WeightWatchers

diet and exercise program company

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.[3] 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.[3] In 2018, the company rebranded to "WW" to reflect "its development from focusing on weight loss to overall health and wellness." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WW_International

• 1968 went public
• 1968 launched Weight Watchers Magazine
• 1975 magazine sold to Family Health magazine comp
• 1978 sold to Heinz
• 1997 launched POINTS system
• 1999 sold to 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.
• 2000 bought back magazine
• 2001 went public again, but as of 2018, Artal remains the company's largest shareholder
• 2001 launched web
• 2007 launched web-for-men
• 2010 replaced POINTS with PointsPlus
• 2014 bought Wello virtual fitness and other similar digital therapeutics companies
• 2015 Oprah Winfrey partnered, and bought 10% of company
• 2017 Mindy Grossman became CEO
• 2018 announced wellness direction
• 2023 Raymond Debbane stepped off board, then Invus sold its stock for $4.8B
• 2025 declares bankruptcy with plans to eliminate most of its $1.5 billion debt