WeightWatchers 2011 Annual Report Download - page 10

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With the cost of healthcare rising and the obesity
epidemic growing, affordable and preventative
health solutions are a necessity. The World Health
Organization estimates 1.5 billion people worldwide
are overweight and 500 million of those are obese.
They also forecast that excess weight in adults
accounts for 44% of the global burden of diabetes and
23% of ischemic heart disease. It is estimated that $2.5
trillion is spent per year in the U.S. healthcare system,
with 75% of that going to the treatment of chronic
disease. 50% to 80% of chronic disease conditions are
driven by lifestyle. These statistics make it clear that
reducing obesity is a key lever for reducing healthcare
costs. Long-term healthcare cost containment is
impossible without making fundamental lifestyle
changes across the population.
Weight Watchers has always been about a healthy
lifestyle, not just dieting, so it is only fi tting that we
become engaged in the healthcare arena. Our
program has been scientifi cally proven to reduce the
risk of obesity-related conditions like type 2 diabetes,
heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and
some types of cancer. We are uniquely positioned
as a leading provider of lifestyle-based weight
management within the healthcare system, and we
are perfectly suited to be a key frontline solution to
address the obesity epidemic.
Last fall, The Lancet published a one-year global
study indicating that overweight and obese adults
referred to Weight Watchers lost more than twice
as much weight when compared with those who
received standard care alone. They were also more
than three times as likely to lose 10% or more of
their initial weight when using Weight Watchers.
This is just one confi rmation that Weight Watchers
offers the ideal approach through nutrition, behavior
modifi cation, education, support and promoting
physical activity.
More and more companies are turning to Weight
Watchers to enhance their employee wellness
programs. In turn, we have been building our sales
organization to address the corporate market.
Employers see the benefi ts in lower healthcare costs
overall, improved productivity and lower absenteeism
rates. The Cleveland Clinic is a long-time partner of
ours, and more recently, American Express and the
NYSE Euronext have announced programs for their
employees. In addition, many companies offer the
Weight Watchers At Work program, where meetings
are hosted onsite to eliminate the inconvenience and
inability of employees to attend Weight Watchers
meetings outside of the workplace.
Considering all the enhancements and progress
we have made, it is no surprise that for both 2011
and 2012 U.S. News and World Report ranked
Weight Watchers as the “Best Diet Plan for Weight
Loss” and the “Best Commercial Diet Plan.” In 2012
we also received the top honor in the new category
of “Easiest Diet to Follow” in their annual ranking.
PICTURED LEFT
Popped Barbeque
Potato Crisps (USA)
Sattmacher
Cookbook (Germany)
PICTURED RIGHT
Weight Watchers store
in Largo, Florida