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WW Science Center | WW UK

Backed by science — always!

Welcome to the Science Centre

Where true behavioural change begins.

The health and wellness-sphere is loaded with fads, trends, and fake news. The WW Science Centre is the antidote to all that. We are, and always will be, rooted in nutrition and behaviour change science. And we use this research - along with expert insight - to help members build life-changing habits and reach their weight-loss and wellness goals.

As science evolves, so do we! That’s why we’re excited to introduce our most individualised programme yet: the Points® Programme.

Get to know our Points® Programme

With WW’s Points® Programme, members receive a personalised plan designed specifically for them by our nutrition experts: no two plans are the same!. And “personalised” isn’t just a buzzword. Research has proven that individualised approaches lead to greater engagement and greater weight loss than a one-size-fits-all approach.

“After working in this field for over 30 years, I’ve seen countless ideas about how to make losing weight easier and more sustainable, but I have never seen something like this program.” —Dr. Gary Foster, Ph.D., WW Chief Scientific Officer

How the Points® Programme works:

Science, simplified. We use the latest nutritional research to guide members towards a healthier pattern of eating, nudging them towards foods that are higher in healthy fats, fibre, and protein and lower in added sugars and saturated fats. An updated food algorithm distills calories and complex nutrient data down to one number - a food’s Points® value - to make eating healthier easier.

Points® tailored for real life. When members join WW, they answer a series of questions designed by our nutrition and behaviour change experts to help us understand which foods they love most and reach for often. They’ll then receive a Points® Budget and ZeroPoint™ foods list (foods members don’t need to track) that’s customised to the foods they love.

For the first time ever, members can add Points to their Budget! Behaviour change science tells us that when we receive positive reinforcement for doing something, we’re more likely to repeat it - and repetition is what creates habits. To encourage good-for-you habits, WW’s Points® Programme features a first for the weight-loss industry as a whole: members’ Budgets now grow when they eat non-starchy veggies, drink water, and get active. Building healthy habits has never been more rewarding!

Support that goes beyond the scale. The programme also helps members move more, shift to a healthier mindset, and sleep better. Our award-winning app is packed with helpful tools and resources, including 5-minute Coaching audio lessons, strategies to improve sleep, and more.

How WW experts developed the programme

To deliver on our mission is to help members develop healthy habits - and ensure that only the best programmes reach our members - WW experts spent over two years rigorously testing the programme with more than 6,000 members across the globe. Here's how:

  • WW’s dedicated Science team researched the latest in nutrition and behaviour change principles to better understand what might make a member’s journey easier.
  • Using those learnings, we updated our Points formula and created individualised plans that are attune to how people really live.
  • WW then tested our programme with members to get their feedback, followed by a 6-month clinical trial with over 150 participants conducted by independent researchers at the University of Connecticut.

WW’s commitment to science and efficacy

Since 1963, WW has been rooted in science. Today, the WW programme is guided by our Science team: a 12-person-strong group of innovators, including psychologists, registered dietitians, behavioral scientists, and other experts. The team regularly partners with universities to conduct clinical research.

Because of this commitment, WW is one of the few programmes that fulfills all of the criteria that expert panels deem necessary in order for behavioral lifestyle weight-loss interventions to be effective.1, 2 These panels include the United States Preventive Task Force, The Obesity Society, the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, and the Australian Government’s National Health and Medical Research Council.

And that’s not all: over the past five decades, more than 125 published papers and randomised controlled trials have examined the efficacy and impact of the WW programme. WW is the #1 doctor-recommended weight-loss programme according to a survey of 14,000 doctors†.

References:

†Based on a 2020 IQVIA survey of 14,000 doctors who recommend weight-loss programmes to patients.

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