Latest news with #TaraComonte
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
WeightWatchers back from the brink as company brands fad diets and fat jabs like Ozempic and Mounjaro a 'quick fix'
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. 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.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Formerly bankrupt weight-loss company makes a comeback
When it comes to things that most concern Americans about their health, weight loss is often at the top of the list. While America doesn't have the top obesity rate in the world, it does rank high on the list. More than 45% of Americans are obese. But the issue is bigger than just in the country - the worldwide rate of adult obesity has more than doubled since 1990, per the World Health Organization. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Attempts to solve this problem have spawned a thriving diet industry, always promoting the next pill, diet plan, or weight-loss gimmick to those desperate to attain better health. These approaches have all propelled the U.S. weight-loss market to grow over the decades, but the birth of GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic sent it to new heights in 2023, with a market value of $90 billion. Related: One of Oprah's favorite things prepares for Chapter 11 bankruptcy It's a profitable market, but also an overcrowded one, and trying to get people's attention and stay on the cutting edge of what appeals to consumers presents a daunting challenge that businesses must continually navigate. Now, after one of the best-known names in the industry seemed to be on the edge of extinction, it's making a turnaround that few could have predicted - and with a new focus on a long-ignored women's issue. After declaring Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May of 2025, once-giant WeightWatchers (rebranded to WW beginning in 2018) admitted its $1.5 billion in debt was too big of a burden to continue to bear. The bankruptcy process would eliminate that debt, the company said, and it expected to reemerge as a publicly traded company. "The decisive actions we're taking today, with the overwhelming support of our lenders and noteholders, will give us the flexibility to accelerate innovation, reinvest in our members, and lead with authority in a rapidly evolving weight management landscape," said CEO Tara Comonte in a release at the time. Related: WeightWatchers takes drastic step to exit bankruptcy WeightWatchers made its debut in the '60s, at a time when diet and portion control were a focus, and enjoyed many decades of success. The company also got a significant boost when Oprah partnered with it in 2015. WeightWatchers has now emerged from that bankruptcy with a new focus: helping middle-aged women struggling with all stages of menopause, from peri to post. The new program will offer access to prescription treatments such as hormone replacement therapy and also help women connect with resources for behavioral and nutritional support, WeightWatchers said. The company also named Dr. Kim Boyd as its new chief medical officer. Boyd has worked in leadership at One Medical, Calibrate, Caire, Galileo, and Nurx in the past and has co-founded or scaled multiple consumer health companies. Menopause care has been a hot topic as of late, with high-profile actresses such as Naomi Watts founding new companies to support women going through it. After Watts experienced early menopause at 36, she founded Stripes Beauty, a brand that sells products aimed at women in all stages of the life change. WW's new angle could provide the first large-scale platform for menopausal women, which could take advantage of a once-taboo topic that's slowly gained more attention in recent years. Related: Red-hot weight-loss drug stock tanks after surprise pharma giant decision The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
WeightWatchers to focus on menopause after fat jabs cripple business
WeightWatchers is to launch a new menopause programme as appetite-suppressing fat jabs put pressure on its dieting business. The New York-headquartered company said it will support women through mid-life hormonal changes with a programme of tailored nutritional help and advice on lifestyle changes. The strategic shift comes after WeightWatchers filed for bankruptcy in May, allowing it to write off $1.15bn (£810m) in debt from its balance sheet. WeightWatchers said its expansion into women's health would 'address a broader gap in healthcare' adding it had been 'long underserved and overlooked by scientific and medical communities'. Tara Comonte, chief executive of WeightWatchers, labelled the transformation a 'pivotal moment' for the company. Dieting businesses like WeightWatchers are scrambling to adapt to the rapidly growing market for weight-loss drugs. Morgan Stanley has predicted that the market could hit $105bn (£81.3bn) by 2030. WeightWatchers suffered a blow in 2023 when long-time brand ambassador and board member Oprah Winfrey announced that she was using an unspecified weight loss medication in 2023. Ms Winfrey then left the company's board the following year. Last week, Wes Streeting, the health secretary, told LBC Radio that weight-loss drugs were the ' talk of the House of Commons tea rooms ' and claimed half of his colleagues were using them. Mr Streeting pledged to widen public access to weight-loss drugs, stating that they should be 'based on need and not the ability to pay'. Weight-loss jabs make users feel fuller for longer by slowing the speed at which their stomachs empty. This is a significant challenger for WeightWatchers, which markets a willpower-based alternative to shedding pounds. In a move to adapt, WeightWatchers announced in May that its UK subsidiary had partnered with CheqUp, a provider of weight-loss jabs. The company also redesigned its app to target people on weight-loss injections, offering food recommendations to minimise the side-effects of the jabs, such as nausea. WeightWatchers said its new women's health programme would support people through perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause. It added that it would provide nutritional guidance and specialised coaching for women at this stage in their life. Founded in 1963 by the American businesswoman Jean Nidetch, the company helps users monitor their diets by attributing scores to different foods. WeightWatchers also sells its own range of ready meals and low-calorie wines. It is not the only company facing challenges as a result of weight loss jabs. Glanbia, the owner of meal replacement company SlimFast, recently announced it would sell the business in February following a decline in sales.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
WeightWatchers emerges from bankruptcy after slimming down debts
WeightWatchers has emerged from bankruptcy after slimming down its debts, as it pledged to combine weight-loss jabs with lifestyle changes amid 'quick fixes' dominating the market. The company said it was shaking up its leadership team and launching a new menopause programme. The group filed for bankruptcy in the US in May in order to eliminate 1.15 billion US dollars (£840 million) worth of debt on its balance sheet. The court process enabled it to restructure its finances and write off the debts, which made up more than 70% of the total amount, while agreeing new terms to pay back its lenders. WeightWatchers' chief executive Tara Comonte had said it needed to transform amid a 'rapidly evolving weight managing landscape'. Competition has grown fiercely with demand for prescription weight-loss injections under brand names like Mounjaro and Wegovy growing, while studies into the long-term effects of the jabs are ongoing. On Tuesday, the group said it had appointed a new chief medical officer, physician Dr Kim Boyd, to lead the integration of emerging science into its wider lifestyle-based offering for members. Dr Boyd said she planned to expand the company's 'legacy' by 'combining the best tools of modern medicine, like GLP-1s, with science-backed lifestyle change and the power of community to deliver better outcomes'. GLP-1s, the scientific term for weight-loss jabs, work by reducing food cravings. WeightWatchers recently partnered with anti-obesity drugs provider CheqUp in the UK so patients taking the medication can access its 'companion' diet and lifestyle support app. Ms Comonte said it was a 'pivotal moment for the group, adding: 'With renewed financial strength, an expanded leadership team, and the addition of Dr Kim Boyd to lead clinical strategy and programme innovation, we're accelerating our transformation. '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.' The restructuring resulted in the company appointing a new board of directors. It also revealed it would be launching a new programme later this year to support women through perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause, through tailored nutritional and behavioural strategies. The move will help it address a broader gap in healthcare and meet the evolving needs of millions of its members around the world, it said.
Rhyl Journal
2 days ago
- Business
- Rhyl Journal
WeightWatchers emerges from bankruptcy after slimming down debts
The company said it was shaking up its leadership team and launching a new menopause programme. The group filed for bankruptcy in the US in May in order to eliminate 1.15 billion US dollars (£840 million) worth of debt on its balance sheet. The court process enabled it to restructure its finances and write off the debts, which made up more than 70% of the total amount, while agreeing new terms to pay back its lenders. WeightWatchers' chief executive Tara Comonte had said it needed to transform amid a 'rapidly evolving weight managing landscape'. Competition has grown fiercely with demand for prescription weight-loss injections under brand names like Mounjaro and Wegovy growing, while studies into the long-term effects of the jabs are ongoing. On Tuesday, the group said it had appointed a new chief medical officer, physician Dr Kim Boyd, to lead the integration of emerging science into its wider lifestyle-based offering for members. Dr Boyd said she planned to expand the company's 'legacy' by 'combining the best tools of modern medicine, like GLP-1s, with science-backed lifestyle change and the power of community to deliver better outcomes'. GLP-1s, the scientific term for weight-loss jabs, work by reducing food cravings. WeightWatchers recently partnered with anti-obesity drugs provider CheqUp in the UK so patients taking the medication can access its 'companion' diet and lifestyle support app. Ms Comonte said it was a 'pivotal moment for the group, adding: 'With renewed financial strength, an expanded leadership team, and the addition of Dr Kim Boyd to lead clinical strategy and programme innovation, we're accelerating our transformation. '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.' The restructuring resulted in the company appointing a new board of directors. It also revealed it would be launching a new programme later this year to support women through perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause, through tailored nutritional and behavioural strategies. The move will help it address a broader gap in healthcare and meet the evolving needs of millions of its members around the world, it said.
