Weight Watchers, one of the world's leading dieting and slimming brands, is endorsing McDonald's, in one of the least likely partnerships ever.

For people visiting McDonald's fast food restaurants in New Zealand they will be able to purchase McDonald's food that have the Weight Watchers stamp of approval. McDonald's meals and food given the Weight Watchers stamp will include Chicken McNuggets, Fillet-O-Fish and the Chicken Wrap.

The meals, served with the McDonald's range of salads (minus the dressing) and water rather than a fizzy drink will cost Weight Watchers 6.5 points of their daily points count (approximately 18 - 40 points depending on the dieters starting weight).

While this sounds like a positive step which allows dieters to include McDonald's meals within their dieting plan, critics of the partnership and Weight Watchers endorsement suggest this could encourage dieters to eat more junk and fast food than they should. They argue that given McDonald's meals a slimming company seal of approval, especially from a leading company like Weight Watchers, suggests that McDonald's meals are a healthy meal option.

McDonald's report that thousands of staff in the 150 McDonald's restaurants in New Zealand had had 'McTraining', making sure each meal is kept consistent and falls within the Weight Watchers points system.

In recent years the McDonald's fast food brand has had a radical menu makeover due, in part, to the public response of the Morgan Spurlock's 2004 documentary film Super Size Me, in which Mr Spurlock eat only McDonald's meals for a month - and exhibiting early signs of developing coronary heart disease, increases in weight gain and other side effects.

The new McDonald's menu now includes salad, fruit and sandwich wrap options as well as their traditional Big Mac and cheese burger options.