WeightWatchers given lifeline from bankruptcy...thanks to deal signed with fat jab firm
WeightWatchers has teamed up with slimming jab company in bid to save itself from bankruptcy.
The weight loss company had been struggling under $1.6billion (£1.2billion) of debt after losing business to revolutionary weight loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy.
But the company, which filed for bankruptcy in the US earlier this month, has now teamed up with British weight loss injection supplier CheqUp.
Under the deal, CheqUp members will be able to access a bespoke WeightWatchers, now known as WW, 'companion' diet and lifestyle support app to help slimmers make the most out of the drugs.
It will provide advice on subjects like which foods to eat that minimise some of the side effects of weight loss jabs, such as nausea.
The move is largely seen as lifeline to WW amid its financial struggles.
James Hunt, deputy chief executive of CheqUp, said the partnership was the first of its kind in the UK and would offer more to patients taking the jabs, also known as GLP-1s.
'There is no doubt that the addition of WW breakthrough GLP-1 companion programme will add enormously to our patients' ability to achieve sustainable weight loss through its science-backed and proven programmes, together with their global community of like-minded individuals,' he said.
'This partnership offers the most attractive proposition in the market for those looking to benefit from the incredible potential of GLP-1 medications and behaviour change.'
Scott Honken, chief commercial officer at WW, added data from the US demonstrated the value of offering patients on the jabs a companion programme.
'In the US, that our members on obesity medications, who also participate in our nutritional and behavioural lifestyle program, lose 11 per cent more weight on average than those using the medication alone,' he said.
'When medication is part of the journey, it's the combination with behavioural support that leads to more sustainable, superior results.
'We recognize the demand for GLP-1 medications in the UK is growing as more people seek effective weight management solutions.
'That's why we're proud to partner with CheqUp to deliver our GLP-1 Companion Programme to meet this growing need.'
CheqUp provides both semaglutide jabs, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy and Mounjaro which contains tirzepatide.
The move follows a study earlier this month that showed patients who stop taking weight-loss jabs pile all the pound they lost pile it all back on within 10 months if they don't maintain a healthy lifestyle afterwards.
WeightWatchers was founded in 1963 by Jean Nidetch, a housewife from Queens, New York.
It all began in her kitchen, where she invited a group of friends over to talk about dieting and offer each other support.
This launched a business based around selling low-calorie foods, diet and exercise advice to overweight people.
A 2017 study published in The Lancet found participants on the programme lost an average of 4.75kg after 12 weeks and 6.76kg after a year.
However, experts have previously warned that the low point scores promoted by WeightWatchers with certain foods don't always equal high nutritional value.
Others have cautioned that weight loss through calorie-restricted diets is not often sustained.
Over the years, celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Jessica Simpson have helped market the brand. In 2014, Simpson appeared in ads at age 33
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