Did anyone read the article where Charles Barkley called WW a "scam"

"Weight Watchers spokesman Charles Barkley says Weight Watchers is a bigger scam than getting paid to watch sports

Newly-minted Weight Watchers spokesman Charles Barkley says he has lost 38 pounds on the program and that he feels great — but also admits that it is a bigger scam than his ESPN gig.

During the Atlanta Hawks game against the Miami Heat on Thursday night, Barkley and his co-hosts apparently didn’t realize they were being filmed — and had some candid moments about the weight loss program and the “terrible” game they were watching.

Barkley said: “I thought this was the greatest scam going — getting paid to watch sports — but Weight Watchers is a bigger scam.”"

He then said what most NBA fans were probably thinking: “Man, I can’t stand to watch this Atlanta Hawks game — this is terrible.”


I'm sure his publicist will think of a good excuse to "explain" what he meant, and I'm curious if WW will fire him. I'm losing weight just fine & learning portion control better now than if I tried on my own, so his opinion doesn't matter much to me. Thoughts??

yeah i'm currently doing WW too, and I am also curious as to what he meant by scam, whether or not the diet and program itself, or how the company treated him as a spokesperson.

I sorta see it. You're basically taking calories (or the components of calories) and turning them into "points". Counting calories is free, so you're paying for the formula to change a free thing into a paid, "made-up" version of calorie counting. Free communities like Sparkpeople offer a tracking system, like WW online does. I know the meetings I attended were terrible (lackluster leader, quiet members, advice that was easily found on google), I own a scale to weigh myself, and healthy recipes are all over the internet.

All of that being said, I still think the program is worth the money and I know many people are WAY more successful on WW than calorie counting; plus, MY issues with meetings were symptomatic of my particular location. Its hard to use scam to describe something like WW when we also attribute the word to the side-bar ad diet pills.

Considering the source and his history, after listening to what and how he was making his statement, in my opinion he was confirming what our leaders have been saying all along - if you follow the program and actually do what they tell you to do, the weight loss is really easy.

Since Sir Charles was comparing how he first thought the ESPN job was a 'scam' since they are paying him to watch sports and run his mouth, then this new gig of eating how they tell him and exercise to lose 2 pounds a week is also a 'scam'.

And remember who the target audience is, I can only hope they show more of his commercials and maybe FINALLY my husband will get on board with me. My problem is with the rumors that Weight Watchers is in talks with Jessica Simpson to pay her 4 million dollars to 'join', I would rather they cut the weekly fee and let us all be spokespersons of the best kind, real examples of what works.

He just meant it as it was a great deal for him, getting paid to lose weight easily.

He released a statement after that to clarify: 'I meant what I said, the fact that I’m dropping pounds, getting healthier and getting paid at the same time, is my definition of a great scam,' Mr Barkley said in his own released statement.

This makes a lot of sense to me.

Him getting paid to watch sports and talk about it... him getting paid to get in shape... It's a 'scam' in that he wanted/wants to do those things anyways. He's just getting money for it.

Oh that I would be so lucky to get paid for losing weight with Weight Watchers Hmm...

1) Get famous.
2) Join Weight Watchers.
3) ???
4) Profit!

He's actually a funny man and his comments are often off the wall.

He has lost weight while on Weight Watchers and I would imagine he is glad he did start it. His mouth often moves without him thinking of what is coming out.

That explanation makes a lot of sense.. I'm glad it wasn't a truly "mean" comment.

omg that pisses me off so much too! the woman already has a TON of money, why pay her so much? Why not hire real people? why do celebrities always either get free stuff or get paid to do stuff like Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig when they obviously can afford it? Not to mention that they most likely have personal trainers they work with every day, but also chefs that cook for them. As much as I love JHud, I know that girl had a chef cooking for her and a trainer working with her.

I think that he, lacking eloquence, was saying that its amazing that he is getting paid to lose weight. I don't think he meant WW itself is a scam. If someone told you they could make you look great, for free, and in fact pay you a huge sum to do it, I know my reaction would be "If they don't know that I'd do this for free, and they want to pay me, I'm not going to tell them" I think he meant he felt like he was scamming WW by getting paid to lose

Let's do that.

I totally see the girls of the board in a new Kardashian-style reality tv show!

Who has a famous dad in here!???!!!

I couldn't ave said it any better...

Oh whew, I was hoping that was what he meant!