WW International, Inc., formerly Weight Watchers International, Inc., is a global company headquartered in the U.S. that offers

weight loss Weight loss, in the context of medicine, health, or physical fitness, refers to a reduction of the total body mass, by a mean loss of fluid, body fat (adipose tissue), or lean mass (namely bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon, and other conn ...

and maintenance, fitness, and mindset services such as the Weight Watchers comprehensive diet program."What is Weight Watchers Diet?"
'' U.S. News & World Report''. Retrieved May 21, 2018. Founded in 1963 by

Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

homemaker

Jean Nidetch Jean Evelyn Nidetch (October 12, 1923 – April 29, 2015) was an American businessperson and the founder of Weight Watchers. She died on April 29, 2015, of natural causes at her home in Parkland, Florida Parkland is a city in northern Browa ...

, WW's program has three options as of 2019: online via its mobile app and website, coaching online or by phone, or in-person meetings. In 2018, the company rebranded to "WW" to reflect "its development from focusing on weight loss to overall health and wellness."Hope, Katie
"Weight Watchers drops 'weight' from name"
''

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...

''. September 24, 2018.

Company history

Inception

Weight Watchers was conceived by

, a housewife and mother living in

, who had been overweight most of her life and had tried pills,

hypnosis Hypnosis is a human condition involving focused attention (the selective attention/selective inattention hypothesis, SASI), reduced peripheral awareness, and an enhanced capacity to respond to suggestion.In 2015, the American Psychological ...

, and numerous fad diets, all of which only led to regained weight. In 1961, at the age of 38, she weighed 214 pounds and an acquaintance mistook her for being pregnant. She entered a free 10-week weight-loss program sponsored by the

New York City Board of Health The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (also known as NYC Health) is the department of the government of New York City responsible for public health along with issuing birth certificates, dog licenses, and conducting restaura ...

's obesity clinic.Allan, Vicky
"The Fat Controllers"
'' The Herald''. January 7, 2006. The program was called the "Prudent Diet" and had been developed in the 1950s by Dr. Norman Jolliffe, head of the board's Bureau of Nutrition.Goetz, Thomas
''The Decision Tree: How to Make Better Choices and Take Control of Your Health''

Rodale, Inc. Rodale, Inc. (), was an American publisher of health and wellness magazines, books, and digital properties headquartered in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, with a satellite office in New York City. The company was founded in 1930. In 2017, it was acquired ...

, 2011. pp. 70–71.Ben-Yehuda, Ayala
"Little Neck neighbors saw beginnings of diet empire"
'' TimesLedger''. July 31, 2003. The plan included the dictums "No skipping meals. Fish five times a week. Two pieces of bread and two glasses of skim milk a day. More fruits and vegetables."Cohan, Peter
"Weight Watchers Winning $61 Billion War On Fat"
''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

''. November 14, 2012. and eating liver once a week.Bockmann, Rich
"Weight Watchers' humble origins began in Deepdale"
'' TimesLedger''. November 6, 2011. It prohibited alcohol, sweets, and fatty foods, included a list of allowed foods and the quantities allowed, and encouraged weighing portions.Horwell, Veronica
"Jean Nidetch obituary"
''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

''. May 1, 2015. Although Nidetch lost 20 pounds on the ten-week program, she did not like the way the clinic's leader imparted information at the weekly meetings. Discussion was discouraged;Sedensky, Matt
"Weight Watchers founder Jean Nidetch dies at age 91"
''

San Diego Union-Tribune ''The San Diego Union-Tribune'' is a metropolitan daily newspaper published in San Diego, California, that has run since 1868. Its name derives from a 1992 merger between the two major daily newspapers at the time, ''The San Diego Union'' and ...

''.

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

. April 29, 2015. in addition, Nidetch's motivation was threatened by her urge to binge on

Mallomar Chocolate-coated marshmallow treats, also known as chocolate teacakes, are confections consisting of a biscuit base topped with marshmallow-like filling and then coated in a hard shell of chocolate. They were invented in Denmark in the 19th cen ...

cookies.McFadden, Robert D
"Jean Nidetch, a Founder of Weight Watchers, Dies at 91"
''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''. April 29, 2015. She therefore began a weekly

support group In a support group, members provide each other with various types of help, usually nonprofessional and nonmaterial, for a particular shared, usually burdensome, characteristic. Members with the same issues can come together for sharing coping str ...

in her apartment, initially inviting six overweight friends,"Jean Nidetch, founder of Weight Watchers, dies"
''

''. April 29, 2015.Yager, Susan
''The Hundred Year Diet: America's Voracious Appetite for Losing Weight''

, 2010. pp. 76–77. which within two months grew to 40 women each week. She introduced the "Prudent Diet", a single page from the New York City Board of Health, to her fellow weight-loss seekers, and the group provided empathy, rapport, mutual understanding, support, and sharing of stories and ideas.Kanner, Bernice
"Return to Slender"
''

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

''. February 7, 1994. pp. 16–17. The meetings also included a weekly weigh-in,"Jean Nidetch"
''

Entrepreneur Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value in ways that generally entail beyond the minimal amount of risk (assumed by a traditional business), and potentially involving values besides simply economic ones. An entreprene ...

''. October 10, 2008. and Nidetch developed a rewards system including prizes for weight-loss milestones. In October 1962, Nidetch achieved her target weight of 142 pounds, and maintained the weight loss; according to her she never exceeded 150 pounds thereafter. As interest grew, Nidetch coached groups in other neighborhoods. One group was at the home of Al and Felice Lippert, and after the Lipperts successfully lost weight, Al, who was a businessman in the garment industry, talked Nidetch into making a business out of her endeavor.

Launch, IPO, and sale to Heinz

Nidetch and the Lipperts launched Weight Watchers Inc. in Queens in 1963 with Nidetch as president and evangelist. They rented public meeting venues and charged participants $2 per weekly meeting; the first official meeting, in May 1963, attracted 400 attendees. Nidetch led groups and trained others to lead groups as well. Al Lippert, in charge of the business end of the company, franchised it in 1964, using a razor/razorblade model of an inexpensive franchise fee offered to graduates from the company's programs who had kept the weight off, with 10% of gross earnings as royalties to the parent company. By 1967, the company was international, with 102 franchises in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Great Britain, and Israel. Felice Lippert was in charge of recipe development, nutrition, and food research; the first Weight Watchers cookbook, published in 1966, sold more than 1.5 million copies. By January 1968, the company had more than one million members worldwide, and, with the help of

Matty Simmons Martin Gerald "Matty" Simmons (October 3, 1926 – April 29, 2020) was an American film and television producer, newspaper reporter for the '' New York World-Telegram and Sun'', and Executive Vice President of Diners Club, the first credit card ...

' and Leonard Mogel's Twenty First Century Communications, Inc., ''Weight Watchers Magazine'' was launched, publishing 300,000 copies of its first issue. By 1968, the company had 91 franchises in 43 states, and to expand further overseas Al Lippert took the company public as Weight Watchers International Inc.; the initial 225,000 shares, offered at $11.25 a share, began trading enthusiastically, rising to over $30 by the end of the first day. Lippert also initiated lines of Weight Watchers prepared food, spas, camps for overweight kids, and weight-loss products such as scales and travel kits. Nidetch, with her slim, well-dressed image, charisma, and flair for motivational speaking, remained the public face of the company. In 1970 she published ''The Memoir of a Successful Loser: The Story of Weight Watchers'', which documented the original Weight Watchers plan. In 1973 she resigned as president of the company to devote herself to public relations – traveling, being interviewed, and speaking to large audiences about the program's success. In the mid-1970s, the company moved away from simply dieting and more toward "eating management", developing tailored options to meet the varying needs of its members, including a specialized food plan for the management of weight-loss plateaus, and a maintenance plan. In 1975, the publication of ''Weight Watchers'' magazine was taken over by Family Media (the publishers of '' Family Health'' magazine). By the late 1970s, the company and its operations and divisions had grown too large and complex for Lippert to manage, and it was sold, along with its food licensees, to the

H. J. Heinz Company The Kraft Heinz Foods Company, formerly the H. J. Heinz Company and commonly known as Heinz (), is an American food processing company headquartered at One PPG Place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company was founded by Henry J. Heinz in 186 ...

in 1978 for $72 million. Lippert remained chairman and signed on to remain CEO for a few years, and Nidetch remained in her role as consultant. In the late 1980s, the company's three divisions – support-group meetings division, food line, and publications and media – were still increasingly profitable year-over-year.

Private-equity acquisition and second IPO

In 1990, with competition from

Jenny Craig Jenny Craig, Inc., often known simply as Jenny Craig, is an American weight loss, weight management, and nutrition company. At its peak, the company had more than 700 weight management centers in Australia, the United States, Canada, and New Ze ...

Slim-Fast SlimFast is an American company headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, that markets an eponymous brand of shakes, bars, snacks, packaged meals, and other dietary supplement foods sold in the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, ...

Healthy Choice Healthy Choice is the name of a brand of refrigerated and frozen foods owned by ConAgra Foods. ConAgra sells a broad array of dishes through its Healthy Choice brand, including frozen dinners, side dishes, cold cuts and other meats, canned soups, ...

, and

Nutrisystem Nutrisystem is a commercial provider of weight loss products and services headquartered in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. Company history Nutrisystem's initial product in 1972 was a liquid protein diet, but the company changed its offering a ...

, earnings began to decline. The Heinz parent company competed by introducing newly developed Weight Watchers "Smart Ones" frozen meals. In 1997, to replace its previous system of counting and weighing food, Weight Watchers introduced the POINTS system, an algorithmic formula which quantifies a food portion for the purposes of healthy weight loss based on carbohydrates, fat, and fiber content.Belluz, Julia
"Oprah just invested millions in Weight Watchers. But does the program even work?"
'' Vox''. October 21, 2015. In 1999, Heinz, while retaining the rights to the Weight Watchers name for use in certain food categories,"Weight Watchers"
''Invus''. Retrieved May 21, 2018. sold the company to the

private equity Private equity (PE) is stock in a private company that does not offer stock to the general public; instead it is offered to specialized investment funds and limited partnerships that take an active role in the management and structuring of the co ...

firm Artal Luxembourg, for $735 million in a

leveraged buyout A leveraged buyout (LBO) is the acquisition of a company using a significant proportion of borrowed money (Leverage (finance), leverage) to fund the acquisition with the remainder of the purchase price funded with private equity. The assets of t ...

led by the Invus Group, which manages Artal and which is run by Raymond Debbane.Vardi, Nathan
"The Mystery Man Behind Weight Watchers And The Private Equity Deal Of The Century"
''

''. September 4, 2012. Artal put up $224 million and Weight Watchers financed the rest of the buyout with debt. Debbane became chairman of Weight Watchers. In 2001 Debbane organized an initial public offering for Weight Watchers and took it public again. As of 2018, Artal remains the company's largest shareholder. In 2000, the new owners reacquired the license to publish ''Weight Watchers Magazine'' from

Time Inc. Time Inc. (also referred to as Time & Life, Inc. later on, after their two onetime flagship magazine publications) was an American worldwide mass media corporation founded on November 28, 1922, by Henry Luce and Briton Hadden and based in New ...

, where Heinz had offloaded it in 1996 and where it had performed poorly; circulation recovered quickly, and the magazine was redesigned in 2003. In 2001, the company launched WeightWatchers.com."Weight Watchers Celebrates 50th Anniversary By Honoring Its Founder - Jean Nidetch - With A Flagship Center Dedication"
''

PR Newswire PR Newswire is a distributor of press releases headquartered in Chicago. The service was created in 1954 to allow companies to electronically send press releases to news organizations, using teleprinters at first. The founder, Herbert Muschel, ...

''. March 25, 2013. In 2007, it launched Weight Watchers Online for Men.Smith, Andrew F
''Savoring Gotham: A Food Lover's Companion to New York City''

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...

, 2015. pp. 638–639. Competitor Nutrisystem, Inc. also had a men's line. In late 2010 Weight Watchers overhauled its POINTS system and replaced it with PointsPlus (ProPoints outside the U.S.);Barclay, Eliza
"WeightWatchers Points Plan Stretching To Help Splurgers"
''

NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

''. November 4, 2010. under the new system, fruits and non-starchy vegetables were zero points, and processed foods had higher points than they did before.Gootman, Elissa
"Weight Watchers Upends Its Points System"
''

''. December 3, 2010.O'Brien, Jeffrey M
"Weight Watchers Revamps Its Magic Formula"
''

Wired Wired may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''Wired'' (Jeff Beck album), 1976 * ''Wired'' (Hugh Cornwell album), 1993 * ''Wired'' (Mallory Knox album), 2017 * "Wired", a song by Prism from their album '' Beat Street'' * "Wired ...

''. December 16, 2011.Farnham, Alan
"Diets, New and Improved"
''

ABC News ABC News most commonly refers to: * ABC News (Australia), a national news service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation * ABC News (United States), a news-gathering and broadcasting division of the American Broadcasting Company ABC News may a ...

''. January 12, 2011.Black, Rosemary; Goldwert, Lindsay
"Weight Watchers new Points Plus weight loss system has dieters losing their minds"
''

New York Daily News The ''Daily News'' is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Tabloid (newspaper format ...

''. December 7, 2010.Nordqvist, Christian
"Weight Watchers Finally Accepts Where Calories Come From Matters Too"
''

Medical News Today ''Medical News Today'' is a web-based outlet for medical information and news, targeted at both the general public and physicians. All posted content is available online (>250,000 articles as of January 2014), and the earliest available article ...

''. November 30, 2010.Huget, Jennifer LaRue
"Weight Watchers allows 'free' fruit, but reservations persist"
''

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

''. December 21, 2010. From 2012 to 2015, although it had its own app and e-tools since 2009, the company faced stiff competition from free smartphone fitness apps, many of which included a social-media group-support system, and from wearable fitness monitors such as

Fitbit Fitbit is a product lining, line of wireless-enabled wearable technology, physical fitness monitors and activity trackers such as smartwatches, pedometers and monitors for heart rate, quality of sleep, and stairs climbed as well as related soft ...

.Kepos, Paula (ed). ''International Directory of Company Histories'', Volume 192.

St. James Press Gale is a global provider of research and digital learning resources. The company is based in Farmington Hills, Michigan, United States, west of Detroit. It has been a division of Cengage since 2007. The company, formerly known as Gale Research a ...

, 2017. pp. 465–470.DePillis, Lydia
"Internet killed the dieting star: Why Weight Watchers is floundering."
''

''. August 4, 2013.

2014–2018

In April of 2014,

Tech Crunch TechCrunch is an American global online newspaper focusing on topics regarding high-tech and startup companies. It was founded in June 2005 by Archimedes Ventures, led by partners Michael Arrington and Keith Teare. In 2010, AOL acquired the c ...

leaked Weight Watchers was in talks to acquire virtual fitness training startup Wello. Weight Watchers confirmed the acquisition the following month, which spurred a series of acquisitions in the digital therapeutics space. One year later, in April and May of 2015, Weight Watchers also acquired 5 minute fitness app Hot 5 and the online community and "selfie startup" Weilos. Features of Weilos would later be relaunched as Weight Watcher's Connect product, an online community in-app and on the web. In October 2015,

Oprah Winfrey Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954) is an American television presenter, talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and media proprietor. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show' ...

partnered with Weight Watchers. Winfrey bought a 10% stake in the company, became its spokesperson, joined its board of directors, and lost weight on the program,Picker, Leslie
"Shares of Weight Watchers Jump as Oprah Winfrey Takes a Stake"
''

''. October 19, 2015. plus she helped launch a new holistic lifestyle and fitness program called "Beyond the Scale".Amidor, Toby
"3 Diets That Aren't What You Think They Are"
'' U.S. News & World Report''. January 22, 2016.Sifferlin, Alexandra
"Every Change Weight Watchers Just Made: Explained"
''

TIME Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

''. December 8, 2015.Comstock, Jonah
"Weight Watchers' reinvented program Beyond the Scale includes FitBreak app"
''MobiHealthNews''. December 7, 2015. The late-2015 Oprah effect did not prevent a subsequent downward trend in 2016, largely attributed to challenges from Nutrisystem and the proliferation of free apps and websites aimed at helping people manage their weight, but linked also by some, to a faulty initial tech rollout of the new program's app. CEO James Chambers resigned on September 30, 2016.Wattles, Jackie
"Weight Watchers CEO calling it quits after tumultuous year"
''

CNN Money CNN Business (formerly CNN Money) is a financial news and information website, operated by CNN. The website was originally formed as a joint venture between CNN.com and Time Warner's '' Fortune'' and '' Money'' magazines. Since the spin-off of ...

''. September 13, 2016. He was replaced as CEO in July 2017 by

Mindy Grossman Mindy Grossman (born September 8, 1957) is the former CEO of WW International (formerly Weight Watchers). Her earlier career included executive roles at Ralph Lauren Corporation and Nike, and she was also CEO of HSN from 2006 - 2017. She has ...

, who had played a role in growing digital sales revenue for

HSN HSN, Inc. an initialism of its former name Home Shopping Network, is an American free-to-air television network owned by the QVC Group (formerly Qurate Retail Group), which also owns Catalog merchant, catalog company Cornerstone Brands. It is ...

.Manning, Margie
"What Oprah says about hiring HSN CEO Mindy Grossman to lead Weight Watchers"
''

Tampa Bay Business Journal American City Business Journals, Inc. (ACBJ) is an American newspaper publisher based in Charlotte, North Carolina. ACBJ publishes ''The Business Journals'', which contains local business news for 44 markets in the United States with each market ...

''. April 27, 2017. In December 2017, the company introduced WW Freestyle (called WW Flex outside the U.S.),McKinnon, Martha
"Weight Watchers New Freestyle Program 2018"
''Simple Nourished Living''. November 15, 2017. which allows people to carry over unused "SmartPoints" through the week, and lists more than 200 zero-points foods, including various lean proteins, that do not need to be tracked.
''

Yahoo! Finance Yahoo Finance is a media property that is part of the Yahoo network. It provides financial news, data and commentary including stock quotes, press releases, financial reports, and original content. It also offers online tools for personal fin ...

''. December 4, 2017.Brodwin, Erin
"Weight Watchers' new program has 200 'zero-point' foods you can eat as much as you want — including eggs"
''

Business Insider ''Business Insider'' (stylized in all caps: BUSINESS INSIDER; known from 2021 to 2023 as INSIDER) is a New York City–based multinational financial and business news website founded in 2007. Since 2015, a majority stake in ''Business Inside ...

''. April 2, 2018.Asp, Karen
"Weight Watchers"
''

WebMD WebMD is an American corporation which publishes online news and information about human health and well-being. The WebMD website also includes information about drugs and is an important healthcare information website and the most popular cons ...

''. January 10, 2018.Turner, Nick; Giammona, Craig
"Weight Watchers Jumps as New Freestyle Program Fuels Growth"
''

Bloomberg News Bloomberg News (originally Bloomberg Business News) is an international news agency headquartered in New York City and a division of Bloomberg L.P. Content produced by Bloomberg News is disseminated through Bloomberg Terminals, Bloomberg T ...

''. February 27, 2018. In February 2018 CEO Grossman announced a new direction and purpose for the company: to move beyond mere dieting to being a "partner in health and wellness" and inspiring healthy habits for real life. Subscriptions to Weight Watchers rebounded significantly by mid 2018, credited to Winfrey's influence and to Grossman's tri-fold efforts of revamping the program, improving tech offerings, and giving the company a more broad-based appeal. In August 2018, the company acquired Kurbo, Inc, rebranding the free mobile app directed at children and teenagers as ''Kurbo by WW''. In September 2018, the company re-branded itself WW International, Inc., as it shifted its focus more broadly to overall health and wellness, including fitness.Maidenberg, Micah
"Weight Watchers Changes Name as It Shifts Mission"
''

Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...

''. September 24, 2018. It adopted a new tagline, "Wellness that Works". The company stopped requiring users to have a weight loss goal in order to join and renamed its in-person meetings to Wellness Workshops.Wischhover, Cheryl
"As 'dieting' becomes more taboo, Weight Watchers is changing its name"
'' Vox''. September 24, 2018. WW's app was relaunched with features to track other health-related goals.Copelan, Christine
"Weight Watchers Changes Name "
''

Parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually some variety ...

''. September 24, 2018. Its FitPoints system has been marketed as allowing individuals to choose activities which have the biggest impact on their health. At that time the company also began a partnership with the meditation app

Headspace Headspace may refer to: Science and technology * Headspace gas chromatography, a technique in analytical chemistry * Headspace or ullage, the unfilled space in a container * Headspace technology, the gaseous constituents of a closed space abo ...

to offer customized mindfulness content for members. As part of the rebrand, WW introduced a new program, WellnessWins, that rewarded members for behaviors that encourage healthier habits, which were redeemable for products, services, and experiences."Weight Watchers to change its name, offer new programs"
'' 6 ABC''. September 29, 2018.Butler, Sarah
"Weight Watchers plans tech rebrand to take on wellness industry"
''

''. September 24, 2018. The company also announced Connect, a digital community, which would include micro-community Groups.Reese, Ashley
"Weight Watchers Is Pivoting to Wellness"
''

Jezebel Jezebel ()"Jezebel"
(US) and

''. September 24, 2018.Ferris, Robert; LaVito, Angelica
"Weight Watchers renames itself to 'WW' as consumers want to be well, not to diet"
''

CNBC CNBC is an American List of business news channels, business news channel owned by the NBCUniversal News Group, a unit of Comcast's NBCUniversal. The network broadcasts live business news and analysis programming during the morning, Day ...

''. September 24, 2018.MacKenzie, Macaela
"The New Weight Watchers Doesn't Want To Talk About Weight -- WW Is All About Wellness"
''

''. September 26, 2018.

Decline and bankruptcy

On April 9, 2025, it was reported that WW was preparing to file for

Chapter 11 bankruptcy Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code ( Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, w ...

protection within the coming months, blaming financial challenges and increased competition from weight loss drugs such as

Ozempic Semaglutide is an anti-diabetic medication used for the treatment of type2 diabetes and an anti-obesity medication used for long-term weight management. It is a peptide similar to the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), modified with a s ...

. The company plans to eliminate most of its debt and sell itself to creditors. On May 6, 2025, WW filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...

, with plans to eliminate most of its $1.5 billion debt in an effort to put itself in a better financial position. The company expects to emerge from bankruptcy within no later than 40 days, or around June 15, 2025, with operations expected to be running normally throughout the procedure. WW was delisted from

Nasdaq The Nasdaq Stock Market (; National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations) is an American stock exchange based in New York City. It is the most active stock trading venue in the U.S. by volume, and ranked second on the list ...

on May 16, and commenced trading

over-the-counter Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are medicines sold directly to a consumer without a requirement for a prescription from a healthcare professional, as opposed to prescription drugs, which may be supplied only to consumers possessing a valid pres ...

Business model

Weight Watchers' business model is one of a subscription-based program of support,Saaim, Palwasha
"WTW Stock: Don't Bet On Weight Watchers International, Inc."
''ProfitConfidential.com''. October 20, 2015. plus a variety of purchasable products, media, services, and technologies. Its brand identity has been framed around Weight Watchers being a community,Lauchlan, Stuart
"In pursuit of health and wellness – Fitbit, Weight Watchers digitally disrupt their business models"
''Diginomica''. March 13, 2018. and its website is intrinsic to its effectiveness.Gobe, Marc
''Emotional Branding: The New Paradigm for Connecting Brands to People''

Skyhorse Publishing Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. is an American independent book publishing company founded in 2006 and headquartered in New York City, with a satellite office in Brattleboro, Vermont. History The current president and publisher is founder Tony Ly ...

, 2010. p. 232. Particularly in the 21st century, the company has increasingly marketed itself as a health and wellness brand rather than a weight-loss brand,Garcia, Tonya
"Weight Watchers is shifting from weight loss to wellness as 'healthy is the new skinny'"
''

MarketWatch ''MarketWatch'' is a website that provides financial information, business news, analysis, and stock market data. It is a subsidiary of Dow Jones & Company, a property of News Corp, along with ''The Wall Street Journal'' and '' Barron's.'' ...

''. March 4, 2018.Raphael, Rina
"Here's why Weight Watchers changed its name"
''

Fast Company ''Fast Company'' is an American business magazine published monthly in print and online, focusing on technology, business, and design. It releases six print issues annually. History ''Fast Company'' was founded in November 1995 by Alan Webb ...

''. September 24, 2018. and its dietary plans emphasize fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and foods high in whole grains and low in trans fats. Also in the 21st century, the company has increasingly tried to effectively and competitively balance its digital and offline offerings. As of 2019, the program offered weight-loss support via the app and website, in-person workshops and personal coaching.

Products and services

Weight Watchers' primary sources of income are subscriptions to the program.Form 10-K: Annual Report for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2017
Weight Watchers International, Inc.

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street crash of 1929. Its primary purpose is to enforce laws against market m ...

. February 28, 2018.Wahba, Phil
"Weight Watchers Changes Name to 'WW' in Big Bet on Wellness"
''

Fortune Fortune may refer to: General * Fortuna or Fortune, the Roman goddess of luck * Luck * Wealth * Fate * Fortune, a prediction made in fortune-telling * Fortune, in a fortune cookie Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''The Fortune'' (19 ...

''. September 24, 2018. The company provides a weight-management program (myWW+) and a food plan (SmartPoints); customers can participate in the program via in-person group meetings and/or digitally, and are provided with individualized information, support, and coaching. It also receives income from Weight Watchers–branded services and products, which include publications such as ''Weight Watchers'' magazines, Weight Watchers cookbooks, and food guides and restaurant guides with points values."Company Overview of Weight Watchers International, Inc."
''

Bloomberg Bloomberg may refer to: People * Daniel J. Bloomberg (1905–1984), audio engineer * Georgina Bloomberg (born 1983), professional equestrian * Michael Bloomberg (born 1942), American businessman and founder of Bloomberg L.P.; politician a ...

''. Retrieved May 21, 2018. It sells its own bars and snacks, and licenses the Weight Watchers trademark to a variety of prepared foods, beverages, and other products and services.

Weight-loss plans and formats

The original Weight Watchers dietary plan in the 1960s was roughly based on the "Prudent Diet", developed by Dr. Norman Jolliffe at the New York City Board of Health. It was based around lean meat, fish, skim milk, and fruits and vegetables, and it banned alcohol, sweets, and fatty foods. It had lists of allowed and prohibited foods,McKinnon, Martha.
"What Was The Old Weight Watchers Plan Like In The 1960s?"
''Simple Nourished Living''. January 17, 2013. and was more structured than subsequent versions of the Weight Watchers program.Barnett, Megan
"Chapter 8: The Weight Watchers Diet"
In: Apovian, Caroline; Brouillard, Elizabeth; Young, Lorraine (eds). ''Clinical Guide to Popular Diets''.

CRC Press The CRC Press, LLC is an American publishing group that specializes in producing technical books. Many of their books relate to engineering, science and mathematics. Their scope also includes books on business, forensics and information technol ...

, 2018. pp. 113–124. It recommended weighing food portions, and prohibited skipping meals or counting calories. The company has regularly changed and updated its diet plans and formats, to reflect current nutritional and obesity science and to accommodate consumer awareness and demand. *In 1979 Weight Watchers introduced PepStep (or Personal Exercise Plan), a walking or stair-climbing exercise program to benefit members' weight loss, developed by a doctor specializing in exercise and cardiac rehabilitation.Blumenthal, Deborah
"Taking Fitness in Stride"
''

''. November 27, 1983. With this additional element Weight Watchers became one of the first weight-loss companies, along with the Pritikin program, to promote the importance of regular exercise. *By 1980, the company expanded its dietary plan to allow for substitutions and more flexibility. It introduced three routines: a "full choice" plan with the most options; a "limited choice" plan with fewer options and less leeway; and a "no choice" plan with no substitutions and no options, which was the most calorie-restrictive and was to be followed for no more than two weeks. *In 1984 the company added Quick Start, which was a more spartan, temporary eating plan designed to produce faster, motivation-boosting weight loss in the first few weeks of the program. It was the company's first exchange-based diet, where foods within categories could be exchanged for each other. This was expanded in 1986 to Quick Start Plus, with higher-fat options and Personal Choice options. * In 1984 Weight Watchers also launched its At Work program, held for groups of 15 or more in office places, for people who were otherwise unable to attend community meetings. The meetings are held either before work, during the lunch break, or after work,"Weight Watchers International, Inc. Corporate Backgrounder"
''Weight Watchers''. Retrieved May 21, 2018. and the fees are usually subsidized by the employer. *In 1988, Weight Watchers launched the Quick Success program, a plan that was easier and more flexible, particularly for working women. It also allowed for a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet, and increased the minimum daily vegetable intake from two to three. * In 1997 Weight Watchers completely replaced its exchange-based diets with the POINTS system (also originally called 1-2-3 Success), a proprietary algorithmic formula which quantifies a food portion for the purposes of healthy weight loss based on carbohydrates, fat, and fiber content. *In 2000 the company rolled out Winning Points, a more personalized version of the POINTS system, which encompassed self-observation, behavior modification, and fitness and activity, and which did not have any food exclusions. *In 2004, Weight Watchers launched the Turn Around program, which gave people two plans to choose from, and aimed to teach participants how to eat normal food, in sensible portions, and to increase their exercise. The Flex Plan option allowed dieters to eat anything they wanted as long as they stayed within their points allowance; activity points could be earned by exercise.Scott, Jennifer R
"When Did Weight Watchers Start?"
''VeryWellFit.com''. May 26, 2017.Barnett, Suzanne; Barnett, Jennifer; West, Bev; Lesman, Jennifer Barnett; Barnett, Amy
''3 Fat Chicks on a Diet: How Three Ordinary Women Battle the Bulge — and How You Can Too!''
Macmillan, 2008. p. 77. The Core Plan option (later known as "Simply Filling") dispensed with points entirely and included a list of foods that could be eaten "until satisfied", and a list of foods to be avoided. *In December 2008, Weight Watchers eliminated the Core Plan and introduced the Momentum Plan, designed to help members understand how consuming certain filling foods helped them to eat less and prevent overeating. *In late 2010 Weight Watchers overhauled its POINTS system and replaced it with PointsPlus (ProPoints outside the U.S.); under the new system, fruits and non-starchy vegetables are zero points, and processed foods have higher points than they did before. * In December 2012 the company rolled out Weight Watchers 360, which did not change its PointsPlus plan but added behavioral modification and support, mindfulness, control of and planning for one's eating environment, and new apps, and also added an optional wearable fitness monitor to purchase called ActiveLink. *In September 2014, Weight Watchers began syncing its apps with wearable fitness monitors such as

and Jawbone, so that the activity of members who own those devices is instantly uploaded and tracked and converted to points. *In December 2014, Weight Watchers launched two new services: Personal Coaching and 24/7 Expert Chat. Personal Coaching provides individuals with a Weight Watchers-certified coach who helps them develop an individualized weight management plan and is available via phone, text, and email for subsequent consultations. 24/7 Expert Chat allows members all-hours access to Weight Watchers-certified coaches who can offer instant advice when users encounter weight-loss or dieting crises.Huddleston Jr., Tom
"Weight Watchers rolls out new online services, coaching for the holiday season"
''

''. December 15, 2014.Hallett, Vicky
"Weight Watchers gets personal with new coaching program"
''

''. December 16, 2014. *In December 2015 the company rolled out a new holistic lifestyle and fitness program called "Beyond the Scale". The program uses SmartPoints, an updating of the points system which takes into consideration the nutritional value of a food, and helps steer people away from junk foods, sugar, and saturated fat. That same month, the company launched Connect, a social-media platform via its app where members receive support from other members. *In December 2017, Weight Watchers introduced WW Freestyle (called WW Flex outside the U.S.), which allows people to carry over unused points through the week, and lists more than 200 zero-points foods, including various lean proteins, that do not need to be tracked. *In November 2021, WW introduced a new program called PersonalPoints which now uses AI to adjust your points and zero-point food list based on individual preferences. In addition, extra points can now be earned for drinking at least 60 fl oz of water daily and for every cup of non-starchy vegetables.

Reception

As of July 2018, Weight Watchers was the most widely used commercial diet in the world. In addition to the U.S., as of 2018 it had operations in countries including Canada, the UK, Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil. Its main long-term competitors in the commercial weight-loss company genre are Jenny Craig and Nutrisystem. Weight Watchers has been included in '' U.S. News & World Report''s rankings for 40 most popular diets and has also been listed as No.1 for weight loss and best commercial diets. For Weight Watchers customers who choose to attend meetings, in addition to supplying information and lifestyle tips, meetings operate as

s that provide empathy, rapport, and mutual understanding, as well as

positive reinforcement Positive is a property of positivity and may refer to: Mathematics and science * Positive formula, a logical formula not containing negation * Positive number, a number that is greater than 0 * Plus sign, the sign "+" used to indicate a posit ...

. Some therapists have said that focusing on counting calories or points, as promoted by WW, can lead to a disordered relationship with food and hunger. Previously the company's prepared foods had been criticized as containing preservatives and other additives; as of late 2018 Weight Watchers has removed all artificial sweeteners, flavors, colors, and preservatives from products carrying the company's name, and dropped or reformulated most of the food products it once produced. In August 2019, WW released ''Kurbo by WW'', a weight management and health app directed at children and teenagers. It has been criticized by some experts on nutrition and eating disorders for encouraging dieting in children as young as 8. Christy Harrison, a registered dietician, wrote in ''

the New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', "programs like this are fertile ground for disordered eating" and that efforts to lose weight "are especially troubling when imposed on children who aren't in a position to make their own choices and who haven't had the opportunity to develop a peaceful relationship with food and their bodies." However, an article in the journal ''Childhood Obesity'' concluded that it could be "part of the piece of the puzzle to improving health in youth", despite the authors' concerns with the marketing of the app emphasizing weight loss. An uncontrolled three-month study of the app used by children between 8 and 17 said that it was "highly effective" based on an average reduction in of 0.26, and a survey of weight management apps published in JMIR mHealth and noted that of their list, only Kurbo involved health care professionals in its development. As a result of the release of ''Kurbo by WW'', WW's corporate headquarters in New York City were protested on September 13, 2019, and as of September 2019 a change.org petition asking Weight Watchers to "remove your weight loss app for kids" had over 110,000 signatures.

Leadership and spokespersons

Corporate governance

Weight Watchers' founder

was the company's President from 1963–1973. Al Lippert was CEO of Weight Watchers from 1963–1981. From 1978–1999, Weight Watchers was a subsidiary of Heinz. Charles M. Berger was CEO of Weight Watchers from 1982–1994,''Princeton Alumni Weekly''
May 3, 1982. pp. 59–60. having previously been its President. Since 1999, the CEOs of Weight Watchers have been: Linda Huett 2000–2006; David Kirchhoff 2007–2013; Jim Chambers 2013–2016; and

2017–present. Grossman also serves as President and on the board of directors. Since 1999, the chairman of the company has been Raymond Debbane, co-founder and CEO of The Invus Group. In 2015,

purchased a 10 percent ownership stake in WW International and served as a member of the board of directors. In February 2024, she announced that she was leaving WW and would be donating her shares of stock to the

National Museum of African American History and Culture The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), colloquially known as the Blacksonian, is a Smithsonian Institution museum located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in the United States. It was established in 2003 an ...

Spokespersons

Founder

was the company's public face and spokesperson from its launch in 1963 through 1983. Subsequent spokespersons have included:

Lynn Redgrave Lynn Rachel Redgrave (8 March 1943 – 2 May 2010) was a British and American actress. During a career that spanned five decades, she won two Golden Globe Awards and was nominated for two Academy Awards, four British Academy Film Awards, two Em ...

(1983–1992), Kathleen Sullivan (1994–1995),

Sarah, Duchess of York Sarah, Duchess of York (born Sarah Margaret Ferguson; 15 October 1959), also known by the nickname Fergie, is a British author, philanthropist, television personality, and member of the extended British royal family. She is the former wife of P ...

(1997–2007),

Greg Grunberg Gregory Phillip Grunberg (born July 11, 1966) is an American film and television actor known for starring as Eric Weiss in the ABC series '' Alias'', Matt Parkman in the NBC series '' Heroes'', Temmin "Snap" Wexley in '' Star Wars: The Force ...

(2007),

Tamela Mann Tamela Jean Mann (née Johnson; born June 9, 1966) is an American gospel singer and actress. She began her career as a singer with the gospel group Kirk Franklin and the Family. Mann was a primary vocalist on several tracks while with Franklin's ...

(2008–present),

Jenny McCarthy Jennifer Ann McCarthy-Wahlberg (' McCarthy; born November 1, 1972) is an American actress, model, television personality, and anti-vaccine activist. She began her career in 1993 as a nude model for ''Playboy'' magazine and was later named thei ...

(2009),

Jennifer Hudson Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, producer, and talk show host. Having received List of awards and nominations received by Jennifer Hudson, numerous accolades for ...

(2010–2014),

Charles Barkley Charles Wade Barkley (born February 20, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player who is a television analyst on NBA on TNT, TNT and CBS Sports. Nicknamed "Sir Charles", "the Bread Truck", and "the Round Mound of Rebound", ...

(2011–2014),Horovitz, Bruce
"Weight Watchers: Butts are in for 2015"
''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

''. December 26, 2014.

Jessica Simpson Jessica Ann Johnson (née Simpson; born July 10, 1980) is an American singer, actress, and fashion designer. After performing in church choirs as a child, Simpson signed with Columbia Records in 1997, aged seventeen. Her debut studio album, '' ...

(2012–2014),

Ana Gasteyer Ana Kristina Gasteyer (; born May 4, 1967) is an American actress, comedian and singer. She was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1996 to 2002. She has since starred in such sitcoms as ABC's ''Suburgatory ...

(2013),

(2015–2024),

DJ Khaled Khaled Mohammed Khaled (; born November 26, 1975), known professionally as DJ Khaled, is an American DJ and record producer. Originally a Miami-based radio personality, Khaled has since become known for enlisting high-profile music industry ar ...

(2018–present),

Kate Hudson Kate Garry Hudson (born April 19, 1979) is an American actress and singer. Born to singer Bill Hudson (singer), Bill Hudson and actress Goldie Hawn, Hudson made her film debut in the 1998 drama ''Desert Blue'', which was followed by supporting ...

(2018–present),

Kevin Smith Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. He came to prominence with the low-budget buddy comedy film ''Clerks (film), Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, co-produced, and acted i ...

(2018–present),Kuperinsky, Amy
"Kevin Smith, down 32 pounds, becomes a Weight Watchers ambassador"
''

NJ.com NJ.com is a digital news content provider and website in New Jersey owned by Advance Publications. According to ''The New York Times'' in 2012, it was the largest provider of digital news in the state at the time. In 2018, comScore reports that ...

''. April 23, 2018. and

James Corden James Kimberley Corden (born 22 August 1978) is an English comedian, actor, writer, producer, singer, and television host. In the United Kingdom, he is best known for co-writing and starring in the critically acclaimed BBC sitcom '' Gavin & S ...

(2021–2023).

References

External links

* {{Authority control Companies formerly listed on the Nasdaq Brand name diet products American companies established in 1963 1978 mergers and acquisitions 1999 mergers and acquisitions 1960s initial public offerings 2001 initial public offerings Franchises Weight loss companies Companies based in New York City 1963 establishments in New York City Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2025