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about uspress roomWeight Watchers International press releases
Weight Watchers International, Inc. Corporate Backgrounder| Weight Watchers International was founded in 1963 by Jean Nidetch. The company became a publicly held corporation in September 1968 and ten years later became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the H. J. Heinz Company. In September 1999, Artal Luxembourg, S.A. took ownership of the company. Linda A. Huett is President and CEO of Weight Watchers International, Inc., based in Woodbury, New York. Weight Watchers became a public company in November 2001, and is listed on the NYSE as “WTW.”
Since its inception 40 years ago, Weight Watchers has taught millions of members how to lose weight. Currently, in or during any given week members attend one of over 44,000 Weight Watchers meetings in 30 countries worldwide.
The Weight Watchers ProgramThe Weight Watchers program is a state-of-the-art, scientifically designed approach to weight control. Based on the philosophy that successful weight loss is achieved through the attainment of a series of realistic goals, the Weight Watchers program is a multi-dimensional, comprehensive way to learn how to achieve and then maintain a healthy body weight for the long-term. It incorporates healthful eating, physical activity, behavioral support, maintenance, and group support. The Program affirms that to lose weight safely and sensibly, a person must learn to eat more healthfully, increase physical activity and handle the challenges encountered in the process of changing behavior.
FlexPoints - with the POINTS® Weight-Loss System
Weight Watchers understands that members have very busy lives. FlexPoints was developed with that in mind. With no more banking, fewer rules, and eye-catching easy-to-read materials FlexPoints helps members lose weight in the real world. It includes the patented POINTS Weight-Loss System, which is proprietary to Weight Watchers. Building on the tremendous popularity of the POINTS Weight-Loss System, FlexPoints offers members solutions to weight-loss situations like never before.
The core of FlexPoints is still the POINTS Food System, based on a “breakthrough” formula involving calories, fat, and fiber. There is no complicated counting. It offers the flexibility of Menus and Meal Ideas and the structure of Food Lists featuring common foods, with POINTS values, in realistic portions. POINTS values can also be determined quickly and easily from any food label using the POINTS finder® slide.
Members are given the freedom to enjoy special occasions and eating out. With 35 FlexPoints available to spend at the beginning of the week, members will be ready for any occasion that threatens to upset a weight-loss plan. No food is forbidden when there are FlexPoints to spend. The principles of portion control are reinforced with visuals of common portion sizes, to help members learn to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.
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| FlexPoints meets the nutritional recommendations of many major health organizations in North America. The plan is designed to encourage members to eat a wide variety of foods, in amounts that promote a healthy weight loss.
Another core component is the POINTS Activity System, designed to complement the POINTS Food System. Based on a proprietary formula that includes body weight, time, and intensity, all types of physical activity can be assigned a POINTS value. Weight Watchers members are provided with a POINTS booster® to calculate Activity POINTS values independently. Adding more value to the POINTS Activity System is the introduction of visual workout guides to tone those legs, arms, and the abdomen.
Recommendations about the types and amount of physical activity to be included are consistent with the guidelines advocated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine. Members are encouraged to reduce sedentary behavior and progressively increase activity throughout FlexPoints.
The need for behavioral change is also a core component of the Weight Watchers Program. Weight Watchers knows that there are personal challenges encountered throughout the weight-loss process. To meet this need, Weight Watchers Tools for Living were developed to teach specific skills that enhance members’ ability to meet and overcome these challenges. As part of the group meetings, discussions on real topics - such as staying motivated, overeating, and managing stress - offer valuable insight and provide the reassurance that no one has to do it alone.
FlexPoints also introduces a new feature called Action Sheets, which provide guidance for situations members may experience while losing weight, such as a plateau. Members are given specific action steps to take to help break the plateau. And for those members having difficulty getting back on track after vacation there is a 7-day low- POINTS menu available to help jumpstart their weight loss again.
Losing 10% of present weight continues to be encouraged by Leaders as an initial weight-loss goal for members. Once members reach their weight goal — set by their physician or one within a weight range determined as a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI) — and maintain it for six weeks, they achieve Lifetime Member status. This gives them the privilege of attending Weight Watchers meetings free of charge, as long as they maintain a weight within two pounds of their weight goal and weigh in once a month.
The Group Support SystemFor over 40 years, Weight Watchers has learned that the strongest motivation and support comes from people who have been there themselves — and succeeded. The Group Support System remains the cornerstone of the Weight Watchers program.
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| Weight Watchers offers this support through meetings that are interactive, contemporary, and encourage hands-on learning through group activities and discussions. Meetings can be customized to suit the particular needs of each individual group. Members learn strategies from Leaders who have learned how to lose and maintain their weight on the Weight Watchers Program and are trained to respond to members' needs. The Weight Watchers Group Support System continues throughout the maintenance period of the Program when members learn how to stay within their appropriate weight range.
Weight Watchers ServicesWeight Watchers comprehensive approach to weight management is offered through two distinct services: Traditional Group Services and The At Work Program®.
Traditional Group Service is the Weight Watchers meeting offered within the community, either at a retail site or a community center. The At Work Program from Weight Watchers, created in 1984, meets the weight-loss needs of people in the workforce by operating "on-site" in their place of employment. Employees can attend The At Work Program meetings that are held either before work, during lunch hours, or after work.
Weight Watchers ProductsIn addition to the weight management program, a number of products and services are offered under the Weight Watchers trademark, either through Weight Watchers International, Inc. or its licensees. These include a broad line of food products, best-selling cookbooks, exercise videos and audiotapes, a variety of food scales, program tools, a national magazine and a highly visited website.
Weight Watchers Website and Toll Free NumberWeight Watchers website address is WeightWatchers.com and its national toll free phone number for program and membership information is 1-800-651-6000.
Weight Watchers Scientific Advisory CouncilThe Scientific Advisory Council is comprised of experts who provide Weight Watchers with advice and counsel regarding scientific issues and trends. The board includes: Xavier Pi-Sunyer, M.D., St. Lukes/Roosevelt Hospital, NYC, Chairperson; Claude Bouchard, Ph.D., Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA; Shiriki Kumanyika, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University; William McArdle, Ph.D., FACSM, Queens College of the City of New York; Judith Stern, Ph.D., University of California-Davis; Michael Lowe, Ph.D., MCP Hahnemann University, Philadelphia, PA. .
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