WeightWatchers 2009 Annual Report Download - page 18

patterns, along with increasingly sedentary lifestyles. Between 2007 and 2008, 68% of Americans over the age of
19 were considered overweight and almost half of these were obese. Numerous diseases, including heart disease,
high blood pressure and Type II diabetes, are associated with being overweight or obese. We believe the growing
population of overweight people who are motivated by both an increasing awareness of the health benefits of
weight loss and the desire to improve their appearance is fueling the growth in demand for weight management
programs. This growth and awareness is also a result of an increasing willingness of employers and governments
to promote and contribute towards the cost of weight management programs.
Our Services and Products
Our Weight Management Plans
In each of our markets, we offer services and products that are built upon weight management plans tailored
to local tastes and habits. These weight management plans, including Momentum, Discover Plan and ProPoints,
are comprised of a range of nutritional, exercise and behavioral tools and approaches. At the end of 2008, we
began offering the Momentum program in the United States and Canada and the Discover Plan in the United
Kingdom and, in 2009, we launched the ProPoints program in several of our markets in Continental Europe.
Momentum, the Discover Plan and ProPoints are innovative, new plans developed from a combination of the
latest scientific research and insights of customers who have succeeded on prior Weight Watchers plans. For
example, the Momentum program is based on the POINTS Weight Loss System, where each food has a POINTS
value determined by a patented formula based on the food’s calories, fat and dietary fiber. Subject to certain
nutritional guidelines, consumers following the Momentum program can eat any food as long as their total food
consumption stays within their “POINTS budget” for the week. Since nutritious foods generally have low
POINTS values, this approach guides consumers toward healthier eating habits. Under the Momentum program,
consumers are taught different techniques shown to help them in their weight loss efforts, such as being
encouraged to choose specified “Filling Foods” as part of their daily “POINTS Target” to keep hunger at bay.
These “Filling Foods” are scientifically proven to help keep people feeling fuller longer because they are low in
calories, but contain more water, air or fiber per serving, relative to the food’s weight.
Our Meetings
Clinical studies have shown that consumers who attend Weight Watchers meetings are likely to lose more
weight than those who diet on their own. Our group support system remains the cornerstone of our meetings.
Members provide each other support by sharing their experiences and by providing encouragement and empathy
with other people experiencing similar weight management challenges. This group support provides the
reassurance that no one must overcome their weight management challenge alone. Group support assists
members in dealing with issues such as emotional eating and finding time to exercise. We facilitate this support
through interactive meetings that encourage learning through group activities and discussions.
We present our program in a series of weekly meetings of approximately one hour in duration. Meetings are
conveniently scheduled throughout the day. Typically, we hold meetings in either meeting rooms rented from
civic or other community organizations or in leased locations.
In our meetings, our leaders present our program that combines group support and education with a
structured approach to food, activity and lifestyle modification developed by credentialed weight management
experts. Our more than 16,000 leaders run our meetings and educate members on the Weight Watchers method of
successful and sustained weight management. Our leaders also provide inspiration and motivation for our
members and are examples of our program’s effectiveness because they have lost weight and maintained their
weight loss on our program.
Meetings typically begin with registration and a confidential weigh-in to track each member’s progress.
Leaders and receptionists are trained to engage the members at the weigh-in to talk about their weight
management efforts during the previous week and to provide encouragement and advice. Part of the meeting is
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