“If Weight Watchers had a brain in their head, my friend in Shelburne, Nova Scotia said over the weekend, “they would rehire the Duchess of York and develop a program for people over fifty.”
She’s right. They would. With no offense to Jennifer Hudson, for those of us who are “of a certain age,” we aren’t so inspired by women in their twenties who get back into shape as we may once have been. (LOL) It’s a whole other universe.
Working on a trail to Hull
Most of you know that the Duchess of York and I worked together on an historical adventure novel that has been in limbo (through no fault of the Duchess’, incidentally). I have come to know her well and I highly value her friendship.
Her recent misfortunes are particularly heartbreaking because I don’t think the public still quite gets it–that while the Duchess has carried on with her philanthropic work long after leaving the Royal Family, raising hundreds of millions of dollars for children’s causes around the world, she has always needed to support herself. And for twelve years her mainstay was her salary from Weight Watchers.
Well, I don’t know about you, but my food has been a mess ever since she was replaced at Weight Watchers. I don’t know what it is about her that galvanizes hundreds of thousands of Americans to do something about their weight and overall health but I strongly suspect it has to do with Sarah giving us permission to make ourselves vulnerable to one another. To understand there is no shame in struggling with weight and that, in fact, you’re very likely to find a kind of sisterhood or brotherhood (because there are a lot of men) who will share the journey with you with a kind of non-judgmental support that otherwise few find in this life.
on the QM2
So I was listening to my friend sound off and I thought, good Lord, she’s right. We all thrived when the Duchess was our guide to Weight Watchers and so did she. And right now, with market shares being diluted by Jenny Craig, “The Biggest Loser” and fad diets, I think we would all thrive if Sarah Ferguson were to return to Weight Watchers to work with “people of certain age.”
Yes, c’est moi, tail end of the Baby Boomers and up.
I’m not very proficient at Facebook, but I did start a group last night, a petition to Weight Watchers to bring the Duchess of York back. I hope you will go there and sign on.
left a comment on the page…don’t know if it will help, but I tried!
I agree wholeheartedly! Two of her cookbooks are among my collection, and I like the simplicity and nutritional value of her recipes.