WW International

Template:Short description Template:About {{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Main other{{#invoke:Check for clobbered parameters|check|nested=1|template=Infobox company|cat=Template:Main other|name; company_name|logo; company_logo|logo_alt; alt|trade_name; trading_name|former_names; former_name|type; company_type|predecessors; predecessor|successors; successor|foundation; founded|founders; founder|defunct; dissolved|hq_location; location|hq_location_city; location_city|hq_location_country; location_country|num_locations; locations|areas_served; area_served|net_income; profit|net_income_year; profit_year|owners; owner |homepage; website }}{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox company with unknown parameter "_VALUE_" | ignoreblank=y | alt | area_served | areas_served | assets | assets_year | aum | brands | company_logo | company_name | company_type | defunct | dissolved | divisions | embed | equity | equity_year | fate | footnotes | former_name | former_names | foundation | founded | founder | founders | genre | homepage | hq_location | hq_location_city | hq_location_country | incorporated | image | image_alt | image_caption | image_size | image_upright | income_year | industry | ISIN | key_people | location | location_city | location_country | locations | logo | logo_alt | logo_caption | logo_class | logo_size | logo_upright | members | members_year | module | name | native_name | native_name_lang | net_income | net_income_year | num_employees | num_employees_year | num_locations | num_locations_year | operating_income | owner | owners | parent | predecessor | predecessors | production | production_year | products | profit | profit_year | rating | ratio | revenue | revenue_year | romanized_name | services | subsid | successor | successors | traded_as | trade_name | trading_name | type | website| qid | fetchwikidata | suppressfields | noicon | nocat | demo | categories }} WW International, Inc., formerly Weight Watchers International, Inc., is a global company headquartered in the U.S. that offers weight loss and maintenance, fitness, and mindset services such as the Weight Watchers comprehensive diet program.<ref name="USNaWR-WWD">"What is Weight Watchers Diet?". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved May 21, 2018.</ref> Founded in 1963 by Queens, New York City homemaker Jean Nidetch, 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.<ref name="USNaWR-WWD" />

In 2018, the company rebranded to "WW" to reflect "its development from focusing on weight loss to overall health and wellness."<ref name=BBCname>Hope, Katie. "Weight Watchers drops 'weight' from name". BBC News. September 24, 2018.</ref><ref>Template:Cite news Template:Registration required</ref>

Company history

Inception

Weight Watchers was conceived by Jean Nidetch, a housewife and mother living in Queens, New York City, who had been overweight most of her life and had tried pills, hypnosis, and numerous fad diets, all of which only led to regained weight.<ref name=NYTobit/> 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's obesity clinic.<ref name=fatcontrollers>Allan, Vicky. "The Fat Controllers". The Herald. January 7, 2006.</ref><ref>Bauer, Patricia. "Jean Nidetch". Britannica. Retrieved May 20, 2018.</ref> 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.<ref name=DecisionTree>Goetz, Thomas. The Decision Tree: How to Make Better Choices and Take Control of Your Health. Rodale, Inc., 2011. pp. 70–71.</ref><ref>"Investing in obesity battle, Humana may give Weight Watchers new life". HealthcareFinanceNews.com. February 27, 2015.</ref><ref name=TimesLedger2003>Ben-Yehuda, Ayala. "Little Neck neighbors saw beginnings of diet empire". TimesLedger. July 31, 2003.</ref><ref>Jolliffe, Norman. Reduce and Stay Reduced. Simon & Schuster, 1952.</ref><ref>"Norman Jolliffe, Physician, Is Dead". New York Times. August 2, 1961.</ref> 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."<ref name=forbeswar>Cohan, Peter. "Weight Watchers Winning $61 Billion War On Fat". Forbes. November 14, 2012.</ref> and eating liver once a week.<ref name=TimesLedger2011>Bockmann, Rich. "Weight Watchers' humble origins began in Deepdale". TimesLedger. November 6, 2011.</ref> It prohibited alcohol, sweets, and fatty foods,<ref name=NYTobit/> included a list of allowed foods and the quantities allowed,<ref>"72 Pounds—Weight Watchers 50th" (video). The History Factory. 2013.</ref> and encouraged weighing portions.<ref name=Guardianobit>Horwell, Veronica. "Jean Nidetch obituary". The Guardian. May 1, 2015.</ref>

Although Nidetch lost 20 pounds on the ten-week program,<ref name=fatcontrollers/> she did not like the way the clinic's leader imparted information at the weekly meetings. Discussion was discouraged;<ref>Sedensky, Matt. "At 87, Weight Watchers founder keeps pounds off". San Diego Union-Tribune. Associated Press. September 2, 2011.</ref><ref name=APobit>Sedensky, Matt. "Weight Watchers founder Jean Nidetch dies at age 91". San Diego Union-Tribune. Associated Press. April 29, 2015.</ref><ref name=TimesLedger2011/> in addition, Nidetch's motivation was threatened by her urge to binge on Mallomar cookies.<ref name=NYTobit>McFadden, Robert D. "Jean Nidetch, a Founder of Weight Watchers, Dies at 91". New York Times. April 29, 2015.</ref><ref>Cornwell, Rupert. "Jean Nidetch: As we mourn death of Weight Watchers founder, have we learned lessons on keeping weight down?". The Independent. May 2, 2015.</ref><ref name=TimesLedger2003/><ref>Stern, Jane; Stern, Michael. Lexicon of Real American Food. Rowman & Littlefield, 2011.</ref> She therefore began a weekly support group in her apartment, initially inviting six overweight friends,<ref name=BBCobit>"Jean Nidetch, founder of Weight Watchers, dies". BBC News. April 29, 2015.</ref><ref name=NYTobit/><ref name=100year>Yager, Susan. The Hundred Year Diet: America's Voracious Appetite for Losing Weight. Rodale, Inc., 2010. pp. 76–77.</ref> which within two months grew to 40 women each week.<ref name=NYTobit/> She introduced the "Prudent Diet", a single page from the New York City Board of Health,<ref>Kurland, Rachel. "Local Weight Watchers Founder Dies at 85". The Jewish Exponent. January 24, 2018.</ref> to her fellow weight-loss seekers,<ref>Frankle, Reva T.; Yang, Mei-Uih. Obesity and Weight Control: The Health Professional's Guide to Understanding and Treatment. Aspen Publishers, 1988. p. 375.</ref><ref name=DecisionTree/> and the group provided empathy, rapport, mutual understanding, support, and sharing of stories and ideas.<ref name=kanner>Kanner, Bernice. "Return to Slender". New York. February 7, 1994. pp. 16–17.</ref><ref name=Guardianobit/><ref name=DecisionTree/><ref name=TimesLedger2011/><ref name=BBCobit/><ref name=NYTobit/> The meetings also included a weekly weigh-in,<ref name=EntrepreneurNidetch>"Jean Nidetch". Entrepreneur. October 10, 2008.</ref> and Nidetch developed a rewards system including prizes for weight-loss milestones.<ref>Langer, Emily. "Jean Nidetch, ardent promoter of Weight Watchers, dies at 91". Washington Post. April 29, 2015.</ref> 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.<ref name=BBCobit/><ref name=NYTobit/>

As interest grew, Nidetch coached groups in other neighborhoods.<ref name=EntrepreneurNidetch/> 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.<ref name=real-winner/>

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;<ref name=talk>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=AR2006>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=real-winner>Template:Cite news</ref> the first official meeting, in May 1963, attracted 400 attendees.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Nidetch led groups and trained others to lead groups as well.<ref name=eatinghistory>Template:Cite book</ref>

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,<ref name=invus/><ref name=instant>Template:Cite book</ref> with 10% of gross earnings as royalties to the parent company.<ref name=real-winner/><ref name=IDCH2005>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=EntrepreneurNidetch/> By 1967, the company was international, with 102 franchises in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Great Britain, and Israel.<ref name=forbeswar/>

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.<ref name=IDCH2005/><ref name=gotham/> By January 1968, the company had more than one million members worldwide, and, with the help of Matty Simmons' and Leonard Mogel's Twenty First Century Communications, Inc., Weight Watchers Magazine was launched, publishing 300,000 copies of its first issue.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

By 1968, the company had 91 franchises in 43 states,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name=stock>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=EntrepreneurNidetch/><ref name=IDCH2005/> Lippert also initiated lines of Weight Watchers prepared food, spas, camps for overweight kids, and weight-loss products such as scales and travel kits.<ref name=oreilly>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=stock/>

Nidetch, with her slim, well-dressed image, charisma, and flair for motivational speaking, remained the public face of the company.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=100year/><ref name=gotham/> In 1970 she published The Memoir of a Successful Loser: The Story of Weight Watchers, which documented the original Weight Watchers plan.<ref name=50th/> 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.<ref name=IDCH2005/><ref name=NYTobit/>

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=50th/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 1975, the publication of Weight Watchers magazine was taken over by Family Media (the publishers of Family Health magazine).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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 in 1978 for $72 million.<ref name=oreilly/><ref name=NYTLippertObit>Template:Cite news</ref> Lippert remained chairman and signed on to remain CEO for a few years,<ref name=oreilly/> and Nidetch remained in her role as consultant.<ref name=eatinghistory/> 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.<ref name=IDCH2005/>

Private-equity acquisition and second IPO

In 1990, with competition from Jenny Craig, Slim-Fast, Healthy Choice, and Nutrisystem, earnings began to decline.<ref name=invus/><ref name=IDCH2005/> The Heinz parent company competed by introducing newly developed Weight Watchers "Smart Ones" frozen meals.<ref name=invus/><ref name=IDCH2005/> 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.<ref name=belluz2015>Belluz, Julia. "Oprah just invested millions in Weight Watchers. But does the program even work?". Vox. October 21, 2015.</ref><ref name=Forty>Template:Cite journal</ref>

In 1999, Heinz, while retaining the rights to the Weight Watchers name for use in certain food categories,<ref>Beck, Ernest. "Heinz Sells Weight Watchers Interest To Artal Luxembourg for $735 Million". Wall Street Journal. July 23, 1999.</ref><ref name=invus>"Weight Watchers". Invus. Retrieved May 21, 2018.</ref><ref name=10K2017/> sold the company to the private equity firm Artal Luxembourg, for $735 million in a leveraged buyout led by the Invus Group, which manages Artal and which is run by Raymond Debbane.<ref name=mystery>Vardi, Nathan. "The Mystery Man Behind Weight Watchers And The Private Equity Deal Of The Century". Forbes. September 4, 2012.</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Artal put up $224 million and Weight Watchers financed the rest of the buyout with debt.<ref name=mystery/> Debbane became chairman of Weight Watchers.<ref>"Weight Watchers International Inc (WTW)"Template:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore. Reuters. Retrieved May 21, 2018.</ref><ref>"Form 10-K: Annual Report for the fiscal year ended January 2, 2010". Weight Watchers International. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. March 3, 2010.</ref> In 2001 Debbane organized an initial public offering for Weight Watchers and took it public again.<ref name=mystery/> As of 2018, Artal remains the company's largest shareholder.<ref>Hiaasen, Rob. "Institutional Ownership Of Weight Watchers International, Inc. (WTW) Is 91.7%". PostAnalyst.com. September 18, 2018.</ref><ref>Mason, Amelie. "Here's Who Owns Weight Watchers International, Inc. (WTW)". PostAnalyst.com. October 3, 2018.</ref><ref>Melin, Anders; Ritcey, Alicia. "Oprah is Weight Watchers' most absent board member". Detroit News. Bloomberg News. April 3, 2017.</ref>

In 2000, the new owners reacquired the license to publish Weight Watchers Magazine from Time Inc., where Heinz had offloaded it in 1996 and where it had performed poorly; circulation recovered quickly, and the magazine was redesigned in 2003.<ref name=IDCH2005/>

In 2001, the company launched WeightWatchers.com.<ref name=50th>"Weight Watchers Celebrates 50th Anniversary By Honoring Its Founder - Jean Nidetch - With A Flagship Center Dedication". PR Newswire. March 25, 2013.</ref> In 2007, it launched Weight Watchers Online for Men.<ref>Contois, Emily. "Real Men & Real Food: The Cultural Politics of Male Weight Loss". Nursing Clio. August 15, 2017.</ref><ref>"Announcing the Launch of Weight Watchers Online for Men and Weight Watchers eTools for Men". Business Wire. March 29, 2007.</ref><ref name=gotham>Smith, Andrew F. Savoring Gotham: A Food Lover's Companion to New York City. Oxford University Press, 2015. pp. 638–639.</ref> Competitor Nutrisystem, Inc. also had a men's line.<ref name="weight-watchers-men">Template:Cite news</ref>

In late 2010 Weight Watchers overhauled its POINTS system and replaced it with PointsPlus (ProPoints outside the U.S.);<ref name=NPRsplurgers>Barclay, Eliza. "WeightWatchers Points Plan Stretching To Help Splurgers". NPR. November 4, 2010.</ref><ref name=governing>Template:Cite journal</ref> under the new system, fruits and non-starchy vegetables were zero points, and processed foods had higher points than they did before.<ref name=gootman>Gootman, Elissa. "Weight Watchers Upends Its Points System". New York Times. December 3, 2010.</ref><ref name=revamps>O'Brien, Jeffrey M. "Weight Watchers Revamps Its Magic Formula". Wired. December 16, 2011.</ref><ref name=farnham>Farnham, Alan. "Diets, New and Improved". ABC News. January 12, 2011.</ref><ref name=minds>Black, Rosemary; Goldwert, Lindsay. "Weight Watchers new Points Plus weight loss system has dieters losing their minds". New York Daily News. December 7, 2010.</ref><ref name="Calories Come From">Nordqvist, Christian. "Weight Watchers Finally Accepts Where Calories Come From Matters Too". Medical News Today. November 30, 2010.</ref><ref name="reservations persist">Huget, Jennifer LaRue. "Weight Watchers allows 'free' fruit, but reservations persist". Washington Post. December 21, 2010.</ref>

From 2012 to 2015, although it had its own app and e-tools since 2009,<ref>Cohen, Jennifer. "4 New Apps You Need To Achieve Real Weight Loss". Forbes. May 29, 2013.</ref><ref name=floundering/> 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.<ref name=IDCH2017>Kepos, Paula (ed). International Directory of Company Histories, Volume 192. St. James Press, 2017. pp. 465–470.</ref><ref name=floundering>DePillis, Lydia. "Internet killed the dieting star: Why Weight Watchers is floundering.". Washington Post. August 4, 2013.</ref><ref>Lutz, Ashley. "Read This Before You Join Weight Watchers". Business Insider. December 15, 2014.</ref><ref>Harwell, Drew. "Americans' new way of losing weight has left Weight Watchers behind". Washington Post. October 29, 2014.</ref><ref>Dignan, Larry. "How apps and wearables upended Weight Watchers". ZDNet. March 18, 2015.</ref>

2014–2018

In April of 2014, Tech Crunch leaked Weight Watchers was in talks to acquire virtual fitness training startup Wello.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Weight Watchers confirmed the acquisition the following month,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and the online community and "selfie startup" Weilos.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Features of Weilos would later be relaunched as Weight Watcher's Connect product, an online community in-app and on the web.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In October 2015, Oprah Winfrey partnered with Weight Watchers.<ref name=DealbookOprah/><ref>Tinker, Ben. "Weight watching? Here's how Oprah can help". CNN. October 20, 2015.</ref> Winfrey bought a 10% stake in the company, became its spokesperson, joined its board of directors, and lost weight on the program,<ref name=DealbookOprah>Picker, Leslie. "Shares of Weight Watchers Jump as Oprah Winfrey Takes a Stake". New York Times. October 19, 2015.</ref> plus she helped launch a new holistic lifestyle and fitness program called "Beyond the Scale".<ref name=amidor>Amidor, Toby. "3 Diets That Aren't What You Think They Are". U.S. News & World Report. January 22, 2016.</ref><ref>Roberts, Deborah. "Weight Watchers, Oprah Winfrey Launch 'Beyond the Scale' Campaign". ABC News. December 7, 2015.</ref><ref>Pembleton, Meghan. "Oprah, Weight Watchers go 'Beyond the Scale'". The Arizona Republic. January 6, 2016.</ref><ref>Byron, Ellen. "Weight Watchers' Plan: Don't Call It a 'Diet'". Wall Street Journal. December 6, 2015.</ref><ref name=explained>Sifferlin, Alexandra. "Every Change Weight Watchers Just Made: Explained". TIME. December 8, 2015.</ref><ref name=MobiHealthNews>Comstock, Jonah. "Weight Watchers' reinvented program Beyond the Scale includes FitBreak app". MobiHealthNews. December 7, 2015.</ref> The late-2015 Oprah effect<ref>McGee, Suzanne. "Weight Watchers sees the 'Oprah effect' – but it may not last". The Guardian. January 28, 2016.</ref> 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,<ref name=CNNChambers/><ref>Schlossberg, Mallory. "Weight Watchers has massive problems that even Oprah can't fix". Business Insider. February 26, 2016.</ref><ref>Schlossberg, Mallory. "These before-and-after photos show why the future of Weight Watchers is uncertain". Business Insider. August 5, 2016.</ref> but linked also by some, to a faulty initial tech rollout of the new program's app.<ref>Graham, Meg. "Why the Weight Watchers stumble is about tech, not just Oprah". Chicago Tribune. March 17, 2016.</ref><ref>Lee, Stephanie M. "People Are Mad Because Weight Watchers' App Has Glitches". BuzzFeed News. November 30, 2015.</ref> CEO James Chambers resigned on September 30, 2016.<ref name=CNNChambers>Wattles, Jackie. "Weight Watchers CEO calling it quits after tumultuous year". CNN Money. September 13, 2016.</ref> He was replaced as CEO in July 2017 by Mindy Grossman, who had played a role in growing digital sales revenue for HSN.<ref>Gensler, Lauren. "Weight Watchers Taps HSN's Mindy Grossman As CEO". Forbes. April 26, 2017.</ref><ref name=":0">Manning, Margie. "What Oprah says about hiring HSN CEO Mindy Grossman to lead Weight Watchers". Tampa Bay Business Journal. April 27, 2017.</ref>

In December 2017, the company introduced WW Freestyle (called WW Flex outside the U.S.),<ref name=SNLFreestyle>McKinnon, Martha. "Weight Watchers New Freestyle Program 2018". Simple Nourished Living. November 15, 2017.</ref> 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.<ref name=YahooFreestyle>"Weight Watchers Introduces New WW Freestyle: Better Results And More Flexibility Than Any WW Program". Yahoo! Finance. December 4, 2017.</ref><ref name=zeropoint>Brodwin, Erin. "Weight Watchers' new program has 200 'zero-point' foods you can eat as much as you want — including eggs". Business Insider. April 2, 2018.</ref><ref name=WebMD>Asp, Karen. "Weight Watchers". WebMD. January 10, 2018.</ref><ref name=fuel>Turner, Nick; Giammona, Craig. "Weight Watchers Jumps as New Freestyle Program Fuels Growth". Bloomberg News. February 27, 2018.</ref> 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.<ref>Bach, Natasha. "'The World Doesn't Need Another Diet': Weight Watchers Is Moving Beyond Just Counting Points". Fortune. February 28, 2018.</ref><ref>Armental, Maria. "Weight Watchers Looking to Expand Beyond Dieting". Wall Street Journal. February 27, 2018.</ref><ref>"Weight Watchers (WTW) Announces Strategic Vision to Make Wellness Accessible to All". StreetInsider.com. February 7, 2018.</ref> Subscriptions to Weight Watchers rebounded significantly by mid 2018,<ref>Associated Press. "Weight Watchers slims down name to WW". Chicago Sun-Times. September 24, 2018.</ref> 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.<ref>Kline, Daniel B. "Weight Watchers renewed interest has moved beyond the Oprah effect". USA Today. May 30, 2018.</ref><ref>Badkar, Mamta. "Weight Watchers shares pumped by upbeat results". Financial Times. May 3, 2018.</ref><ref>Giammona, Craig. "Weight Watchers Jumps After Reporting More Subscribers Than Ever". Bloomberg News. May 3, 2018.</ref><ref>Sorvino, Chloe. "How Weight Watchers CEO Mindy Grossman Is Democratizing Wellness". Forbes. June 23, 2018.</ref><ref>Farrell, Sean. "How the Oprah effect helped Weight Watchers regain Americans' trust". The Guardian. August 8, 2018.</ref><ref>Blankenhorn, Dana. "Grossman Is Engineering a Real Weight Watchers Stock Turnaround". InvestorPlace.com. September 12, 2018.</ref>

In August 2018, the company acquired Kurbo, Inc, rebranding the free mobile app directed at children and teenagers as Kurbo by WW.<ref name="Kurbo by WW">Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref name=WSJname>Maidenberg, Micah. "Weight Watchers Changes Name as It Shifts Mission". Wall Street Journal. September 24, 2018.</ref><ref name=BBCname/> It adopted a new tagline, "Wellness that Works".<ref name=WSJname/> The company stopped requiring users to have a weight loss goal in order to join<ref>Burch, Sean. "Weight Watchers Sheds Its Name, Looks to Keep Oprah Momentum Moving Forward". The Wrap. September 24, 2018.</ref><ref>"Weight Watchers Changes Its Name". Newser. September 24, 2018.</ref> and renamed its in-person meetings to Wellness Workshops.<ref>Hosie, Rachel. "Weight Watchers Rebrands As WW In Bid To Distance Itself From Dieting". The Independent. September 25, 2018.</ref><ref name=Voxrename>Wischhover, Cheryl. "As 'dieting' becomes more taboo, Weight Watchers is changing its name". Vox. September 24, 2018.</ref> WW's app was relaunched with features to track other health-related goals.<ref name=Paraderename>Copelan, Christine. "Weight Watchers Changes Name ". Parade. September 24, 2018.</ref><ref name=BBCname/> Its FitPoints system has been marketed as allowing individuals to choose activities which have the biggest impact on their health.<ref name=BBCname/> At that time the company also began a partnership with the meditation app Headspace to offer customized mindfulness content for members.<ref name=Paraderename/><ref name="Guardian rebrand"/><ref name=Forbesrebrand/><ref>Sherman, Elisabeth. "Weight Watchers Has a New Name, Will Focus on 'Wellness'". The Kitchn. September 24, 2018.</ref><ref name=Jezebelrename/><ref name=FCrename/>

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.<ref name=FCrename/><ref name=6ABCrename>"Weight Watchers to change its name, offer new programs". 6 ABC. September 29, 2018.</ref><ref name=Voxrename/><ref name=Fortunerename/><ref name="Guardian rebrand">Butler, Sarah. "Weight Watchers plans tech rebrand to take on wellness industry". The Guardian. September 24, 2018.</ref> The company also announced Connect, a digital community, which would include micro-community Groups.<ref name=FCrename/><ref name=Jezebelrename>Reese, Ashley. "Weight Watchers Is Pivoting to Wellness". Jezebel. September 24, 2018.</ref><ref name=Voxrename/><ref name=CNBCrename>Ferris, Robert; LaVito, Angelica. "Weight Watchers renames itself to 'WW' as consumers want to be well, not to diet". CNBC. September 24, 2018.</ref><ref name=Forbesrebrand>MacKenzie, Macaela. "The New Weight Watchers Doesn't Want To Talk About Weight -- WW Is All About Wellness". Forbes. September 26, 2018.</ref><ref name=Fortunerename/>

Decline and bankruptcy

On April 9, 2025, it was reported that WW was preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection within the coming months, blaming financial challenges and increased competition from weight loss drugs such as Ozempic. The company plans to eliminate most of its debt and sell itself to creditors.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

On May 6, 2025, WW filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware, 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Business model

Weight Watchers' business model is one of a subscription-based program of support,<ref>Hiltzik, Michael. "First Oprah, now a scientific study: Weight Watchers offers wary investors another story". Los Angeles Times. February 22, 2016.</ref><ref name=profitconfidential>Saaim, Palwasha. "WTW Stock: Don't Bet On Weight Watchers International, Inc.". ProfitConfidential.com. October 20, 2015.</ref> plus a variety of purchasable products, media, services, and technologies. Its brand identity has been framed around Weight Watchers being a community,<ref name=emotional/><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=disrupt>Lauchlan, Stuart. "In pursuit of health and wellness – Fitbit, Weight Watchers digitally disrupt their business models". Diginomica. March 13, 2018.</ref> and its website is intrinsic to its effectiveness.<ref name=emotional>Gobe, Marc. Emotional Branding: The New Paradigm for Connecting Brands to People. Skyhorse Publishing, 2010. p. 232.</ref><ref name=profitconfidential/> Particularly in the 21st century, the company has increasingly marketed itself as a health and wellness brand rather than a weight-loss brand,<ref name=disrupt/><ref name=skinny>Garcia, Tonya. "Weight Watchers is shifting from weight loss to wellness as 'healthy is the new skinny'". MarketWatch. March 4, 2018.</ref><ref name=FCrename>Raphael, Rina. "Here's why Weight Watchers changed its name". Fast Company. September 24, 2018.</ref> and its dietary plans emphasize fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and foods high in whole grains and low in trans fats.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=USNaWR-WWD/> Also in the 21st century, the company has increasingly tried to effectively and competitively balance its digital and offline offerings.<ref>Lauchlan, Stuart. "Weighing in on the digital/offline balance at Weight Watchers". Diginomica. March 3, 2017.</ref><ref>Harwell, Drew. "Oprah grabs a slice of Weight Watchers, but the diet giant might still be doomed". Washington Post. October 19, 2015.</ref> As of 2019, the program offered weight-loss support via the app and website, in-person workshops and personal coaching.<ref name="USNaWR-WWD" />

Products and services

Weight Watchers' primary sources of income are subscriptions to the program.<ref name=10K2017>Form 10-K: Annual Report for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2017. Weight Watchers International, Inc. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. February 28, 2018.</ref><ref name=Fortunerename>Wahba, Phil. "Weight Watchers Changes Name to 'WW' in Big Bet on Wellness". Fortune. September 24, 2018.</ref>

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.<ref name="USNaWR-WWD" /><ref name=10K2017/>

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.<ref name=10K2017/><ref name=bloombergprofile>"Company Overview of Weight Watchers International, Inc.". Bloomberg. Retrieved May 21, 2018.</ref> 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.<ref name=10K2017/><ref name=bloombergprofile/>

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.<ref> Zerden, Sheldon. The Best of Health. Warren H. Green Inc., 2004. p. 349.</ref><ref>"Fight flab with a diet that counts calories". San Bernardino Sun. May 20, 1974.</ref><ref name=Forty/><ref name=DecisionTree/><ref>Lavin, Norman. Manual of Endocrinology and Metabolism. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2012. p. 550.</ref> It was based around lean meat, fish, skim milk, and fruits and vegetables, and it banned alcohol, sweets, and fatty foods.<ref name=NYTobit/> It had lists of allowed and prohibited foods,<ref name=simple-nourished>McKinnon, Martha. "What Was The Old Weight Watchers Plan Like In The 1960s?". Simple Nourished Living. January 17, 2013.</ref><ref>Carpender, Dana. "The Original Weight Watchers Plan". HoldTheToast.com. May 15, 2015.</ref> and was more structured than subsequent versions of the Weight Watchers program.<ref name=ClinicalGuide>Barnett, Megan. "Chapter 8: The Weight Watchers Diet". In: Apovian, Caroline; Brouillard, Elizabeth; Young, Lorraine (eds). Clinical Guide to Popular Diets. CRC Press, 2018. pp. 113–124.</ref> It recommended weighing food portions, and prohibited skipping meals or counting calories.<ref name=simple-nourished/><ref name=ClinicalGuide/>

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.<ref>DiValentino, Ariana. "The pros and cons of Weight Watchers, according to medical professionals". Insider. August 29, 2018.</ref>

• 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.<ref>Haberman, Clyde; Johnston, Laurie. "Notes on People". New York Times. April 24, 1979.</ref><ref name=stride>Blumenthal, Deborah. "Taking Fitness in Stride". New York Times. November 27, 1983.</ref> 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.<ref name=stride/><ref>Weight Watchers. Weight Watchers 50th Anniversary Cookbook. St. Martin's Press, 2013. p. xv.</ref><ref>McCall's, Volume 110. McCall's, 1982. p. 601.</ref>
• 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.<ref name=ClinicalGuide/><ref>"WW 1980 Plan". Weight Loss and Food Thoughts. April 27, 2011.</ref><ref>"Diet and eating". Organic Remedies. January 9, 2017.</ref><ref>"Weight Watchers Food Plan Diet Cookbook". Kirkus Reviews. 1982.</ref>
• 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.<ref name=Forty/><ref name=IDCH2005/><ref>Chavez, Tim. "Diet Franchise Enjoys Robust Success". The Oklahoman. March 11, 1984.</ref> It was the company's first exchange-based diet, where foods within categories could be exchanged for each other.<ref name=ClinicalGuide/> This was expanded in 1986 to Quick Start Plus, with higher-fat options and Personal Choice options.<ref name=ClinicalGuide/><ref>Nidetch, Jean. Weight Watchers Quick Start Plus Program Cookbook: Including Personal Choice Food Selections. New American Library, 1986.</ref>
• 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.<ref>Myers, Gerry. Targeting the New Professional Woman: How to Market and Sell to Today's 57 Million Working Women. Probus, 1993. p. 200.</ref> The meetings are held either before work, during the lunch break, or after work,<ref name=backgrounder>"Weight Watchers International, Inc. Corporate Backgrounder". Weight Watchers. Retrieved May 21, 2018.</ref> and the fees are usually subsidized by the employer.<ref>"The At Work Program". Weight Watchers. 2009.</ref>
• In 1988, Weight Watchers launched the Quick Success program, a plan that was easier and more flexible, particularly for working women.<ref>Stoffel, Jennifer. "A New Breed of Dieter Watches Weight at the Workplace". New York Times. November 26, 1989.</ref><ref>McKinnon, Martha. "Why I Think The Old Weight Watchers Exchange Program 1980s/1990 (Quick Success) Was Better Than Points". Simple Nourished Living. July 11, 2015.</ref><ref>Ewell, Vickie. "Looking for the Old Weight Watchers Exchange Plan?". Life After Low Carb. March 17, 2015.</ref><ref>"WW 1989 Plan". Weight Loss and Food Thoughts.

April 27, 2011.</ref> It also allowed for a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet, and increased the minimum daily vegetable intake from two to three.<ref name=ClinicalGuide/>

• 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.<ref name=belluz2015/><ref name=Forty/><ref name=ClinicalGuide/>
• 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.<ref name=backgrounder/><ref>Salzman, Marian; Matathia, Ira; O'Reilly, Ann. Buzz: Harness the Power of Influence and Create Demand. John Wiley & Sons, 2003. p. 66.</ref><ref>McDonough, John; Egolf, Karen. The Advertising Age Encyclopedia of Advertising. Routledge, 2015.</ref>
• In 2004, Weight Watchers launched the Turn Around program,<ref name=ClinicalGuide/> 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.<ref>Mansfield, Helen. "After 45 years, Weight Watchers remains popular with participants". Lake County Journal. January 2, 2007.</ref> 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.<ref name=verywellfit>Scott, Jennifer R. "When Did Weight Watchers Start?". VeryWellFit.com. May 26, 2017.</ref><ref name=3Chicks77>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.</ref> 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.<ref name=3Chicks77/><ref name=verywellfit/>
• 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.<ref name=verywellfit/><ref>Scott, Jennifer R. "Weight Watchers Momentum Plan". VeryWellFit.com. January 23, 2018.</ref><ref>"Momentum Plan - Simply Filling Technique". WW Cheat Sheets. Retrieved May 21, 2018.</ref><ref>"Weight Watchers Momentum Program". PEERtrainer. December 27, 2008.</ref>
• In late 2010 Weight Watchers overhauled its POINTS system and replaced it with PointsPlus (ProPoints outside the U.S.);<ref name=NPRsplurgers/><ref name=governing/> under the new system, fruits and non-starchy vegetables are zero points, and processed foods have higher points than they did before.<ref name=gootman/><ref name=revamps/><ref name=farnham/><ref name=minds/><ref name="Calories Come From"/><ref name="reservations persist"/>
• 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.<ref>Hellmich, Nanci. "New Weight Watchers 360 plan unveiled". USA Today. December 2, 2012.</ref><ref>McKinnon, Martha. "The Weight Watchers 360 Program". Simple Nourished Living. December 4, 2012.</ref><ref>Kosner, Anthony Wing. "Weight Watchers 360: Mobile Apps Can Break Hard Habits With Easy-to-Follow Steps". Forbes. December 17, 2012.</ref><ref>McConnell, Alaina. "Weight Watchers CEO: 'Willpower Is Completely Overrated'". Business Insider. December 6, 2012.</ref>
• In September 2014, Weight Watchers began syncing its apps with wearable fitness monitors such as Fitbit and Jawbone, so that the activity of members who own those devices is instantly uploaded and tracked and converted to points.<ref>Pai, Aditi. "Weight Watchers integrates Jawbone, Fitbit data into app". MobiHealthNews. September 11, 2014.</ref><ref>Hall, Chris. "Weight Watchers now plays nice with Fitbit and Jawbone". Pocket-Lint.com. September 11, 2014.</ref><ref>Lamkin, Paul. "Weight Watchers teams up with Fitbit for ProPoints boost". Wareable. December 2, 2014.</ref>
• In December 2014, Weight Watchers launched two new services: Personal Coaching and 24/7 Expert Chat.<ref name=fortune2014-12-15/> 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.<ref name=fortune2014-12-15/><ref name=gets-personal/> 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.<ref name=fortune2014-12-15>Huddleston Jr., Tom. "Weight Watchers rolls out new online services, coaching for the holiday season". Fortune. December 15, 2014.</ref><ref name=gets-personal>Hallett, Vicky. "Weight Watchers gets personal with new coaching program". Washington Post. December 16, 2014.</ref>
• 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.<ref name=amidor/><ref name=MobiHealthNews/><ref name=explained/><ref>Gibson, Caitlin. "Holistic or horrifying? Not everyone loves Weight Watchers' new program.". Washington Post. December 24, 2015.</ref><ref name=ClinicalGuide/> That same month, the company launched Connect, a social-media platform via its app where members receive support from other members.<ref>Comstock, Jonah. "Weight Watchers' reinvented program Beyond the Scale includes FitBreak app". MobiHealthNews.com. December 7, 2015.</ref><ref>Carusillo, Claire. "Is Weight Watchers Connect the Only Good Social Network?". Racked. April 28, 2016.</ref><ref>Buonomo, R. "Weight Watchers Social Media Takeover". University of Waterloo, Social Media for Business Performance. February 14, 2017.</ref><ref>Brooker, Rosina. "Weight Watchers Connect is Supporting Weight Loss on Social Media". SocialSongbird.com. May 4, 2016.</ref>
• In December 2017, Weight Watchers introduced WW Freestyle (called WW Flex outside the U.S.),<ref name=SNLFreestyle/> 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.<ref name=YahooFreestyle/><ref name=zeropoint/><ref name=WebMD/><ref name=fuel/>
• 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Reception

As of July 2018, Weight Watchers was the most widely used commercial diet in the world.<ref name=ClinicalGuide/><ref name=forbeswar/> 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.<ref name=10K2017/> Its main long-term competitors in the commercial weight-loss company genre are Jenny Craig and Nutrisystem.<ref>Kaplan, Karen. "Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig most reliable for weight loss, study says". Los Angeles Times. April 6, 2015.</ref><ref name=forbeswar/><ref>"Measuring Weight Watchers' Wide Moat". Seeking Alpha. September 23, 2013.</ref> Weight Watchers has been included in U.S. News & World ReportTemplate:'s rankings for 40 most popular diets and has also been listed as No.1 for weight loss and best commercial diets.<ref name="USNaWR-WWD" />

For Weight Watchers customers who choose to attend meetings, in addition to supplying information and lifestyle tips, meetings operate as support groups that provide empathy, rapport, and mutual understanding, as well as positive reinforcement.<ref name=kanner/><ref name=invus/><ref>"Weight Watchers International, Inc.". Hoovers. June 2016.</ref>

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.<ref>Anderson Kari. "Dieting, Weight and Making Peace with Food". Psychology Today. January 31, 2017.</ref><ref name=nyt2/> Previously the company's prepared foods had been criticized as containing preservatives and other additives;<ref>Lieber, Chavie. "Weight Watchers and the End of Dieting". Racked. August 13, 2015.</ref><ref>Campbell, Abby. "Weight Watchers meals processed with over 50 ingredients". Natural Health 365. November 1, 2015.</ref> 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.<ref name=skinny/><ref>Vanian, Jonathan. "How Weight Watchers and Ford Are 'Redesigning' Their Businesses". Fortune. June 27, 2018.</ref><ref>Dantes, Damanick. "Weight Watchers CEO: Define Your Purpose and Act on It". Fortune. August 2, 2018.</ref><ref>Bomey, Nathan. "Weight Watchers rebrands as WW, eliminates artificial ingredients in focus on wellness". USA Today. September 24, 2018.</ref>

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.<ref name="nyt1">Template:Cite news</ref> Christy Harrison, a registered dietician, wrote in the New York Times, "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."<ref name="nyt2">Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> 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 Template:Not a typoTemplate:Definition needed of 0.26,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> and a survey of weight management apps published in JMIR mHealth and Template:Proper name noted that of their list, only Kurbo involved health care professionals in its development.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

As a result of the release of Kurbo by WW, WW's corporate headquarters in New York City were protested on September 13, 2019,<ref name="bi">Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name="nbcnews">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Leadership and spokespersons

Corporate governance

Weight Watchers' founder Jean Nidetch was the company's President from 1963–1973.<ref name=IDCH2005/>

Al Lippert was CEO of Weight Watchers from 1963–1981.<ref name=NYTLippertObit/> From 1978–1999, Weight Watchers was a subsidiary of Heinz. Charles M. Berger was CEO of Weight Watchers from 1982–1994,<ref name=Princeton>Princeton Alumni Weekly. May 3, 1982. pp. 59–60.</ref><ref>"Deaths: Berger, Charles Martin". New York Times. December 10, 2008.</ref> having previously been its President.<ref name=Princeton/><ref name=IDCH2005/> Since 1999, the CEOs of Weight Watchers have been: Linda Huett 2000–2006;<ref>"Form 10-K: Annual Report for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2002". Weight Watchers International. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. March 28, 2003.</ref><ref>"RC2 Announces Appointment of Linda A. Huett and Peter J. Henseler to its Board of Directors". Business Wire. March 20, 2007.</ref> David Kirchhoff 2007–2013;<ref>Dave Kirchhoff at LinkedIn. Retrieved May 21, 2018.</ref> Jim Chambers 2013–2016;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Vardi, Nathan. "Weight Watchers CEO Resigns As Oprah Winfrey's $1 Billion Golden Touch Is Gone". Forbes. September 12, 2016.</ref> and Mindy Grossman 2017–present.<ref name=":0" />

Grossman also serves as President and on the board of directors.<ref name=":0" /> Since 1999, the chairman of the company has been Raymond Debbane, co-founder and CEO of The Invus Group.<ref name=10K2017/>

In 2015, Oprah Winfrey purchased a 10 percent ownership stake in WW International and served as a member of the board of directors.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name="guard-29feb2024">Template:Cite news</ref>

Spokespersons

Founder Jean Nidetch was the company's public face and spokesperson from its launch in 1963 through 1983.<ref>"Jean Nidetch". PBS. Retrieved May 21, 2018.</ref> Subsequent spokespersons have included: Lynn Redgrave (1983–1992),<ref>Fisher, Luchina. "Vanessa Redgrave 'Grieving and Glorying' After Sister Lynn Redgrave's Death". ABC News. May 13, 2010.</ref><ref>"Lynn Redgrave". TCM. Retrieved May 21, 2018.</ref> Kathleen Sullivan (1994–1995),<ref name=Forty/><ref>Janofsky, Michael. "A former TV star is reborn as an all-too-human spokeswoman for a Weight Watchers' campaign". New York Times. March 9, 1994.</ref><ref>Pratt, Steven. "Fight Fat With Fiber". Chicago Tribune. February 22, 1995.</ref> Sarah, Duchess of York (1997–2007),<ref name=IDCH2017/><ref>Lamothe, Keisha. "Weight Watchers' famous faces". CNN Money. May 16, 2013.</ref><ref>Williams, Grace L. "The Oprah Effect: Weight Watchers Ambassadors Over The Years". Forbes. October 24, 2015.</ref> Greg Grunberg (2007),<ref>"Celebrity Weight Watchers Endorsers". Parade. June 5, 2012.</ref> Tamela Mann (2008–present), Jenny McCarthy (2009),<ref>Lamothe, Keisha. "Weight Watchers' famous faces". CNN Money. May 16, 2013.</ref> Jennifer Hudson (2010–2014),<ref name=IDCH2017/><ref>Lamothe, Keisha. "Weight Watchers' famous faces". CNN Money. May 16, 2013.</ref><ref>"Jennifer Hudson Parts Ways With Weight Watchers After 80-Pound Weight Loss". Huffington Post. May 15, 2014.</ref> Charles Barkley (2011–2014),<ref>Lamothe, Keisha. "Weight Watchers' famous faces". CNN Money. May 16, 2013.</ref><ref name=USATodayDec2014>Horovitz, Bruce. "Weight Watchers: Butts are in for 2015". USA Today. December 26, 2014.</ref> Jessica Simpson (2012–2014),<ref>Lamothe, Keisha. "Weight Watchers' famous faces". CNN Money. May 16, 2013.</ref><ref name=USATodayDec2014/> Ana Gasteyer (2013),<ref>Newman, Andrew Adam. "Twitter Posts Lead Weight Watchers Online to a New Spokeswoman". New York Times. March 27, 2013.</ref> Oprah Winfrey (2015–2024),<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Sblendorio, Peter. "Oprah Winfrey stars in first Weight Watchers commercial, says there's no time like present to lose weight". New York Daily News. December 28, 2015.</ref><ref>Mango, Alison. "Just in Time for the New Year, Here Is Oprah's First Weight Watchers Ad". Health. December 29, 2015.</ref> DJ Khaled (2018–present),<ref>Pullen, John Patrick. "Weight Watchers Teamed Up With DJ Khaled and Its Stock Immediately Skyrocketed". Fortune. January 2, 2018.</ref> Kate Hudson (2018–present), <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Kevin Smith (2018–present),<ref>Kuperinsky, Amy. "Kevin Smith, down 32 pounds, becomes a Weight Watchers ambassador". NJ.com. April 23, 2018.</ref> and James Corden (2021–2023).<ref name="hl-27apr2023">Template:Cite news</ref>

See also

• List of diets

External links

• Template:Official website