The boss of WeightWatchers branded fat jabs and fad diets a ‘quick fix’, as the company snaps back from the brink of collapse.
The company has cleared £840million of debt by filing for bankruptcy in the US last month.
The dramatic rise of weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro had upended its business model, but chief executive Tara Comonte hailed the relaunch a ‘pivotal moment’ in the company’s 62 years.
‘In a landscape dominated by noise, quick fixes and conflicting advice, WeightWatchers continues to lead as the most trusted, science-backed platform, proven to drive better results and lasting impact,’ she said.
WeightWatchers has been incorporating anti-obesity drugs into its diet plans to win back customers, arguing that using both methods leads to faster and longer-lasting results than the jabs alone.
WeightWatchers is also tapping into a new focus on the menopause by offering support including hormone replacement therapy.
The company has had major spokesmen in the past, including the Duchess of York, actress Kate Hudson and presenter James Corden.
The firm was dealt a major blow last year when long-time supporter and shareholder US presenter Oprah Winfrey resigned from the board and donated her shares after admitting using weight-loss drugs.
WeightWatchers rebranded as WW in 2018 to keep up with a cultural shift away from dieting towards wellness and body positivity
The dramatic rise of weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro had upended WeightWatchers’ business model
Ozempic mimics the body’s GLP-1 hormone decreasing user’s appetites. Pictured: Pens for the diabetes drug Ozempic
In February, Oprah Winfrey said she would leave WW International’s board of directors
Last month WW filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which reorganises a struggling company’s debts to allow it to continue trading.
That allowed the company to wipe off 70 per cent of its debts and has reduced its annual interest payments by around £37million a year.
Following its bankruptcy proceedings, WeightWatchers has appointed former Eli Lilly executive Mike Mason to the board, who oversaw the launch of weight-loss drugs Zepbound and Mounjaro during his tenure at the pharmaceutical firm.
The diet company has teamed up with obesity injection provider CheqUp in the UK.
Patients who are prescribed weight-loss drugs will get access to the WeightWatchers app.
Founded in New York in 1963, WeightWatchers has helped tens of millions slim down via its memberships and diet meals.
It rebranded as WW in 2018 to keep up with a cultural shift away from dieting towards wellness and body positivity.
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