Weight Watchers Announces Broad Internet Promotional Agreement

Weight Watchers International, Inc. and the vast majority of U.S. Weight Watchers franchisees announced today an agreement that will lead to long-term promotion of the Weight Watchers Internet presence.

As part of the agreement, franchisees will help promote two new Internet paid subscription products: Weight Watchers eTools, designed to aid the weight-loss efforts of those attending Weight Watchers meetings; and Weight Watchers Online, for those who cannot join Weight Watchers meetings.

"We share a common goal of making Weight Watchers the leading weight-loss voice online, just as it has long been offline," said Marcie Gorman Gordley, president of the WW Franchisee Association. "We see the Internet as a terrific tool to help us build our meeting business, and the new promotion agreement will allow us to jointly benefit from the success of both Weight Watchers eTools and Weight Watchers Online."

"For almost forty years, our franchisee partners have worked with us to ensure that consumers can take full advantage of all that Weight Watchers has to offer," said Linda Huett, president and CEO of Weight Watchers International. "Our Internet initiatives are the latest in a tradition of Weight Watchers innovation and leadership, and the contributions of our valued franchisees will help make the future of Weight Watchers on the Internet very bright. Online or offline, wherever and whenever people need us, Weight Watchers will be there."

Weight Watchers International is the world's leading provider of commercial weight loss services, operating in 30 countries. Research shows that people who go to Weight Watchers meetings are much more likely to lose weight than people who try to lose weight on their own. Currently, over 1 million people attend over 35,000 meetings weekly throughout the world.