about us

history & philosophy

A Message from David Kirchhoff President & CEO, Weight Watchers International Founded over 40 years ago by Jean Nidetch, Weight Watchers is now the global leader in weight management services, providing 50,000 Weight Watchers meetings each week in countries all over the world. In January of 2007, I had the honour to be appointed the President and CEO of Weight Watchers International, a company that helps millions of people lose weight in a healthy way. When I joined Weight Watchers nearly seven years ago, I, like millions of other people, had gained weight as the result of bad food choices and an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. My blood pressure and cholesterol had reached unhealthy levels, and my doctor believed that I would likely be facing a lifetime of prescription medicine to keep my health in check. I started going to meetings and lost 25lb, which I maintain to this day. I’m much healthier now and my blood pressure and cholesterol are back to normal levels. Like so many other members, my life is forever changed for the better, and I owe my success to Weight Watchers. In one of the earlier meetings I attended back in 2000, I had an opportunity to hear a member recount her story of how she lost over 100lb. Through Weight Watchers, she had also changed her life permanently, losing what seemed, at the time, to be an insurmountable amount of weight. I was truly moved and inspired. It was then I started realising that I was part of something bigger than a company - I was part of a truly special organisation with a very critical mission. I firmly believe that Weight Watchers has a very unique approach in helping our members achieve their sustained weight loss goals by adopting a healthier lifestyle. We have an approach based on the underlying premise of behaviour modification, which helps our members learn how to change their relationship with food and activity. Our weight loss plans are always changing to reflect the most current, proven scientific data and research. The part of Weight Watchers which is forever constant is our recognition that support is a key enabler of our members’ success. At the core of this support are our meetings and our leaders. I attribute much of my success in losing my weight and becoming healthier to my first leader and the meeting that he ran. It has also been very rewarding to have the opportunity to be part of the effort to help Weight Watchers successfully navigate into the new millennium by developing the best internet-based weight loss products available anywhere. Our singular mission as an organisation is to help people lose weight in a sustainable way by helping them adapt a healthier lifestyle and a healthier relationship with food and activity. To be successful, we must constantly innovate to find new ways to help more members and subscribers. There is no better way to take on a weight challenge than with the help and support of Weight Watchers. I encourage you to take a look around the web site to learn more about us and how we can help you achieve your goals. After you’ve done this, come to a meeting or subscribe to Weight Watchers Online. We are ready to help any time you are ready to start. Best, David Kirchhoff President and CEO Weight Watchers International, Inc.