Weight Watchers
 |
|
| Public | |
| Traded as | : WTW |
| Founded | May 15, 1963 Queens, New York, U.S. |
| Headquarters | 675 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor New York, NY 10010 |
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Key people
|
James R. Chambers, President & CEO |
| Products | Weight loss, Packaged foods, Exercise products |
| Revenue |
 $1.724 billion (2013)
|
|
$460.757 million (2013)
|
|
|
$204.725 million (2013)
|
|
| Total assets |
 $1.408 billion (2013)
|
| Total equity |
$-1.474 billion (2013)
|
|
Number of employees
|
25,000 (as of 2013[update]) |
| Website |
weightwatchers.com weightwatchers.co.uk weightwatchers.ca fr.weightwatchers.ca |
Weight Watchers International is an American company that offers various products and services to assist weight loss and maintenance. Founded in 1963 by Queens, New York, homemaker Jean Nidetch, it now[update] operates in about 30 countries around the world, generally under names that are local translations of “Weight Watchers”. The core philosophy behind Weight Watchers programs is to use a science-driven approach to help participants lose weight by forming helpful habits, eating smarter, getting more exercise and providing support.
At 12 months Weight Watchers is associated with 2.6% more weight loss than those who were in a control group.
The term weight-watcher, in the same sense, had circulated publicly for several years before the company was formed.
A 2015 systematic review found that at 12 months Weight Watchers was associated with 2.6% more weight loss than those who were in a control group. There is a lack of evidence beyond this period of time.
Weight Watchers claims that members who both use Weight Watchers’ Web-based eTools and attend meetings lose half again as much weight as those who only attend meetings, citing an unspecified “12 week study comparing people who were instructed to attend Weight Watchers meetings and use eTools to people who were instructed to attend Weight Watchers meetings alone”.
Weight Watchers' core approach is to assist members in losing weight through eating more healthily and getting more exercise. Weight Watchers' primary diet plan has no directly comparable requirements and no food is off limits. Participants lose weight by creating a calorie deficit. Weight Watchers is generally compatible with other diet approaches and/or food intake restrictions, provided participants use the Weight Watchers framework to measure and limit the quantity of food consumed while using the other diet plan to dictate the range of acceptable food choices.
There are two primary ways individuals can work with Weight Watchers: via in-person meetings and an online-only program. Both programs use the same basic materials and computations. For in-person meetings, Weight Watchers encourages members to select a goal weight that results in a body mass index generally accepted as healthy (18 to 24.9), although a member may also establish a goal weight outside of that range after providing a doctor's note to that effect. In order to join Weight Watchers in the United States, one must weigh at least 5 pounds (2.3 kg) more than the minimum weight considered healthy by the company for their height.
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Wikipedia