• Browse by: category | company | brand | product type  
  • HOME
  • THE GUIDE
  • ISSUES
  • GET INFORMED
  • GET INVOLVED
  • SHOP
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT US
  • All  |
  • Baby  |
  • Clothing  |
  • Food & Drink  |
  • Household  |
  • Office Supplies  |
  • Personal Care  |
  • Pet  |
  • Retail  |
  • Technology  |
  • Toys
  • |  Print Guide  |
  • App
  • Clothing  |
  • Electronics  |
  • Food & Drink  |
  • Household & Personal Care
  • Issues  |
  • New! Clothing  |
  • Why Shop Ethically?  |
  • 5 Principles  |
  • Companies to avoid  |
  • News  |
  • Sign Up for Updates
  • Go ethical at school, work, home  |
  • Campaign  |
  • Spread the Word  |
  • Volunteer  |
  • Workshops  |
  • Movie Nights  |
  • Fundraising
  • All Products  |
  • Shop Ethical! app  |
  • Shop Ethical! book  |
  • Stockists  |
  • Other books  |
  • Fregie sacks  |
  • FREE STUFF!  |
  • DONATE
  • Introduction  |
  • About Us  |
  • Ratings & Assessment  |
  • Media Mentions  |
  • Testimonials  |
  • FAQ

Weight Watchers

OVERALL

Owned
USA
Rating
Criticisms

Wellness services

Weight Watchers was founded in Queens, New York by housewife and mother, Jean Nidetch in 1963. Heinz bought the company for $78 million in 1978, and sold it to private equity firm Artal Luxembourg in 1999 for $735 million. Oprah Winfrey became spokesperson and part-owner in 2015. Weight Watchers rebranded itself WW International in 2018, as its focus moves towards overall health and wellness.

Company Ownership

WW International Inc   USA     website      facebook   
  Artal Group SA   
   owns 46% of WW International Inc  
LUX              

Investment firm

Owns 46% of Weight Watchers.

> About the Ratings

Company Assessment

PRAISE CRITICISM INFORMATION
WW International Inc
Business Ethics CEO Pay Ratio of 1,174:1
In 2020, twenty CEOs furloughed (temporarily laid off) a majority of their workforces due to COVID-19 while having made more than 1,000 times their median employee's compensation in 2019. Altogether, the total compensation of these twenty CEOs could have supported more than 30,000 jobs at their companies' median employee level of compensation. In 2019 this company's CEO was paid US$7,295,423, while the median employee pay was US$6,214, giving a CEO Pay Ratio of 1,174:1.
Source: AFL-CIO (2020)
Social Fined for underage data collection
In 2022 this company agreed to pay US$1.5 million to resolve claims from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that it illegally gathered the data of underage users of its Kurbo program. The FTC claims the companies illegally collected the data of underage users without first notifying their parents or obtaining their consent.
Source: Top Class Actions (2022)
Business Ethics WW Good
WW Good is a non-profit organisation working to make health and wellness accessible to all, regardless of income level. Since establishment is 2018, WW Good has donated over US$2.3 million and 13.4 million serving of fresh produce.
Source: company website (2020)
Business Ethics OpenSecrets.org profile
OpenSecrets.org tracks the influence of money on U.S. politics, and how that money affects policy and citizens' lives. Follow link to see this company's record of political donations, lobbying, outside spending and more.
Source: Open Secrets (2020)

> About the Icons

Company Details

Type Public company
Revenue 1.5 billion USD (2018)
Employees 18,000 (2017)

Contact Details

Address New York, New York, USA
Website corporate.ww.com

Products / Brands

Weight Watchers
Weight Watchers Weight Loss


  • About Us

    • Introduction
    • About Shop Ethical!
    • About ECG
    • About the Ratings
    • Assessment sources
    • Shop Ethical! database
    • Shop Ethical! book
    • Shop Ethical! app
    • Contact us
    • FAQ

    • Copyright
    • Privacy
    • Disclaimer
  • Get Informed

    • ISSUES
    • GET INFORMED
    • Electronics Guide
    • Clothing Guide
    • Values Screen
    • Why Shop Ethically?
    • 5 Principles
    • Be Inspired
    • Calendar
    • Local Harvest
  • Get Involved

    • GET INVOLVED
    • Go Ethical at school,
      work, home, church
    • Run a workshop or tour
    • Host a movie night
    • Spread the word
    • Resources
    • Volunteer
    • Support us
  • Connect

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Suggest brand/company
    • Report an error
    • Give feedback
    • Sign up for updates
    • Past newsletters
    • >>DONATE<<

    • GET the GUIDE
        • App Store
        • Google Play
        • buy our book