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Would you let your child download a dieting app before they&rsquo;ve even lost all their baby teeth? In an effort to combat childhood and adolescent obesity, Weight Watchers recently acquired an app designed by Stanford University&rsquo;s pediatric program that is geared toward kids ages 8 to 17. The app itself, Kurbo, is free, but users can interface with a digital coach for a fee starting at $69 per month.&nbsp;

WW&rsquo;s Chief Scientific Officer Gary Foster <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/17/weight-watchers-new-childrens-app-kurbo-faces-backlash.html?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=weight-watchers-faces-backlash-for-new-app-targeted-towards-children-2710761" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">told CNBC</a>, &ldquo;This is a scientifically proven way to get kids to eat healthier and move more, so we&rsquo;re excited to get it into as many hands as possible,&rdquo; but not everyone shares his enthusiasm. Kurbo has faced backlash from nutritionists who are concerned about the psychological impact that food restriction could have on children during such a formative period.&nbsp;

Weight loss and nutrition are already sensitive subjects, and Kurbo&rsquo;s specific focus on children makes it conceptually much more dubious. While the app&rsquo;s intentions may be good-natured, some of the features are notably cringe-worthy, including a goal option to &ldquo;make parents happy.&rdquo; Kurbo also claims that the solutions it offers are &ldquo;science-based&rdquo; while coaches are not necessarily pediatricians, psychiatrists or nutritionists but rather people with backgrounds in management, economics and communications.&nbsp;

While other <a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/slideshow/305842?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=weight-watchers-faces-backlash-for-new-app-targeted-towards-children-2710761" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">boutique fitness</a> or <a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises/category/hlth?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=weight-watchers-faces-backlash-for-new-app-targeted-towards-children-2710761" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">weight-loss and healthcare</a> franchise concepts are on the rise, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-03/weight-watchers-not-out-of-the-woods-says-street-despite-beat?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=weight-watchers-faces-backlash-for-new-app-targeted-towards-children-2710761" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">WW seems to have suffered</a> in spite of a recent rebrand. The launch of this latest app could be a pivot towards new growth, but it currently looks like a misstep that could sour the brand&rsquo;s reputation. Read the full story <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/17/weight-watchers-new-childrens-app-kurbo-faces-backlash.html?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=weight-watchers-faces-backlash-for-new-app-targeted-towards-children-2710761" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">here.</a>&nbsp;

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Weight Watchers Faces Backlash for New App Targeted Towards Children

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The brand, which now calls itself WW, launched new app Kurbo designed for kids as young as age eight. 

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