News

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 […]

Obesity is apparently big business in Canada too–about one tenth the size of the United States market. Many of the large U.S. weight loss companies have outlets in Canada (Weight Watchers, jenny Craig), along with many home-grown chains. According to The Star, at least $6 billion is spent annually by Canadians for weight loss surgeries,

U.S. News’s first-ever rankings, released last week, evaluated diets in seven categories, including short-term weight loss, long-term weight loss, easiness to follow, and nutritional completeness. The government-endorsed DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) snagged the top spot overall. Weight Watchers came in #1, while Jenny Craig and the Raw Food Diet came in #2.

More than a third of adults and nearly 17% of children in the United States are obese, increasing their chances of developing health problems including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, fatty liver disease and some cancers. “This plan is a bold blueprint that will encourage the research community to examine the epidemic

Sept. 16, 2014 —  The number of American men and women with big-bellied, apple-shaped figures — the most dangerous kind of obesity — has climbed at a startling rate over the past decade, according to a government study. People whose fat has settled mostly around their waistlines instead of in their hips, thighs, buttocks or

Sept. 11, 2014 — Weight watchers announced seamless syncing with popular activity monitors and apps, bringing millions of fitness wearable users the opportunity for a more complete and integrated weight loss experience. The integration will allow activity tracked from top devices to be automatically converted into activity PointsPlus® values and updated in the Weight Watchers

Sept. 10, 2014 — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Contrave (naltrexone hydrochloride and bupropion hydrochloride extended-release tablets) as treatment option for chronic weight management in addition to a reduced-calorie diet and physical activity. The drug is approved for use in adults with a body mass index of 30 or greater (obesity) or

Aug. 7, 2014… For the second quarter ended June 30, 2014, Medifast net revenue decreased 17% to $80.9 million from net revenue of $97.1 million in the second quarter of 2013.  Revenue in the direct sales channel, Take Shape for Life, decreased 12% to $54.1 million in Q2 of 2014 compared to $61.4 million in

July 30, 2014: Weight Watchers reported its results for Q2 2014. Revenues of $397.5 million, down 15.6% versus the prior year period, with total paid weeks down 14.4% Cash flow provided by operating activities totaled $145.5 million year-to-date Earnings per fully diluted share (EPS) were $0.95 “While Q2 financial performance is down significantly year over

July 29, 2014: NutriSystem reported its results for Q2 2014 today. Revenue for the quarter was $111.1 million, an increase of 14% as compared to $97.5 million in the second quarter of 2013; Gross profit increased 14% versus prior year to $56.9 million. Dawn Zier, President and CEO, said, “We are pleased with our strong