Weightwatchers are in urgent problems because it looks under the weight of $ 1.6 billion in debts.
The company – whose name became an adverb for the traditional weight loss industry – started discussions with his lenders about restructuring, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The rise of weight loss medicines such as Ozempic and Wegovy have increased its business model, which was based on selling food with few calories and dietary advice to overweight people.
But now that many of his former customers turn to a new generation of drugs for weight loss that help them with much less effort to throw pounds. As a result, the income for unemployment benefits – as it is now known – has been on the DIA in the past quarters.
Weighswatchers, founded in 1963, has influenced millions of people in the US and the whole world and the sale of diet meals, magazines, books and memberships to its weight loss programs.
Over the years, celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey and Jessica Simpson have helped market the brand. In 2014, Simpson appeared in advertisements at the age of 33 and with her weight loss after the baby in a close-fitting black dress.
Alarm bells sounded for the first time in March 2023, when shares reached a low advertisement in the midst of falling turnover. The situation then deteriorated the old investor Winfrey-Die that they used weight loss medication.
Since then, the stock has continued its downward spiral. On Friday, the market value of WW was only $ 64.7 million – a shadow of his peak of $ 6.7 billion. For comparison: Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk is appreciated at $ 2.6 trillion.
Singer and actress Jessica Simpson appeared in 2014 in a commercial for Weight Watchers
Weight watchers became an adverb for the traditional weight loss industry but it is now struggling while Americans turn to drugs for weight loss such as Ozempic
Weightwatchers, founded in 1963, is perhaps one of the best known names in weight loss and diet programs around the world. Depicted is a matter of his magazine of the same name
The conversations between WW and his lenders are in the early stages, the WSJ reported. There is no suggestion that the company is considering bankruptcy.
But WW is little money. Last month it cost the remaining $ 121 million of a loan of $ 175 million in April 2026. Baas said it was for financial flexibility instead of immediate accounts.
In addition to the $ 175 million debt that is due next year, the company also has more than $ 1.4 billion in loans and bonds that will be due in 2028 and 2029.
WW and his lenders both refused to comment when they were approached by DailyMail.com.
The negotiations take place under a confidentiality agreement and are reportedly to help the lender advisers get a better sense of the financial position of weight watcher.
Pharmaceutical companies such as Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly Last year conquered the world storm With a new generation of so-called GLP-1 diet products-ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound.
The drugs were wide effective and soon became popular with Americans and others all over the world wanted to lose weight.
Ozempic has already been blamed for the downfall of another Legacy diet brand. Jenny Craig, a concept since the launch in the 1980s, announced in May 2023 that it was closed after drowning in debt.
In the 1980s, weight watchers American women sold the dream of getting a beach body
Ozempic mimics the GLP-1 hormone of the body and decreases the appetite of the user
Oprah Winfrey admitted that he had used weight loss medicines to manage her own weight
Jean Nidetch, founder of Weight Watchers, with devoted movements in 1984
Weightwatchers -chief Executive Sima Sistani stepped at the helm after two years
Jenny Craig (left) and her husband Sidney Craig founded the company for weight loss Jenny Craig, which was in the US in 2023
Winfrey came to the Board of WW International in 2015 after an investment of $ 43 million
The share price of unemployment benefit has fallen in recent years
However, the move did not result in the hope of Turnaround – with unemployment benefit director Sima Sistani who stepped at the helm after two years.
Last year, WW announced its own weight loss injection in an attempt to compete with Ozempic.
It was considered a surprising step for a company that has built up its worldwide success in the field that is healthy -controlled food and iron willpower the key to achieving sustainable weight loss.
During the term of office of Sistani, weightwatchers acquired the series of the TeleHealth platform, now known as weight watchers clinic, which expanded to regulations for obesity medicines.
Board member Tara Comonte, who will temporarily lead the group until a new boss is found, said: “I am convinced that we have the right team and are aimed at the right strategies to stimulate growth.”
Winfrey came to the board in 2015 after an investment of $ 43 million in the company. She also agreed to be admitted to commercials and weights of the Watchers.
Within three years after her involvement, WW International shares were traded for more than $ 100 – with a record high of $ 103 in June of that year.
WW International, as it is now known, had a peak market capitalization of $ 6.7 billion in June 2018.
It is more than $ 2 billion appreciated for everyone, except about five of the last 20 years – until they fell sharply and never recovered, after Ozempic was approved for weight loss in 2021.
