Weight Watchers Goes Politically Correct, Radically Changes Name
After receiving social media pressure from angry, left-wing internet activists, Weight Watchers, the iconic weight loss program, has announced that it’s changing its name to WW.
On Monday, Mindy Grossman, CEO of the newly christened WW, went on the “Today” show to announce the name change, which she said is part of an effort for the company to be “the global marquee of wellness for everyone, beyond just weight.”
As a part of WW’s new plan, Grossman said, the company is going to focus on “healthy habits” and update its system to encourage healthy activities.
A big announcement from Weight Watchers… the company’s CEO and President @mindygrossman announces they will be changing their name and explains why. pic.twitter.com/iD19M57F5k
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) September 24, 2018
“This is just a next step, a point of validation. Like any brand we have to stay relevant,” Grossman told BBC.
The name change of the iconic brand, which has been around for over 50 years, may seem bizarre considering the group’s success and brand recognition.
WW’s membership includes 4.5 million people, which is 1 million more than a year ago, according to Fortune, which noted that television star Oprah Winfrey became a major stockholder in 2015.
On the surface, it seems like Weight Watchers is doing pretty well and doesn’t need to abandon its iconic brand.
It’s not like obesity is going anywhere fast.
Nearly 40 percent of adults over the age of 20 are obese, according to 2016 data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
The name change could be the result of backlash WW received from liberals earlier this year concerning its focus on losing weight.
According to left-wing activists using the “#WakeUpWeightWatchers” hashtag on Twitter, those who are struggling with weight problems should just stop trying.
“Your body is not a problem,” one user suggested.
Dear teenagers,
Your body is not a problem. You do not have to spend your summer counting and weighing instead of growing and living. Go collect memories, not points.#WakeUpWeightWatchers
— Megan 🐼 (@meganjcrabbe) February 13, 2018
There has also been other recent left-wing social campaigns against watching your weight, such as the “#iweigh” hashtag.
The “#iweigh” movement was started by British actress Jameela Jamil in an attempt to encourage others to look beyond their weight and count other “measurements,” according to BBC.
Th left’s criticism of Weight Watchers and weight loss in general is bizarre. It is part of a movement called “body positivity” which has some adherents who take a complacent attitude towards weight.
In a piece written for Newsweek, political commentator Ben Shapiro wrote about some of the negatives of the “body positivity” movement.
Shapiro, one of the sharpest conservative commentators going, mentioned that nobody should be mocked because of their weight but added that “it is also counterproductive to praise people for things about themselves they ought to change, particularly regarding health, assuming change is possible.”
However, it was unlikely that WW’s marketing team took Shapiro’s comments into account.
The left’s hysteria seems to be ever rising, demanding changes to things most normal people take for granted as harmless.
Unfortunately, it seems that WW might have bought in.
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