For one month in the summer of 2012 I was a size six, and that was thanks to a year and a half on WeightWatchers. I was in my early twenties, it was the first time I had really worked at losing weight, and it felt like all the pieces were finally coming together. I appreciated WW’s system: they didn’t tell you what you had to eat for each meal, instead they gave you the points structure (how many points you get to eat in a day and in a week) and info on what each food cost in points. It was like currency, and you got to decide how you wanted to spend your points. As you lost weight, your points allowance also went down, so it was a gradual progression into smaller portions and making better, longer-lasting food choices.
The annoying thing with WW though, was their constant tinkering and revamping of the program. It was simply Points when I joined, and I had a lot of success with that, but I’ve never had the same results with iterations that have followed (like PointsPlus or when they tried to rebrand themselves altogether as “WellnessWins,” oy gevolt). Well, WW has done it again, and this time they may have really, truly lost the plot. Business Insider reported over the weekend that WW has spent over $100 million on Sequence, an online telemedicine company that sells Ozempic for weight loss, and many longtime WW members are not happy about it:
WeightWatchers is moving away from the group support meetings the company is known for, pivoting instead to using obesity medications for weight loss.
WW International Inc. recently shuttered thousands of in-person meeting locations and inked a deal to acquire telemedicine startup Sequence for more than $100 million. The two-year-old company sells GLP-1s–better known by their brand names Ozempic and Wegovy–which can lead to dramatic weight loss.
Although the medication has gained popularity online and among celebrities, veteran WeightWatchers members aren’t all happy with the company’s pivot.
“WeightWatchers has kicked us to the curb,” one 15-year member told Bloomberg.
Some WeightWatchers members expressed concern that the company was abandoning its message of self-restraint for the easy solution of weight-loss medication.
“They’re not practicing what they preached… and now all of a sudden there’s a drug involved,” one member said during an April meeting.
Despite criticism from current WeightWatchers members who have remained loyal to the program for decades, Goldman Sachs analysts predict that the move toward weight-loss drugs could save the 60-year-old company from financial collapse. Analysts estimate that the company could generate $455 million in new revenue through an extra half million subscribers by 2025.
WeightWatchers has struggled in recent years to retain subscribers to its nutrition and diet program. Sequence, meanwhile, prescribes weight-loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy and helps patients afford the drugs through insurance and reimbursements. Before its acquisition, Sequence offered its services for $99 a month.
So it’s pretty clear that this move is just about finances, right? It looks to me like these weight loss programs are being reactionary in the wake of Jenny Craig shutting down earlier this year, as Noom is also starting to offer Ozempic (so much for all you need to lose weight is psychology). I’ve been in and out with WeightWatchers since that first good run I had (currently in an out wave), but I totally understand the frustration of the members. For people who’ve been working diligently to suddenly be told to go on medication is disheartening. But the one-two punch is not just bringing in Ozempic, it’s the steep reduction in meetings. In my own WW journey I definitely lost more weight when I went to in-person meetings, as opposed to online-only.
In the last few weeks I’ve had a few people in my orbit either start Ozempic themselves or suggest it to me (as of this writing I am not diabetic, although every time I see my doctor I think my number’s gonna be up). I have no plans right now to start taking Ozempic to lose weight, but ultimately for me it comes down to vanity. I’ll risk nausea, frankly I’ll risk diarrhea, but hair loss? No. No no no. I’ve been gifted with natural curls that I adore and wear proudly. I am Samson, my hair is my crowning glory. I’ll renew my efforts to eat better and be healthier–if not for me, then for my hair.
I’m forever anti-WW as it was a major contributor to my own struggle with seriously disordered eating. If you think WW gives a f*** about your health or wellness you’re extremely naive. They are a company who want life-long WW dieters. Ozempic for weight loss requires users to stay on the drug indefinitely- otherwise users report spectacularly rapid weight gain. Makes perfect sense for WW’s business model.
Seconded.
And the more you diet the more you screw up your metabolism, as WW knows perfectly well.
WW promotes disordered eating and poor nutrition. I tried it for a month and was appalled by the points system. Points are very low to encourage eating 0 point foods which is essentially chicken/fish/eggs with fruit or veggies which isn’t terrible but a lack of complex carbs for most meals is not sustainable long term. I believe the points also makes a mental connection to good vs bad food by attributing points. Even worse is that whole foods that are nutritious and can be apart of weight loss and health goals such as quinoa, nuts and seeds are high in points. Additionally you can earn extra points which I think, based off the message boards I was part of, can encourage ppl to save points for unhealthy foods for you to earn at the end of the week resulting in some binging behaviours.
They want you to lose weight- fast- then gain it back and come back.
Any weight loss program that is based on reducing food intake is promoting a disordered view of food and, by extension, eating. Yes, you end up categorizing food into “good” and “bad” groups and that’s really not great in the long term, it messes up your relationship with food and increases food-related guilt, binging (if your gonna cheat, might as well cheat for real, right?) and those aren’t sustainable long term. And yet, knowing all this, I still try it sometime because we’re all full of contradictions.
A thing I really hate about WW is how much they seem to push for pre-made food and processed ingredients. Whenever trying to add a food item in the app, you get suggestions for so much processed food! That’s just whack! Can one just type chicken and get breast/thigh/skin/no skin options without a gazillion brands and processed item showing up 1st? Their recipes also often call for super transformed ingredients which rubs me the wrong way. That’s not how you readjust your relationship with food! Real ingredients that, sure, might contain a bit more fat or carbs will always be healthier and more satisfying than processed stuff.
Regarding ozempic and similar, I don’t think it should be used without medical supervision. I’m against calling it cheating because if reducing caloric intake and increasing physical activity worked well to lose weight and maintain it, there wouldn’t be that many overweight people. It is a complex issue and if drugs can safely help you balance some of your hormones so that your gut-brain communication works better and feel full when you should or help metabolize nutrients more efficiently, then let’s go for it! Obesity is a chronic condition so having to take medication continuously doesn’t even bug me, it’s no different than other chronic conditions. But it needs to be done under medical supervision and be covered by insurances the same way any other chronic condition should
Wow. That first paragraph…….such an apologist’s creed.
Meetings were integral to the WW plan I was attended back in the day. The fact that they are now ditching the one on one and getting on the drug bandwagon completely eliminates the original WW philosophy. 😑
It makes a lot of sense to frame this around the loss of meetings and the financials.
I do have some experience with Wegovy, or at least my husband does. His doctor actually recommended it. He has struggled with weight all his life but legitimately exercises a lot (weight lifting and cardio) eats very healthy, home-cooked food with very little beef, pork, etc. He just eats way too much of that healthy food! So Wegovy really worked for him, and he was able to get off of it after having lost 30 pounds in a year safely. So it worked for him. And that was under the direction of his well-respected doctor. Not trying to shill for a drug here, but there are legitimate contexts for Wegovy.
If I stop taking medicine that keeps my heart from racing, my heart will start to race. I need that medication for the rest of my life.
Legit obesity medicine doctors prescribe Ozempic to some of their patients. It helps. Yes, they will be on it the rest of their lives. They need the medication.
Absolutely. There are tons of medications folks need to take until their death to treat chronic conditions, from insulin to beta blockers, anti-depressants to synthroid and there’s nothing wrong with that. No one will side-eye someone who needs a pacemaker cuz they can’t manage to have a stable rhythm on their own and no one should judge someone who requires medication to lose weight. It’s not a personal failure just like gaining weight wasn’t a personal flaw to begin with.
My best friend has struggled with her weight since I’ve known her. She is the primary caregiver for her husband, who had a debilitating accident in his 40s. She will freely admit she had portion control problems due to stress. Her doctor put her on Ozempic and it had worked wonders for her. She said the food noise she always dealt with is gone, and now she feels like she can just eat like a regular person.
This medicine can help people who need it, and isn’t that the point of medicine? I hate all of the shaming that goes on with these meds. My friend needed to lose weight to be healthy and there for her husband and kids. This medicine helps.
Kara, I so appreciate your comment. The quieting of the food noise is on point from my experience. I am happy your friend has found a way to take care of herself.
Well, I read that there is now a pill form of Ozempic that is nearly as effective as the needle. That is going to increase usage significantly. Telemedicine is gonna thrive on prescribing a pill to lose weight. Until bad things start happening.
Pill version is not available yet. I think they just finished phase 2 trails. So it’s probably a few years out.
Rybelsus (pill formulation of semaglutide which is the active ingredient of Ozempic) has been available for a very long time as a treatment for T2DM.
Perhaps you’re thinking of the Danuglipron (one of Pfizer’s GLP-1 agonists)?
None of these drugs should be prescribed via telemedicine, let alone one partnered with WW. Patients should be under the direct care of a Physician who is fully apprised of their medical history, has performed a full physical examination and can more directly monitor their care.
Tell me your program isn’t worth it by not really saying it.
And let’s get you hooked on a drug that is vital for those whose lives depend on it, but utilizing the drug for weight loss is “ethical”. “Selling” the program simply to save your corporation is unethical and denies the true mission in the purpose weight loss. Whilst purchasing larger, massive quantities, adding onto the already dwindling stock and causing a great number of members to become hooked for life.
What a scam!
It’s very complicated this overweight obesity thing. I have been low dose Saxenda, a weight loss drug, for nearly a year now. I am 55 years old and have struggled with obesity for most of my life. I now believe I have undiagnosed pcos further complicating the matter. Prior to taking Saxenda I had metabolic syndrome which can be deadly. I thought about food all the time. I always looked forward to my next snack or meal. I craved carbs like bread and cake and the fighting against those cravings was relentless. As my insulin resistance got worse I started eating potato chips every day. Once I started taking the medication those cravings disappeared and I now eat a very healthy, low carb diet and have lost 35 pounds. I expect I will be taking Saxenda forever but I feel better now than I have in a very long time. Some people can’t handle the side effects of the drug but I find as long as I eat healthy I am fine.
A new restaurant opened near to where I live, a pizza/italian place that posted the meals they serve and the calorie content of those meals. Most of the entree’s were over 1700 calories which is what a normal weight person would eat in a day. Add an appetizer and dessert and the calorie count is astronomical. I don’t expect I will ever eat there.
I took a drug called Paxil in 2002 and in months my weight ballooned 70 pounds. I also experienced weight gain taking birth control pills.
Mental health disordersand medications, trauma, pcos, birth control pills and the North American diet make maintaining a healthy weight very challenging for a lot of women and my heart goes out to them. Weight loss solutions that prey on women for profit are part of the problem too and I am disheartened about Weight Watchers latest move. Prescribing medications should remain in the sphere of medical doctors and even with the medications you need to practice healthy life style habits that the former points system preached.
Oh my god you summed up what is happening with me and Saxenda.
I am now realising for the first time how NORMAL people eat. How they don;t think about food ALL THE TIME. How they eat a plate of something, become full, and then FORGET about food for an hour or two. I had never experienced this! Like you said, relentless cravings, 24/7! No matter what I tried, always thinking about food, even when full! I know people may say, that sounds like compulsion or ED, but I swear the cravings were physical!! Like hunger pangs 24/7!
Started low-dose saxenda, and I now eat like a regular person, and the mental anguish of being hungry 24/7 is gone and I feel great, I don’t even care about the weight loss at this point (I am and have always been mid-sized).
I tried to explain to my parents and to doctors how I felt before, but people dismiss it and I am tired of trying to convince them I am not imagining it.
Paxil is one of the worst anti depressants for weight gain. I was on it for a few years and did gain about 10 pounds. A friend of mine was on it and gained about 30. Doctors never mention this, although maybe it wasn’t as well known then as it is now.
Well their timing is not so great, most insurance companies are denying it for anyone who is not diabetic, even if you have other issues that it treats, like PCOS or insulin resistance or are prediabetic. Wegovy is the same drug but for weight loss only, and I bet a lot of insurance companies won’t cover that. So WW jumped into this at a point where it’s going to be difficult or expensive for their members to get this.
I am on it for glucose management for about 2 months now, it has done great things for my numbers, the only side effects I’ve had are mild constipation and nausea, no hair loss thankfully!
I started Ozempic for my diabetes, eight months later my A1C isn’t considered “diabetic” and I have lost weight. I’ll be on it forever I suppose, but once I got past the side effects (after 6 months for me, they went away) it’s worth it to not worry as much about my toes.
Yup, my averages have been on the low end of the pre-diabetic range, but this week are creeping up a bit. I’m only on 0.5 still, until my next appointment. I’ve lost a few pounds but another medication is fighting that, hopefully I’m taken off that one soon. I’ve had terrible insulin resistance and PCOS for ages, I wish a doctor had prescribed this for me sooner!
Semaglutide meds can be truly game-changing for those of us who have struggled our whole lives with obesity. I would strongly recommend that they be offered under a doctor’s supervision—not a weight-loss company’s.
They acquired a tele-med company that was already doing this. (I know, because I am a patient that uses Sequence.) I hope that WW doesn’t ruin Sequence.
As for the Ozempic/Semi-glutide issue, I believe obesity is a far more complex issue than one we know. “Calories in, calories out” does not cover the desire to consume, nor does it address what triggers those desires. If medication is what it takes for people to take control back from the “food noise”, then it should be easily available and low cost. Who cares if people have to take it for life? The same is true for conditions like diabetes, etc. Obesity is in many cases a similar condition and it ought to be viewed the same way.
Amen, teecee.
Are they offering Wegovy or Ozempic? Wegovy is for weight loss and my Dr. would have prescribed it for me when I asked him, but his asked me to check my insurance because if insurance doesn’t cover weight loss it is very expensive. All to say, you should try your doctor before joining WW for the prescription. I was never a fan of WW, joined one time and the speaker was like ‘you can have a piece of cake!!! just don’t eat the whole cake LOL HAHA!. When I asked about salty snacks someone said celery is salty. That was my one and only meeting. I’ve done really well this year (30 lbs) with counting calories, measuring portions, and recording my weight daily in a spreadsheet.
Two out of three adults in the US are overweight or obese. Our food system is completely out of whack. The system causes health problems for the majority of people who use it. Treating it as an individual problem is just as ineffectual as treating any other systemic problem at the individual level. I highly recommend “Ravenous” by Henry Dimbleby for a deeper look at the system and how we got here.
My son’s pediatric endocrinologist has him on 1.7 wegovy
He’s also on thyroid medication and testosterone.
He also is on multiple psych meds
He has hashimoto thyroiditis and a big way of controlling that is to keep the BMI down
He’ll be on testosterone shots( that I have to give him, huge needle 😬) psych meds and thyroid medication for the rest of his life, and probably wegovy or similar too
He’s 18
It sucks but it’s better to be healthy
I know dumping on Ozempic is the cool thing, but as a person whose metabolism is totally screwed up and insulin resistant without being diabetic, it’s been a Godsend.
No weight gain when I went off of it, either. I just needed help to lose weight like a normal person. It’s the only time in my life I have ever lost weight without extreme dieting. We know that backfires.
And my A1C dropped out of pre diabetic range for the first time in my adult life (I am 42).
Just another perspective.
There is a reason Wegovy is in shortage – it is a wonderful drug. Hair loss can come from any rapid weight loss. I have not lost any hair thiugh as my weight loss has been more moderate. Frankly I think WW is being more honest about what actually works vs. what doesn’t. The diet industry that preyed in people giving bad advice is getting destroyed by these drugs and I am not sad about it.
I had been a WW practitioner on and off for years and always appreciated the meetings. I would often dread the weigh ins depending on who was doing the weighing 🤬.
I do agree with the disordered eating comments as well as building an even bigger sense of body shame.
I disliked immensely the constant push of buy these snack bars and this shake supplement, etc during the meetings. Ummm, can you not try to make a commission off my struggle please?
I’ve been using Ozempic for my type 2 diabetes since May and it’s been really helpful.
The side effects are VERY REAL and you definitely have to change your diet.
I’m starting to see some hair loss too.
BUT here’s the most important part, you MUST see your physician monthly.
Your A1C and BP must be monitored consistently as well as foot condition etc.
It’s also not used alone, it’s most often used with Metformin and doses need to be checked and calibrated.
All to say you definitely want an in person Dr visit for this type of medication and treatment.
Topomax is a pill that was originally for epilepsy (but didn’t work) that is very good for weight loss. It shuts off the part of your brain that thinks about food/eating.
I would go all day until around 4:00 and realize I hadn’t eaten yet.
I lost 60 lbs with its help.
It’s a great place to start with no side effects