March 7, 2023 — Okay, we’re awake now. WeightWatchers has entered a deal to add telehealth and obesity meds to their business strategy. The company will spend $132 million in cash and stock to acquire Sequence – a subscription telehealth service for weight loss that utilizes advanced obesity meds like semaglutide. Weight Watchers CEO Sima Sistani explains her rationale […]
October 14, 2022 — Let’s begin at the end. No. Everyone who loses weight does not regain it all. Nonetheless, it’s quite popular for folks to offer up that narrative if they want to sell the idea that obesity is normal and healthy and it’s worse than a waste of time for individuals to try to do something about […]
October 8, 2022 — Weight loss is a complicated subject these days. For good reasons, many people hesitate to dwell on it. Moral panic about fatness, weight bias and stigma, and concerns about eating disorders have made this subject controversial at times. So as we look at the meeting at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that starts today […]
February 2, 2020 — We’re nearing the end of diet season, but permanent weight loss puffery isn’t going anywhere. It used to be that promising permanent weight loss would land you in trouble with the FTC. But somehow, the upstart Noom is making a business of it. Much to the dismay of WW International (formerly Weight Watchers), the Noom […]
April 17, 2019 — Noom is an app and a program that climbed into the top trends for diet and nutrition searches on Google in 2018. So now it’s putting considerable pressure on the old guard of the diet industry at a time when consumers have very mixed feelings about that business. Weight Watchers is now WW – Wellness […]
August 24, 2018 — It’s a thought bubble that looms over many conversations about obesity. A hundred million Americans have it. Therefore, we can’t possibly respond on an adequate scale with treatment. All too often, that thought is enough. Conversations about obesity care stop before they really get started. But a new study published in Obesity today points to […]
March 5, 2018 — “You should be ashamed.” That message flies in every direction when the subject is weight and health and obesity. Shame is a potent tool, but it’s a sloppy one. And for health, it’s never helpful. Truth suffers when people start thinking they have an exclusive claim on the truth. And on weight, health, and obesity, one […]
February 11, 2018 — Social media gives power to intense emotions. And if you want to sample intense emotions, tune into a conversation between fat acceptance advocates and Weight Watchers. Well, calling it a conversation is probably inaccurate. It’s more of a one-sided torrent of anger. And it’s all about outreach to teens. Sparked by a Press Release Last […]
December 7, 2017 — Here’s a case study for the ages. In the midst of our relentless obesity epidemic, consumers have made a massive shift in attitudes about weight and health. Suddenly, weight management brands found themselves at risk. The biggest brand – Weight Watchers – faced the greatest risk. And now it seems to be emerging in a new, […]
August 4, 2017 — Weight Watchers seems to be finding life for its brand despite the demise of dieting in popular culture. Business results for the company, released yesterday, show remarkable new vitality. Profits for the company are up by 48% for the second quarter of this year. Memberships are up by 20%, now totaling 3.5 million. CEO Mindy […]
