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☆ GNC is redesigning stores to draw people taking Ozempic
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The brand hopes a new strategy tailored to people taking GLP-1 drugs for weight loss will help draw customers into stores and grow its business. We can help,” advertises an overhead banner in GNC’s new GLP-1 “support section.”GNC's new GLP-1 support section is available in all 2,300 stores across the United States. JON SIMON/GNCDanish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk is reaping huge profits from creating and selling the hit GLP-1 products. JPMorgan researchers estimate that 30 million people may be taking GLP-1 drugs by 2030, or around 9% of the US population. GNC, which filed for bankruptcy in 2020 and closed more than 1,200 stores, is the latest brand to build a strategy around people taking GLP-1s.

Persons: New York CNN — GNC, GNC, ”, JON SIMON, WeightWatchers Organizations: New, New York CNN, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Roche, JPMorgan, Equinox Locations: New York, United States, Danish

☆ Costco begins offering Ozempic prescriptions to some members
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The warehouse retailer is now offering its US members access to prescriptions for GLP-1 weight loss drugs through its low-cost health care partner Sesame. Costco first partnered with Sesame, a direct-to-consumer health care marketplace that connects medical providers nationwide with consumers, last fall when it began offering its members online health checkups for as low as $29. “The number one search term of Costco members seeking primary care on Sesame was around weight loss,” Goldhill said in an interview with USA Today. JPMorgan researchers estimate that 30 million people may be taking GLP-1 drugs by 2030, or around 9% of the US population. It also made a $100 million-plus deal to buy Sequence, a telehealth business that can offer virtual prescriptions, where appropriate, to patients for these weight loss drugs.

Persons: Sesame, David Goldhill, ” Goldhill, WeightWatchers Organizations: New, New York CNN, Costco, USA, CNN, JPMorgan Locations: New York

☆ WeightWatchers CEO just sent an internal memo to employees as stock crashes, amid debt concerns, Oprah exit
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Eric Rosenbaum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

But since then WW shares have suffered heavy selling, dropping to a new 52-week low on Thursday. The stock, due to its debt load and short interest, as well as the general anxiety about the impact of the new weight loss drugs, is subject to heightened volatility. In the memo, Sistani told employees she wanted "to take a moment to address some of the breathless media coverage." WW shares closed at $1.87 on Thursday. It noted that WW was among companies from the weight loss industry involved in the TV event.

Persons: Oprah Winfrey, Sistani, Eli Lilly, Sima Sistani, Guggenheim, Oprah, Winfrey Organizations: CNBC, Nordisk, Guggenheim Partners, Guggenheim, WeightWatchers Clinic, FDA, WeightWatchers, National Museum of, ABC

☆ Ozempic is coming for gyms. Here’s how they’re responding
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —America’s gyms are adjusting their strategies as more of their members take weight loss drugs. JPMorgan researchers estimate that 30 million people may be taking GLP-1 drugs by 2030, or around 9% of the US population. For now, GLP-1 medications are prohibitively expensive for most Americans, costing about $1,000 or more a month. (Ozempic has not been approved for weight loss by regulators, though Wegovy, a similar drug, has.) It also made a $100 million-plus deal to buy Sequence, a telehealth business that offers virtual prescriptions to patients for these weight loss drugs where appropriate.

Persons: ”, Simeon Siegel, Bahram Akradi, “, Amanda Edwards, ” Siegel, Rick Caro, Jaap Arriens, WeightWatchers Organizations: New, New York CNN, Boomers, JPMorgan, Fitness, BMO Capital Markets, Management, Industries Locations: New York, Ozempic, Barre, Southern California

☆ Oprah's WeightWatchers departure proves she still has the power to move the needle
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

On Thursday, WeightWatchers stock was worth $3.12 — down from a 2021 high of $40. WeightWatchers' value jumped by $700 million in just two days after Winfrey joined the company in 2015, with shares more than doubling. AdvertisementBut WeightWatchers and other weight loss companies have struggled in the recent Ozempic-era, as GLP1 medications become more accessible and commonplace. (Evidence suggests Winfrey's endorsement of GLP-1 medications sparked a spike in demand for them, as well. ) The statement said WeightWatchers' board of directors is supportive of Winfrey's proposal to donate her stock to the museum.

Persons: —, Winfrey's, Winfrey, Oprah Winfrey, Phil, Oz, Suze Orman, WeightWatchers, Semmelbauer Organizations: Service, Business, WW International, Magazine, National Museum of Locations: WeightWatchers

☆ Big-name investors are betting AI gadgets could change the way we interact with tech
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. What's on deck:This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. The big storyAI (literally) in your pocketTech workers are criticizing Humane's hotly anticipated Ai pin. AdvertisementIn fact, heavy hitters like legendary investor Vinod Khosla believe that AI devices will completely change how we interact with technology. Humane's Ai Pin, which can project text onto users' hands and translate voice messages, didn't get a warm welcome when it launched late last year .

Persons: —, Oompa, I've, Willy Wonka, Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Humane's, Vinod Khosla, Samantha Stokes, Vishal Persaud, Khosla, Ai, didn't, Tim Cook, Salesforce's Marc Benioff, OpenAI's Sam Altman, Franck Robichon, Paul Krugman, shouldn't, we're, Wells, Bank of America's Merrill, Bitcoin, Tyler Le, maven, Alexei Navalny's, Dan DeFrancesco, Hallam Bullock, Jordan Parker Erb, George Glover Organizations: Service, Business, Humane, Khosla Ventures, Rabbit, Bank of America's, Wall, The New York Times, WW, SEC Locations: Franck, Wells Fargo, New York, London

☆ Oprah has left WeightWatchers, sending stocks spiraling and spelling doom for the diet of our foremothers
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Mia De Graaf | Rachel Hosie | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Oprah Winfrey will not seek reelection to the board of WW International, known as WeightWatchers. It was a surprising time to jump on board — WeightWatchers had been shedding users, and its stock price was dwindling. AdvertisementDespite not naming the brand, there was an immediate spike in demand for GLP-1 medications — the popular new class of weight-loss drugs. That same day, WW added a weight-loss drug arm to its business, acquiring Sequence, a service that provides weight-loss drugs. AdvertisementLong-term, WW needs to find a new identityOver time, WW will benefit from being a purveyor of hard-to-access weight-loss drugs.

Persons: Oprah Winfrey, —, Oprah giveth, Oprah taketh, maven, Winfrey, — WeightWatchers, Axios, Oprah, Forbes, Craig, Alex Fuhrman, Winfrey's, We're, Atkins Organizations: WW International, Service, SEC, Guardian, People Magazine, MarketWatch, Mayo Clinic, Business, Smithsonian's National Museum of, CNBC, Slate Locations: GLP, WeightWatchers

☆ Oprah is leaving WeightWatchers’ board, sending stock tumbling 25%
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Oprah Winfrey is leaving the board of WeightWatchers, ending a nearly decade-long stint as a director of the beleaguered company that has faced sudden competition from Ozempic. WeightWatchers shares (WW) plunged 25% in premarket trading Thursday and would be down 85% for the past six months if the premarket losses hold. WeightWatchers has faced more competition recently from GLP-1 prescriptions drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy sometimes used for weight loss. Last year, WeightWatchers also made a $100 million-plus deal to buy Sequence, a telehealth business that offers virtual prescriptions to patients for these weight loss drugs where appropriate. Winfrey told People Magazine in December that she has added a “weight-loss medication to her regimen” but didn’t specify which drug.

Persons: Oprah Winfrey, Winfrey, ”, Oprah, Sima Sistani, WeightWatchers, ” Winfrey Organizations: New, New York CNN, Ozempic, National Museum of, WeightWatchers, Magazine Locations: New York, GLP

☆ Thinking about taking new weight loss drugs? These are the big health risk decisions that will follow
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Eric Rosenbaum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

In this article NOVO.B-DKLLYWWGWW Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTAn injection pen of Zepbound, Eli Lilly’s weight loss drug, is displayed in New York City, U.S., December 11, 2023. But will Americans trust the most iconic brand in the legacy weight-loss business to guide them into its future? "Big pharma was coming for weight loss, and if they didn't have a clinical angle, they would have run the risk of becoming an irrelevant company." "This is a new, incredibly powerful and effective class of pharmaceuticals that a lot of people will find help improve their health." watch nowRisks of overreliance on obesity drugs The risk is real that providers may use the medications and "forget about lifestyle," said John Batsis, an associate professor and nutrition expert at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill's school of public health.

Persons: Eli Lilly’s, Brendan Mcdermid, Eli Lilly, —, Sima Sistani —, Sistani, Alex Fuhrman, Hallum, Fuhrman, Davidson, Linda Bolton Weiser, I've, Geoff Cook, Cook, John Batsis, Batsis Organizations: Reuters, Novo Nordisk, CNBC, Craig, pharma, University of North, University of North Carolina Chapel Locations: New York City, U.S, Herbalife, University of North Carolina

☆ How to access the new weight loss drugs
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Andrea Kane | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

(CNN) — By now, it is pretty clear that the new weight loss and diabetes medications have achieved blockbuster status. Unlike previous weight loss medications, they are pretty effective at helping people lose weight and keep it off — between around 15% to 20% of body weight — with relatively few side effects (although some people can’t tolerate them, and a fraction of patients experience more severe side effects). Zepbound, the newly approved weight loss drug from Eli Lilly, may be easier to find. “Otherwise, some physicians are prescribing older, generic weight loss medications that can be helpful for some patients.”These drugs are not right for everyoneFor many people, the cultural pressure to look a certain way is high. And join us next week on the Chasing Life podcast when we talk to WeightWatchers CEO Sima Sistani about whether these new weight loss drugs really signal the end of diet culture.

Persons: Sanjay Gupta ”, Eli Lilly, Goldman Sachs, Meg Tirrell John Nowak “, Meg Tirrell, Sanjay Gupta, ” Tirrell, “, ” Eli Lilly, Tirrell, ”, Sima Sistani Organizations: CNN, —, Trilliant Health, Novo Nordisk, US Food and Drug Administration, “, Nordisk, ”

☆ ‘Your Fat Friend:’ New documentary turns unflinching gaze towards anti-fatness
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Rusty could barely bring himself to say the word “fat” when filming for the documentary first began six years earlier. Under the pseudonym “Your Fat Friend,” she began blogging anonymously, spotlighting these ways in which the world makes life harder for fat people. “Just say fat,” Gordon says in an accompanying voiceover, reading aloud one of her essays. “Just say fat,” Gordon says in a voiceover in the film. There’s space for my parents to grow and change, there’s space for the audience to grow and change,” Gordon says.

Persons: Aubrey Gordon, Rusty, “, ”, ” Gordon, Jeanie Finlay, Gordon, Jeanie Finlay “ It’s, sidelong, —, Phil Sharp, ” Finlay, “ It’s, Aubrey, — Pam, Rusty —, Pam grapples, ” Jeanie Finlay “, Gordon’s, Finlay, “ I’ve, Darren Aronofsky’s, Hal ” —, I’m, Roxane Gay, Aidy Bryant, Annie Easton, Fatphobia, Kate Manne, Desiree Burch, Julie Murphy, Jennifer Aniston Organizations: CNN, SNL, Cornell University, Netflix Locations: Europe, Canada, Oregon, proofread, London, Fatness

☆ Ro, the $7 billion healthcare startup, has a high-stakes strategy to take off-brand Ozempic mainstream
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The $7 billion healthcare startup Ro, which has been prescribing brand-name weight-loss shots since January 2023, now offers compounded semaglutide to patients enrolled in its weight-management program. Nonetheless, Ro is the first prominent healthcare company to effectively endorse compounded semaglutide by prescribing it. A poor-quality compounded drug might simply be a dud and a waste of money. But while compounding pharmacies are subject to FDA and state regulations, states are the main regulators, and their oversight is patchy. Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesIt's hard to know if any given vial of compounded semaglutide is safe.

Persons: Wegovy's, Ro, drugmakers, Eli Lilly's, Eli Lilly's Mounjaro, Scott Gottlieb, Michael Siluk, That's, they've, Ozempic, Eli Lilly, Eric Kastango, they're, Kastango, aren't, Al Carter, Sarah Jones Simmer, Spencer Nadolsky, WeightWatchers, Tim Church, Wondr, it's, hasn't Organizations: Business, Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, US Food and Drug Administration, FDA, Novo Nordisk's Ozempic, Getty, Novo Nordisk, USP, National Association of, Pharmacy, Health Locations: Novo, Massachusetts, Austria, New York City

☆ Opinion: We’ll finally get some answers from Iowa about Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

It is a feat former President Donald Trump is trying to duplicate this year. The first true test of Trump’s comeback occurs Monday in Iowa, where caucusgoers will venture into sub-zero temperatures to choose between Trump, Florida Gov. After months of speculation, we’ll finally get some answers to a few questions: Is there an opening for any Republican aside from Trump? Most of our contributors thought Haley won Wednesday’s CNN debate in Iowa against DeSantis, but Trump’s absence from the stage again loomed large. “Haley sounded like someone looking to take on the genuine article — the Republican frontrunner,” wrote W. James Antle III.

Persons: George Washington’s, Grover Cleveland, ”, Troy Senik, Donald Trump, Cleveland, “, —, Republican frontrunner’s, Cleveland didn’t, Benjamin Harrison —, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, we’ll, Will DeSantis, he’s, Haley, Wednesday’s, “ Haley, James Antle III, ’, ” Clay Jones, Chris Christie, Trump, ” Antle, who’s, Facebook Sophia, Nelson, “ Haley isn’t, Todd Graham, she’d, it’s, ” DeSantis, John Avlon, Laurence Tribe, Norman Eisen, Taylor Redd, Florence Pan, John Sauer, ” Bill Bramhall, Frida Ghitis, Ghitis, DeSantis, Julian Zelizer, Dean Obeidallah, Nikki Haley’s Lisa Benson, Peter Bergen, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, Biden, ” Walt Handelsman, Max, Drew Sheneman, Hassan Shahidi, Shahidi, Oprah, Oprah Winfrey, John Salangsang, Adrienne Bitar, WeightWatchers, couldn’t, Rose Blanchard, Sarah Gundle, Blanchard, Claudine ‘ Dee Dee ’ Blanchard, Gypsy Rose, ” Dee Dee, Gundle, Dee Dee Blanchard, Pope Francis, ” Jill Filipovic, Filipovic, Pope, ” Lloyd Austin’s, Lloyd Austin, Joe Biden, Austin, isn’t, Bill Bramhall, “ Oppenheimer, “ Barbie, “ Barbie ”, Gene Seymour, Oppenheimer, Emma Stone, ” Seymour, Don’t, Michael Bociurkiw, Ukraine Lanhee J, Chen, Noah Berlatsky, Belichick Bill Belichick, Vince Lombardi, Jeff Haynes, Bill Belichick, Will Leitch, Jeff Pearlman, Nick Saban, ” “ Belichick, Saban, ’ Pearlman, Lou Piniella, ‘ Organizations: CNN, University of Michigan, Cleveland, Republican, Trump, Trump , Florida Gov, Wednesday’s CNN, DeSantis, New, New Jersey Gov, Twitter, Facebook, Florida Gov, DC, Agency, Capitol, GOP, US, UK, Alaska Airlines, Boeing, Max, Portland International, Flight, Foundation, Golden Globe, Globes, Catholic, Biden, Warner Bros ., Academy, Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Belichick, New England Patriots, Reliant, Patriots, Carolina Panthers, Getty, Super, Football, NFL, Minor League NFL, University of Alabama, Schlitz, Seattle Mariners Locations: Cleveland, Iowa, Trump , Florida, Trump, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Graham, Houthi, Yemen, Red, “, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Bergen, Iran, Iraq, Iranian, Oregon, Beverly Hills , California, Ukraine, Houston , Texas, AFP, Swiss

☆ Opinion: What Oprah gets right about diet culture
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Opinion Adrienne Bitar | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

How could she, the queen of WeightWatchers and doyenne of dieting, be abandoning the equation of diet + exercise = slim? Taking weight-loss drugs, rejecting diet culture or choosing to diet are all valid health decisions. Just look at the tragic history of diet drugs. When considered in this context, semaglutide isn’t the weight loss panacea it may appear to be. Oprah and the millions of other Americans on prescription semaglutide and similar medications should be respected — or at least not ridiculed — for ignoring the insults and choosing what’s right for them, drug or no drug, diet or no diet.

Persons: Adrienne Bitar, ”, Oprah Winfrey, WeightWatchers, Oprah, couldn’t, Cancer, dieters, “, gaunt, Jimmy Kimmel, Atkins “, John Harvey Kellogg, Kellogg, dieter, — Organizations: “, Studies, Cornell University, CNN, ”, Federal Food

☆ 3 titans will fight to dominate the market for Wegovy in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-27 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Dozens of startups have jumped into the weight-loss market this year as weight-loss drugs, including Wegovy and Ozempic, have exploded in popularity. The few companies with enough money and brand recognition to stand up to Ozempic's distribution challenges — WeightWatchers, Noom, and Ro — can expect to compete for market dominance next year. But WeightWatchers signaled it's going all in on weight-loss drugs by launching its own behavioral program for patients on Ozempic in December. WeightWatchersLike WeightWatchers, Noom has remained staunchly in the weight-loss market since its 2008 launch. Ro launched its own program prescribing weight-loss drugs in January.

Persons: VCs, — WeightWatchers, Sari Kaganoff, WeightWatchers, it's, Sima Sistani, Noom, Ro, Zach Reitano, Kaganoff, Saeju Jeong, Sam Barnes, Aaron DeGagne Organizations: Business, Rock Health, Web, Getty, PitchBook Locations: Ozempic

☆ Healthcare companies are promising to help patients quit Wegovy. There's just one problem with that.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-19 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Inkinen said Virta can help patients quit GLP-1 drugs and keep weight off by adjusting the foods they eat to help them feel full, similar to how the drugs reduce feelings of hunger. About 82% of patients taking Wegovy experience gastrointestinal issues like nausea and diarrhea. WeightWatchers didn't provide Business Insider with published data to support its claims that it can help people keep weight off after quitting weight-loss drugs. AdvertisementHe also advises the weight-loss startup Calibrate, which tapers some patients off GLP-1 drugs after they reach a certain body-mass index. GLP-1 drugs also slash the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and cardiac-related death.

Persons: —, Michael Albert, aren't, Sami Inkinen, Inkinen, Virta, Michael Siluk, Noom's, Linda Anegawa, Carolina Rudah, tirzepatide, Mounjaro, Zepbound —, Eli Lilly, Ozempic, Wegovy, Randy Seeley, Seeley, Robyn Phelps, it's, Robert Kushner, Kushner, Florian Gaertner, It's, Albert, Lisa, she's, I'm Organizations: Service, Business, FDA, Virta, Getty, Nordisk, Michigan Nutrition Obesity Research, University of Michigan, Novo Nordisk, Northwestern University Locations: Denver, Michigan

☆ Sima Sistani says its time for WeightWatchers to embrace Ozempic. Will its users agree?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Sima Sistani, the 44-year-old CEO of WeightWatchers, is aware of this, and she recognized WeightWatchers had to evolve – or else. She also landed a massive deal to buy a telehealth business that can issue virtual prescriptions to patients for these weight loss drugs. Semaglutide was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat type 2 diabetes as Ozempic, but it was also used off-label for weight loss. Some longtime users of the program feel betrayed by the pivot away from in-person meetings and toward medication-based solutions. “Sadly, they don’t want to do the work,” she said, of tracking food or exercising to achieve weight loss goals.

Persons: New York CNN —, Sima Sistani, WeightWatchers, she’s, Sistani, “, ” Sistani, Erica Shroeder, ”, Jaap Arriens, ” Goldman Sachs, Jenny Craig, Adam Rockmore, Ged, Angela Weiss, Variety Sistani, there’s, Semaglutide, aren’t, “ there’s, Oprah Winfrey, Jamie Yonash, influencers, Velanti, Michael Nagle, We’re Organizations: New, New York CNN, Walmart, CNN, WeightWatchers, Variety, US Food and Drug Administration, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: New York, Cola, Wegovy

☆ Novo Nordish and Eli Lilly cash in on blockbuster weight-loss drugs
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Manav Tanneeru | Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —As prescriptions for weight-loss and diabetes drugs skyrocket, so too has revenue for drugmakers Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. On Thursday, Novo Nordisk, the Denmark-based company behind Ozempic and Wegovy, reported a 29% increase in sales to $8.4 billion for the third quarter. The pharmaceutical companies are two of the biggest beneficiaries of the recent weight-loss drug frenzy, with Novo Nordisk catapulting to Europe’s most valuable company in September. Novo Nordisk reported that its obesity care sales grew 174% in the first nine months of 2023, mainly driven by US demand. The success of Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly’s drugs has inspired other companies to dive into the prescription weight-loss business, including WeightWatchers, now known as WW International.

Persons: Eli Lilly, Mounjaro, Wegovy, Novo, –, Eli Lilly’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, drugmakers Novo Nordisk, Novo Nordisk, Novo Nordisk catapulting, International Locations: New York, Denmark, United States, Novo

☆ The Company That Defined Dieting Is Sorry It Told Us to Have More Willpower
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Erich Schwartzel | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WeightWatchers Chief Executive Sima Sistani hears from them all of the time, those customers she thinks her company has failed. They fill her Instagram inbox with messages detailing their years on the WeightWatchers count-your-points program, a frustrating pattern of fluctuating weight that only made them feel like they weren’t trying hard enough.

Persons: Sima Sistani

☆ WeightWatchers could either win big or lose faithful customers, or both, in its pivot to Ozempic trend
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sequence offers access to weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Analysts say the move could save the company, but some WeightWatchers members aren't happy. Although the medication has gained popularity online and among celebrities, veteran WeightWatchers members aren't all happy with the company's pivot. Some WeightWatchers members expressed concern that the company was abandoning its message of self-restraint for the easy solution of weight-loss medication. Sequence, meanwhile, prescribes weight-loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy and helps patients afford the drugs through insurance and reimbursements.

Persons: WeightWatchers, aren't, They're, Goldman Sachs, Sima Sistani, Jenny Craig Organizations: WW, Inc, Bloomberg, Employers

☆ The 3 main ways digital-health startups are competing for a slice of the $13 billion market for obesity care
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Yeji Jesse Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have surged in popularity. A Rock Health report lays out three main ways startups are competing for a slice of the market. As weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy surge in popularity, digital-health startups are jumping in — offering everything from prescriptions to weight-management tools to compete for a slice of the $13 billion market. That's according to a new report by Rock Health, which lays out three main ways digital-health companies are vying to get in on obesity care. Rock Health said these platforms could be used in conjunction with weight-loss drugs to help track progress.

☆ The Discreet Thrill of Lurking Online
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Elise Craig | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Four years into the practice, I discovered I was lurking: Aside from sharing snapshots with friends on a private Instagram page, I was consuming strangers’ social media content without ever posting or commenting myself. I’ll hit a heart icon and contribute to a like count, but I find the public nature of social media participation to be too performative for me. In the online world, where anyone can put themselves onstage, I’m happy to sit in the audience and clap. Alongside tools used to track diet and exercise was something that I didn’t expect: a sort of in-app Instagram, open only to members. By that point, the shine of social media had worn off for me.

☆ Jenny Craig is going out of business
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Jenny Craig, the weight-loss chain, has confirmed that it’s shutting down for good. Named after its founder, the Jenny Craig business started when she couldn’t lose weight after giving birth to her second child. WeightWatchers, for example, is getting into the prescription weight-loss drug business. The $106 million acquisition of Sequence will give WW a foothold into the growing market for prescription drugs to manage weight loss. Ozempic has gained popularity in part due to celebrities using it for weight loss.

☆ Jenny Craig is reportedly winding down its weight-loss centers and warning of mass layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Jenny Craig is reportedly shutting down some of its weight-loss centers and warning employees of mass layoffs amid upheaval in the industry from popular new prescription drugs like Ozempic. Jenny Craig alerted employees to potential layoffs as it begins “winding down physical operations” and hunts for a buyer, according to NBC News. Jenny Craig has nearly 500 weight-loss centers in the United States and Canada. We will have more details to share in the coming weeks as our plans are solidified,” a spokesperson for Jenny Craig said in a statement to CNN. Ozempic has gained popularity in part due to celebrities using it for weight loss.

☆ WeightWatchers Gets a Makeover With Obesity-Drug Business
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( David Wainer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Powerful new drugs such as Ozempic are starting to change the weight-loss narrative. If you can’t beat them, join them. WeightWatchers ’ acquisition of the drug-prescribing business Sequence, which closed last Monday, is a clear sign that the center of gravity in the weight-loss industry is shifting. Whereas conventional wisdom for decades was that obesity could only be addressed through lifestyle changes, powerful new drugs are starting to change that narrative, forcing the old guard to adapt or die.

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