and the Core Plan. Both plans prescribe at least five fruits and vegetables a day, whole grains, two servings of dairy products, and small amounts of protein and healthy fats. Weight Watchers' POINTS system assigns a point value to different servings of food based upon calories, dietary fiber and total fat amounts. In the Flex Plan, dieters must stay within a certain number of points each day. The Core Plan is for people who don't want to count points or watch portions; instead, dieters have a list of wholesome, low-calorie foods from which to choose.

Diet Fundamentals:

• Focus on low-calorie foods
• Opt for whole grains, such as wheat pasta or brown rice
• Eat lean protein at three meals each day
• Use fat-free dairy products
• Eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies
• 50 minutes moderate exercise or 35 minutes high-intensity exercise per day

Sample menu:

Breakfast
• 1 cup plain fat-free yogurt
• 1/2 cup berries
• 1/2 cup all-bran cereal

Morning snack
• Fruit

Lunch
• Turkey on half a whole wheat pita
• Carrots with fat-free dip

Dinner
• 4-6 ounces baked, boneless, skinless chicken
• 1-2 cups broccoli with a sprinke of fat-free parmesan

Snack
• Microwave popcorn (94 percent fat-free)

Dessert
• Weight Watchers dessert

Pros and Cons:

The Pros
• Very comprehensive program
• Group meetings serve to motivate and encourage
• Diet philosophy about food is based on solid nutrition and flexibility, two keys to long-term success

The Cons
• Group programs are not for everyone.
• Lack of one-on-one counseling means some problems might be missed.
• Flex Plan dieters focus only on weight loss, instead of healthy eating; they could end up with an unbalanced diet.
• The Flex Plan could lead to slow weight gain if dieters stop counting points once they reach their goal.
• Dieters need to spend time reading and studying the materials to really master the POINTS system, especially for foods without labels.
• On the Flex Plan, the responsibility to eat healthy rests with the individual. This may not work for people with blood sugar problems who require a good foundation in nutrition.