WeightWatchers 2004 Annual Report Download - page 4

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low-carb diet craze. These results speak to the health of our business and
the resilience of our brand and philosophy.
In 2004, we expanded our marketing and public relations efforts to
better educate the public about the science behind our weight-loss and
weight-management methods. In May 2004, a study presented at the European
Association for the Study of Obesity in Prague evaluated the success of members
who had completed the weight-loss and maintenance phases of the Weight Watchers program.
This study, which analyzed data from our Lifetime Members, showed that once weight is reduced it
can be kept off for the long term.
More recently, Weight Watchers was cited in a study by Drs. Adam Gilden Tsai and Thomas A.
Wadden, at the University of Pennsylvania, which examined ten popular weight-loss methods,
including the largest commercial non-medical, weight-loss programs in the United States. The study,
the results of which were published in The Annals of Internal Medicine, concluded that Weight Watchers
was the only method that has rigorous scientific evidence to demonstrate its weight-loss efficacy.
On the heels of these empirical studies, we received widespread media attention and praise for our
recently published book, Weight Loss that Lasts, co-written by Karen Miller-Kovach, our Chief
Scientific Officer, and Dr. James M. Rippe, Associate Professor of Medicine at the Tufts University
School of Medicine and Founder and Director of the Rippe Lifestyle Institute, one of the nation’s
largest nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle medicine research organizations. Among other helpful infor-
mation, the book offers testimonials from Weight Watchers members and educates readers on how
to break through ten common myths that hold people back from reaching their weight-loss goals.
In 2004 we took a number of steps to further strengthen our program. We launched the
TurnAround™ program in North America, further customizing
our food plans to the needs of our members. We expanded our
brand’s reach through several food product licensing agreements.
We extended our outreach to employers and their employees
through our Corporate Solutions offerings. And, we continued
to expand our presence in several international markets.