|
Nidetch struggled with weight throughout her life and founded
the popular program in the early 1960s in her apartment in
Queens, New York. She had most recently been living near Boca
Raton in south Florida.
"Nidetch’s philosophy, 'It’s choice – not chance – that
determines your destiny,' became the Weight Watchers credo,
inspiring millions to achieve weight loss," the company said in
a statement announcing her death.
By 1963, Nidetch's meetings, which emphasized personal
responsibility and physical activity along with a fish-heavy
diet, outgrew her apartment.
"The first official Weight Watchers meeting was actually over a
movie theater in Queens," former Chief Executive Officer David
Kirchoff told CNN in a 2013 interview.
As Nidetch's program and meetings became ubiquitous, she became
a celebrity. Singer Jennifer Hudson and former professional
basketball player Charles Barkley were among the millions of
members who shed pounds through the program. The pair went on to
star in the company's television ads.
More than 36,000 Weight Watchers meetings now take place through
franchisees across the world, according to spokeswoman Jenny
Zimmerman. The company also sells customized meals and
subscriptions to online weight management products.
Weight Watchers was purchased by H.J. Heinz Company in 1978. The
company was later acquired by Luxembourg-based Artal Group S.A.
and taken public in 2001.
(Editing by David Adams, Sandra Maler and Peter Cooney)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
|
|
