News

According to a Forbes magazine article, Raymond Debbane is the man behind Weight Watchers Intl. which is the private equity deal of the century. This money-making relationship has been going on since 1999, largely unnoticed. Mr. Debbane runs Invus Group, an investment firm headquartered in NYC that manages money for a few wealthy European families. […]

I rarely offer opinions on diet company stocks, but this is an exception. With all due respect, I strongly disagree with Jim Kramer’s recent take on Weight Watchers being a “dangerous” and “foolhardy” stock, along with his sell rating. I also disagree strongly with his latest comments about the company being “mismanaged”. This company does

How many times now have we heard about the next new anti-obesity drug blockbuster, that never met expectations? The next multi-billion dollar/year magic pill? Qnexa by Vivus is the latest to get a nod from an FDA review panel. Soon we’ll be hearing the Wall Street analysts proclaim Qnexa’s virtues, the growing global obesity problem

The top diet programs, according to the magazine, are: Weight Watchers, the DASH Diet, and The Biggest Loser. The list by the high profile news magazine started last year, with Weight Watchers taking the top spot. The US News and World Report Best Diets 2012 also breaks the diets down in to multiple categories, naming

In my consulting travels, I come across some very interesting start-ups, entrepreneurs and ventures that launch new diet companies and products or services designed to augment the programs of existing companies. One such venture is the Weight Zone Factor, by a California mathematician and entrepreneur with a team of people under the name Virtual Wellness,

Medicare will pick up the tab for obesity screening and intensive behavioral counseling, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid announced late Tuesday. CMS, which first floated the obesity coverage plan last September, said it expects more than 30% of the Medicare population to qualify for the new benefit. Beneficiaries with body mass index values of

According to GIA: “The landscape is vast with contenders including biotech companies such as Arena Pharmaceuticals and Orexigen Therapeutics to giant pharmaceutical companies gearing up to develop safer anti-obesity drugs with lower side effects.” “The US continues to remain the largest and the fastest growing regional market and is home to the majority of world’s

“The Common Cent$Diet For The Busy Girl: Simple Do-it-Yourself Weight Loss” – October 2011 John LaRosa, Marketdata’s President and the former VP of Nutrition for eDiets.com, Susan Burke March, RD, have teamed up to co-author a brand new e-book. The CommonCent$Diet For The Busy Girl: Simple Do-it-Yourself Weight Loss, is a plan based on the

That’s what a new study by MarketResearch.com says will happen by 2015. The report is entitled: “Global Weight Loss & Diet Management Products & Services Market (2010-2015)” and covers foods, beverages, drugs, surgeries, services, fitness equipment and accessories. The global weight loss and diet management products & services market was expected to be worth $390

John LaRosa here… Got back from the MDPA’s first annual weight loss industry conference in Silver Spring, MD on 9/27-28. If you weren’t there, you missed a great event. Small turnout but very high level and interesting presenters. See www.mdpaconference.com for the agenda. * The industry’s growth has slowed with the recession, but individual companies