Today, WeightWatchers for Business released its Full-Spectrum Weight Health Platform Results Report, highlighting the powerful combination of clinical and behavioral intervention for weight loss performance and maintenance. Clinical trials of WeightWatchers’ behavior change program have examined results among members after three, six, and 12 months, and maintenance of their weight loss at two and five years. Compared to those who used medications alone, members who combined the medications with WeightWatchers’s Behavior Change Program lost 11% more weight1. This persisted whether it was first or second-generation anti-obesity medications.
The report also details significant findings including:
● Positive quality of life impact: The report details the positive impact the full-spectrum weight health platform has on quality of life measures including overall health and wellbeing. According to the report, members saw a 40.5% increase in self-esteem2, a 9.9% increase in physical function2 and a 13.6% improvement at work2.
● Diabetes-centric behavior change: WeightWatchers developed a behavior change program for people living with type I or type II diabetes. This program takes into consideration the nutritional needs of people living with diabetes and offers them tailored support that can help to improve their chronic condition. Results from the report show statistically significant results for members living with diabetes at six months including: 5.7% body weight loss3, 0.75 decrease in HbA1c3, 13.2% reduction in hunger3, 5.9 cm decrease in waist circumference3, 9.8% decrease in diabetes distress3, and 13.6% improvement of weight on quality of life3.
WHY: The report aims to highlight the importance of employers implementing personalized and sustainable weight health programs in the workplace that foster a holistic approach to employee health benefits. The WeightWatchers for Business platform leverages the power of community-driven health and recognizes the need to work directly with employers, health plans, and pharmacy benefit managers to shift perceptions that weight health is an employee perk and must instead be considered a covered benefit to address health equity and the growing obesity epidemic.
“The report shows how integrating WeightWatchers’ #1 Doctor-recommended behavior change program with our comprehensive clinical program can successfully address both the behavioral and biological factors that often impact weight,” said Remi Cossart, General Manager of WeightWatchers Clinic and WeightWatchers for Business. “Our holistic solutions are personalized to support members from prevention and treatment to ongoing maintenance. This not only helps the individual, but ultimately supports employers and the needs of their organizations.”
HOW: In the past five decades, WeightWatchers has been the subject of more than 160 published papers, 38 of which come from randomized controlled trials evaluating the efficacy and impact of WeightWatchers programs. The report demonstrates the statistical power of combining clinical intervention with behavioral change for people living with overweight, obesity, pre-diabetes, diabetes and other cardiometabolic conditions.
“Behavior change has proven to deliver powerful results in improving weight health, and for many individuals, WeightWatchers behavior change program has supported them on their weight management journey for nearly six decades. That said, we’ve learned how biological factors can drive the need for some individuals to consider clinical intervention alongside behavioral tools,” said Dr. Gary Foster, Chief Scientific Officer at WeightWatchers. “Managing weight health with a combination of biological and behavioral techniques for those who need them, significantly reduces risk factors for diseases – like heart disease, type II diabetes, certain cancers, sleep apnea, and others that accompany obesity – promoting long-term health and well-being. This ultimately leads to a reduction in healthcare costs associated with managing chronic conditions.”
Additional Information: WeightWatchers is the most studied commercially available weight health program globally and these proven results help health plans and employers avoid high-cost claims tied to overweight, obesity and related conditions, reduce cost exposure and increase employee engagement and satisfaction. WeightWatchers for Business makes it easy for employers to offer their employees some of the best, most streamlined, and easy-to-navigate programs to meet and sustain their weight health goals.
About WW International, Inc.
WeightWatchers is a human-centric technology company powered by our proven, science-based, clinically effective weight loss and weight management programs. For six decades, we have inspired millions of people to adopt healthy habits for real life. We combine technology and community to help members reach and sustain their goals on our programs. To learn more about the WeightWatchers approach to healthy living, please visit ww.com. For more information about our global business, visit our corporate website at corporate.ww.com.
For more information, download the report.
2. Pagoto S, Xu R, Bullard T, et al. An Evaluation of a Personalized Multicomponent Commercial Digital Weight Management Program: Single-Arm Behavioral Trial. J Med Internet Res. 2023;25:e44955.
3. Apolzan JW, LaRose JG, Anton SD, Beyl RA, Greenway FL, Wickham III EP, Lanoye A, Harris MN, Martin CK, Bullard T, Foster GD. A scalable, virtual weight management program tailored for adults with type 2 diabetes: effects on glycemic control. Nutrition & Diabetes. 2023 Apr 6;13(1):3.