There aren’t many words to describe how awful Kurbo is. Heartbreaking is actually just one that comes to mind. This summer WW (Weight Watchers’ new rebranding) launched a calorie counting ap for children – Kurbo. Writing children in that sentence was actually painful. There are even before and after pictures of children on the website to make it more repulsive. Can you imagine how they will feel when they gain back the weight or how the children who don’t lose weight will feel?
The backlash has been severe. How could anyone possibly think this was a good idea? Perhaps the product development was well intentioned, but there are some that postulate that WW’s sales have been down so why not scare parents into thinking Kurbo is a healthy idea? A psychologist recently wrote why Kurbo is harmful. Psychology Today. Here is a summary,
- Dieting has been proven to increase the risk of eating disorders – exponentially.
- Eating disorders are increasing in children at alarming rates.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines are the opposite of Kurbo, warning parents of the risk of focusing on weight loss.
- Focusing on weight loss often leads to a lifetime of body image issues.
Dieting doesn’t work – period. 95% of those who diet do not sustain long-term weight loss. As we recently wrote, the most predictable outcome of dieting is weight gain, not loss! Let that sink in.
Contact us if you are interested in offering a dieting alternative focused on enhancing well-being and building healthy relationships with food – this one does work!