Weight Watchers is defending its move to offer free memberships to 13-17 year old Kiwis, saying it's trying to promote health, not dieting.
The Weight Watchers programme to offer free memberships to teens for a limited time with parental permission has prompted a backlash overseas, and critics here fear it'll damage already vulnerable young people when it's introduced mid-year.
There's been a global backlash with the hashtag #WakeUpWeightWatchers trending on Twitter.
Nicki Wilson of the Eating Disorders Association of New Zealand is adamant that putting on weight is part of the process of a teenager growing.
"If there is a concern, a health concern, about a weight issue, that should be addressed under the closer supervision of a doctor. I believe that this is an irresponsible commercial attempt to get involved in a situation that is not the place of the weight loss industry," Ms Wilson told 1 NEWS.
Andrew Dickson, Health Sociologist at Massey University, is critical of the weight loss industry as a whole but says targeting teens deserves particular criticism.
"I think the idea of purposefully trying to convince someone to lose weight, when there's absolutely no scientific evidence to suggest that anyone can permanently lose a large amount of weight, or even a small amount of weight, it seems like a totally unethical business to then extend that to a group of people (teens)...who are really vulnerable in terms of their body image."
In a statement to 1 NEWS, Weight Watchers said, "Our goal is to help those who need healthy habits to develop them at this critical life-stage; this is not about dieting."
"We have and will continue to talk with healthcare professionals about specific criteria and guidelines as we get ready to launch this programme. We think there's a real opportunity to make an impact on a problem that is not currently being addressed effectively."
By Lauren Jones
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