WW isn't a diet it's a life style change. It teaches you to control your portions by paying attention to how much you put into your body. The points are a guide line to get you used to controlling your portion amount. It also teaches you to eat healthier, say you want a nice juicy hamburger but a full on 1/4 pound hamburger is around 12 points (don't quote me on this) but last night i made Turkey burgers with spinach and feta cheese (and greek seasoning) on a wheat bun and it was only 8 points. I also had some yummy roasted sweet potatoes and steamed veggies which only added 3 extra points and it didn't even add up to the 12 points if I had gave in and ate a greasy hamburger!
And by the way, my Great Grandmother does WW, she weighed 300lbs when she started She now weighs 165 and walks every morning, she's healthier than she has ever been and she's 88 years old. Never to late to get healthy.