WeightWatchers has filed for bankruptcy in the US as it faces mounting debt amid a boom in the use of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro.
The legal process will eliminate $1.15bn in debt from WeightWatchers’ balance sheet, while it renegotiates new terms for paying back its lenders.
With this improved financial foundation, the company was “well equipped to execute its transformation plan, which includes innovating its digital and member experience and accelerating the expansion of its telehealth business which delivered 57% year-over-year revenue growth in Q1 2025”, said WeightWatchers.
WeightWatchers stressed it would remain “fully operational during the reorganisation process and there will be no impact to members or the plans they rely on to support their weight management goals”.
The move follows a rapid uptake in the use of weight-loss injections over recent years, in what WeightWatchers referred to as a “rapidly evolving weight management landscape”.
In the US, for instance, the number of people without diabetes but with overweight or obesity who had used a GLP-1 agonist rose from around 21,000 in 2019 to over 174,000 in 2023 – a rise of more than 700% in four years [BMJ July 2024].
“For more than 62 years, WeightWatchers has empowered millions of members to make informed, healthy choices, staying resilient as trends have come and gone,” said WeightWatchers CEO Tara Comonte.
“The decisive actions we’re taking today, with the overwhelming support of our lenders and noteholders, will give us the flexibility to accelerate innovation, reinvest in our members, and lead with authority in a rapidly evolving weight management landscape.
“As the conversation around weight shifts toward long-term health, our commitment to delivering the most trusted, science-backed, and holistic solutions – grounded in community support and lasting results – has never been stronger, or more important.”
It comes after Kraft Heinz decided to discontinue its range of WeightWatchers branded frozen ready meals in January.
Speaking at the time, a spokesperson for Kraft Heinz said the move would “enable us to focus on the product lines that deliver the most value for our customers and pave the way for new innovation that meets changing consumer tastes, lifestyle needs and preferences”.
WeightWatchers then inked a deal with DB Foods to launch a branded range of ready-to-cook proteins into Ocado last month.
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