Long before telehealth was even conceptualized as an idea, the Weight Watchers brand has been synonymous with diet, weight management, and healthy lifestyles since the 1960s. This wellness brand has been a mainstay for nearly 60 years and counting, and first made the leap to telemedicine in 2018.
Macrotrends’ market estimates peg WW International’s total value at $0.35 billion. In a new acquisition for the company, Weight Watchers is now directing 1/10th of a billion toward buying out another prolific telehealth diet company; Sequence.
Sequence is a clinical and pharmaceutical online dietary platform. Allowing patients to access GLP-1 dietary medications from the comfort and safety of their own home. The platform distributes popular, FDA-approved treatments like Ozempic, Rybelus, and Wegovy, drugs used to treat conditions and symptoms concerning:
- Weight issues
- Diabetes
- Appetite issues
- Insulin deficiency
Both providers are hoping that this platform merger could be a mutually beneficial win-win for both brands, and so are we. If you are wondering about the best of both platforms, let’s explore what this collaboration could mean for the future of weight management and nutritional telemedicine.
Sequence Telehealth x Weight Watchers
In a new press release, Weight Watchers recently announced that they are now acquiring the parent company behind Sequence, Weekend Health, in a mutual, definitive agreement. This enormous cash and equity transaction is slated to be:
- Valued at a whopping $132 million
- With a net purchase price of $106M
- Including a minimum $26M of Sequence funds
Throughout most of the company’s lifespan, WW International solely concentrated on providing fitness guidance and nutritional support for its customers. Upon Weight Watchers’ announcement of this definitive agreement, the company’s stock rapidly surged, closing the day out 70% higher than it started.
(We’re a telehealth site, not a finance site, so check out this CNBC story for more info.)
Both parties seem pleased with this decision. According to Sequence CEO Remy Cossart, “Pairing behavior change with medically appropriate clinical solutions is more powerful and more sustainable than clinical alone. Weight Watchers is the most studied and trusted behavior change program, and their customer-centric approach to livable, sustainable, science-backed weight management is unparalleled.”
On the flipside, Weight Watchers CSO Gary Foster emphasized that “We know [that] weight management isn’t one-size-fits-all and clinical interventions are not medically or otherwise appropriate for everyone, which is why we remain committed to all pathways.”
This merger represents a significant expansion for both providers, one that will hopefully enhance and vitalize the efficacy of their two services. One Lancet study suggests that Weight Watchers has a nearly 60% (or 57%) efficacy in leading to weight loss. Also, although the WW press release didn’t mention Sequence’s options by name, their GLP-1 drugs can be extremely effective for weight management.
According to the New England Journal of Medicine, GLP-1 medications like Wegovy can lead to a near 15% weight loss reduction when used over the course of 68 weeks. By contrast, behavioral therapy alone only led to a 5% weight reduction at most. In a moment when this kind of care is becoming less affordable and accessible, we can only hope that both providers’ partnerships will improve the accessibility, affordability, and efficacy of this care.
Weight Watchers: How Does It Work?
Wondering how Weight Watchers works? Well, if you’d like to take advantage of their telehealth services, then you should know that you can enjoy their fitness, wellness, and weight loss programs for as low as $3.19 a week! Depending on the payment tier you choose, these programs could include:
- Diet and fitness activity tracking
- Routine, 24/7 online chat support
- Exclusive rewards and prizes
- Weekly diet coach check-ins
- Group coaching workshops
- Curated nutritional articles
- Printable dietary guidebooks
- About 14,000+ workshops
- 8,000+ Weight Watchers Recipes
Different people have different personal, individual nutrition needs, and WW’s programs are meant to accommodate those individual needs. As Mr. Foster said, weight loss is not a linear, “one-size-fits-all” journey. Group and 1-on-1 clinical coaching workshops are available to help you find additional motivation and support, as well as weekly and daily chat options for customers who want more support.
If you need extra help motivating yourself, Weight Watchers’ online platform also has an enticing points-based rewards system, which can offer extra positive reinforcement for positive lifestyle habits! By purchasing Sequence, WW now affords its members an even greater means of clinical care.
Besides being a prescription GLP-1 service, Sequence provides plenty of great, clinically-informed telemedicine options for its users. These include:
- Comprehensive nutrition plans developed by registered dieticians
- Virtual, personal one-on-one health check-ins with online clinicians
- Personalized fitness plans developed by professional coaches
- Direct coordination with your health insurance coverage plan
- A free companion app to monitor your progress and seek care
Both Sequence and Weight Watchers programs are available in all 50 states across the country, and the company promised that it’s not changing its program offerings. Users don’t need to be Weight Watchers members to enjoy the perks of Sequence, and vice versa, they don’t need to be a Sequence member to enjoy WW. That said, integrating both programs into your wellness regimen could potentially help you optimize the benefits of both!
Which Weight Watchers Plan Is Best For Fast Weight Loss?
The answer to that question will depend on your own nutritional wellness needs. We can’t really answer that question.
But, if you’d like to know why Weight Watchers has been such a popular nutritional subscription service for so long, you can read our review to find out!
