Can WeightWatchers survive the Ozempic era?
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Can WeightWatchers survive the Ozempic era?
By Yasmin Gagne
Sima Sistani’s relationship with WeightWatchers began like that of millions of other customers during the company’s six-decade reign as the world’s leading weight-loss brand. After the birth of her first child, in 2013, she had trouble shedding the 60 pounds she had gained during her pregnancy. She tried fad diets and cleanses. Then her mother, a registered dietitian, suggested she join WeightWatchers. Sistani did, and after getting acquainted with the company’s points system (every food is assigned a different value based on calories, sugar, protein, and fat), she began tracking her daily intake, always making sure to leave enough points for wine. The weight came off.
Nearly a decade later, in 2022, Sistani became CEO of WeightWatchers (then called WW). At the time, the company—renowned for its in-person support groups—was wrestling with how to create a robust digital community in a Zoom-driven world. It was facing increasing competition from apps like Noom, which offers weight-loss support entirely online. Sistani had a reputation for understanding digital experiences: The former head of media at Tumblr, she had gone on to cofound and run the social networking app Houseparty, which she sold to Epic Games for $35 million in 2019. At the time of its acquisition, it had more than 150 million users. In announcing Sistani’s appointment as CEO of WeightWatchers, Raymond Debbane, then chair of the company’s board of directors, declared that “her vision and expertise in the digital, social, and gaming spaces perfectly position her to help lead us through this historic moment.”
Except the challenge she ended up facing was completely different. The same month that Sistani became CEO of WeightWatchers, the FDA declared the first shortage of a drug that it had approved just a year prior: Wegovy, the semaglutide GLP-1 weight-loss medication made by Novo Nordisk. It was the proverbial sea receding ahead of the tsunami.
A year later, Wegovy and Ozempic (Novo Nordisk’s other semaglutide drug, for type 2 diabetes, but widely used off-label for weight loss) made their red-carpet debut, with Academy Awards host Jimmy Kimmel surveying the assembled celebrities in the Dolby Theatre and evoking the TV ad lingo: “I can’t help but wonder, ‘Is Ozempic right for me?’” By the end of 2023, Novo Nordisk had notched more than $18 billion in annual sales of Ozempic and Wegovy, while sales of Eli Lilly’s rival GLP-1 drug, Mounjaro, surpassed $5 billion. GLP-1 sales are expected to hit $133 billion worldwide by 2030, according to MarketWatch.
Where WeightWatchers once dominated the conversation around weight loss—with its emphasis on moderation and self-control, weigh-ins and calorie counting—it’s now struggling to keep up.
Father | Husband | Servant Leader | Parks Advocate | Triathlete | Wellness Champion
2 天前My wife and I used WeightWatchers for six months after the birth of our oldest son in 2010, and it was a life-changing experience. I was able to lose over 50 pounds thanks to the focus on healthy choices and portion control. For me, WeightWatchers is more than a weight-loss program—it's a sustainable lifestyle that promotes long-term wellness through education and mindful habits. While medications like Ozempic may offer a 'quick fix,' I believe that lasting results come from learning how to maintain a balanced, healthy lifestyle. WeightWatchers provided us with the tools to do that, and I continue to value the positive impact it had on my health.
OK Bo?tjan Dolin?ek
Steel Trader
4 天前Ffggffrd
Founder of Superconnector Studios, Board Chair of Effie Worldwide
4 天前WeightWatchers has promoted a healthier lifestyle for generations. If they can do so in a manner that attracts and engages this one -- through content and experiences alongside better food choices -- then success alongside Ozempic will not be a problem. Weight Watchers may even be part of the Ozempic solution. It's pretty clear that Sima Sistani knows this and has the strategy and executional ability to prove it.