In the weight loss industry, restrictive diets and obsessive calorie counting are being phased out in favor of a holistic, wellness-based approach. These new priorities are reaching the professional landscape as well. Fitness trainers have made fitness an opportunity to love and accept one’s body. Rather than using exercise solely as a means to lose weight or achieve the perfect physique, nurturing the body’s physical, intellectual, and emotional aspects can make fitness more enjoyable and effective.
On a larger scale, weight loss company WeightWatchers has also been evolving in light of new approaches and discussions around obesity and weight loss. Throughout the company’s history, the brand has often had to transform its offerings and philosophy to stay relevant and provide the most helpful interventions. Their weight loss programs have veered away from strict diets and weight loss into building healthy habits and prioritizing overall well-being. In the business sense, rebranding so often can seem detrimental, but WeightWatchers sees these evolutions as necessary as the weight loss culture changes over the years. As such, the company has been making monumental strides in the field to step into the future; here’s how:
Going beyond diet and exercise
A healthy diet and regular physical activity are paramount to weight loss, but WeightWatchers recognized that losing weight is much more complex than nutrition and exercise. Behavioral and biological aspects of obesity are often overlooked, contributing to the stigma and shame people with obesity often face. WeightWatchers tailors its weight loss programs to address these issues depending on the individual, allowing for a more personalized and comprehensive approach to weight loss and management.
The company is also constantly studying the behavioral, mental, and biological factors of obesity. In January 2024, WeightWatchers released their “Beyond Hunger: Understanding Food Noise” report, which examined the impact of constant, intrusive thoughts about food, known as “food noise.” This report found that 57% of people living with overweight or obesity say they’ve experienced it, but only 12% were aware of the term. By investigating lesser-known issues like food noise, the company can improve its services to provide the best possible solutions for people who struggle with them, helping improve weight loss and health outcomes.
Developing workshops
Recent global events have increased the demand for weight loss support systems online and offline. WeightWatchers understands the need to connect to a community for weight loss—whether in person or virtually—as it provides a judgment-free zone to learn the best techniques for losing weight while in the company of others who can offer empathy and motivation.
For those who want to participate, a simple online search of “weight loss classes near me” can direct people to the nearest locations for a WeightWatchers workshop for easy access. Workshops teach brand-new nutrition and behavioral techniques each week; there’s no limit to how many a person can attend. There will be different members, success stories, and community experiences. The same support and guidance are also offered online, and people can still get expert advice and community accountability virtually. By providing flexible options, people can choose how they want to stay in contact with a coach or their community, depending on their schedule, lifestyle, or preferences.
Venturing into medical weight loss
WeightWatchers has gone through many transformations since its establishment in the 1960s. The company started by relying on discipline and moderation and eventually shifted away from focusing on diets to promote wellness. However, WeightWatchers made another significant change by venturing into the prescription weight loss medication scene. With recent discourse shifting the view of obesity as a chronic disease rather than a personal choice, the company noticed that diet and exercise were not enough for some and that the program needed to evolve.
As such, WeightWatchers acquired the telehealth platform Sequence in 2023, marking its jump into medication-based obesity treatment. Sequence offers telehealth consultations with various weight loss experts and facilitates the prescription of popular diabetes and obesity drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. With Sequence, the company can incorporate medical weight loss with its nutrition and behavior-change programs. WeightWatchers hopes to make the use of prescription weight loss drugs more effective by guiding clients in making necessary lifestyle and behavioral modifications that they may not otherwise have access to outside of the program.
