Stand Up Against Kurbo - WW (Weight Watchers’) new kids food tracking app

Stand Up Against Kurbo - WW (Weight Watchers’) new kids food tracking app

Started
August 14, 2019
Petition to
WW (formerly Weight Watchers) and 1 other
Signatures: 2,858Next Goal: 5,000
Support now

Why this petition matters

Started by Redefining Wellness

Kids don't need to diet. Ever.

We are hoping to spark a new conversation after WW’s latest announcement of launching “Kurbo,” a free food and weight loss application targeted towards kids and teens between the ages of 8-17. 

This app is extremely dangerous to growing children's mental and physical wellbeing and can lead to life-threatening disordered eating and eating disorders.

With eating disorders on the rise, the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend talking about weight, weight loss, or food tracking with kids. 

It is scientifically proven that diets don’t work. Kurbo is in fact promoting dieting behavior. ⁣⁣35% of "normal dieters" progress to pathological dieting. Of those, 20-25% progress to partial or full-syndrome eating disorders.

A large-scale study involving over 15,000 children (nine to 14 years old) followed over a three-year period, it was observed that dieters gained significantly more weight than matched non-dieters. (Field AE, Austin SB, Taylor CB, et al. Relation between dieting and weight change among preadolescents and adolescents. Pediatrics. 2003;112:900–6.)

10 THINGS WRONG WITH KURBO:

1.) Targets vulnerable children between the ages of 8-17 

2.) Tracking food intake and exercise normalizes an obsession with food and weight 

3.) Promotes the idea that food is either good or bad with their “stop light” approach 

4.) Promotes the idea that confidence is dependent on body size and/or weight

5.) Promotes using weight as the sole indicator of health

6.) No medical clearance needed for kids to sign up 

7.) Weight loss coaches are not required to have a degree in evidence-based dietetics

8.) Targets children that are prepubescent and going through puberty where kids between 11 and 14 gain on average between 30 to 40 pounds and can gain 30 pounds or more in one year

9.) Promotes the idea that parents happiness/proudness is derived from accomplishments around weight 

10. Uses before and after photos

We hope you can join us and sign this petition for WW (formerly Weight Watchers) to take down this app. 

In Addition, please use the hashtag #WakeUpWeightWatchers on social media.

We hope to engage professionals and advocates for eating disorders, body positivity, Health at Every Size & the anti-diet movement to bring awareness on why encouraging dieting behavior in children & teens has a significant negative impact. 

 

Support now
Signatures: 2,858Next Goal: 5,000
Support now
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Decision Makers

  • OPRAH
  • WW (formerly Weight Watchers)