amandaapparelamandaapparelhttps://www.amandaapparel.co.uk/homeKurbo is nothing new, just the latest iteration of Weight Watchers for the next generation]]>https://www.amandaapparel.co.uk/single-post/2019/08/14/Kurbo-is-nothing-new-just-the-latest-iteration-of-Weight-Watchers-for-the-next-generationhttps://www.amandaapparel.co.uk/single-post/2019/08/14/Kurbo-is-nothing-new-just-the-latest-iteration-of-Weight-Watchers-for-the-next-generationWed, 14 Aug 2019 19:12:54 +0000
Edinburgh based plus size style and fat positive blogger AmandaApparel shares her thoughts about the Kurbo: the WW (Weight Watchers, Wellness that Works) weight loss app for kids.
CW: diets, weight loss, eating disorder mention
I was only 7 or 8 the first time I tried dieting. When you grow up fat in America, you get treated a certain way. Pressure to slim down comes from every facet of your adolescent life: family, friends, school, church. You don’t go a day without hearing about someone’s mum losing *whatever* pounds, or so-and-so’s auntie trying the *who cares* diet. Adverts for Weight Watchers, Herbalife, and other MLM schemes are inescapable. You know your body is wrong, and you know it’s your fault.
When you start dieting at such a young age, you never get a chance to develop a healthy relationship with food. When you keep a food journal and count calories while you’re still learning basic math, you don’t get to learn how to nourish your body by eating nutritious meals. After all, the only thing that matters is getting smaller. So you reach for a sawdust tasting 100 calorie snack pack, and you crunch on sad, Oreo inspired wafers. Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels, right?
Today, I learned that WW (the point-counting cult, sorry,
SmartPoints® System
formerly known as Weight Watchers) launched Kurbo, a weight loss app for children aged 8-17. I was instantly transported back to those childhood feelings of being too much. Not good enough. Not thin enough. Not strong enough. Not dedicated enough. I was immediately filled with anger and grief. How dare WW put kids through the same pain I went through as a child?
Now, as @femminapointed out on Twitter, this isn't a new phenomenon. “WW never had an issue having children as members.” They're absolutely right. According to WW History & Philosophy, minors under 17 are permitted to participate with written permission. However, this all changed in 2018 when WW offered free memberships for teens aged 13-17. Now, this was still in line with WW policy that children under the age of 10 are prohibited from participation...until Kurbo.