NEW YORK, Jan. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Weight Watchers
International, Inc. today announced two innovative partnerships
with American Express (NYSE: AXP) and with NYSE Euronext (NYSE:
NYX) to help employees lose weight and lead healthier
lives.
American Express, a corporate leader in promoting healthier
lifestyles for employees, plans to expand their Weight Watchers
offerings for its existing portfolio of wellness initiatives and
services. American Express has agreed to pay 100 percent of
the cost to its employees for up to one year for Weight Watchers
meetings with Monthly Pass or Weight Watchers Online. American
Express will also cover 50 percent of the cost of these offerings
for spouses and domestic partners of employees who are covered
under the American Express medical plan.
NYSE Euronext plans to include Weight Watchers offerings as part
of its "Empowering Wellness" program and will pay half the costs to
its employees for access to Weight Watchers meetings with Monthly
Pass or Weight Watchers Online.
"We are pleased to partner with Weight Watchers International, a
global leader in weight management services, to provide innovative
personal wellness tools and resources to our employees," said
Ed Hutner, Senior Vice President,
Human Resources, NYSE Euronext. "Weight Watchers and NYSE
Euronext share a commitment to help individuals achieve their
wellness goals and healthier lifestyles. Our people benefit, and so
does our business."
"We are growing our partnership with Weight Watchers because we
believe it is one of the best weight management programs
available," said David Kasiarz,
Senior Vice President, Global Compensation and Benefits at American
Express. "Weight Watchers offers a scientifically proven way to
lose weight that is also cost-effective and sustainable. This is
vital because we have seen first-hand how improvements in
weight-related health can lower healthcare costs and absenteeism,
and increase productivity."
Earlier this year, the National Business Group on Health gave
American Express the Global Distinction Award for efforts to
improve employee health and for the past three years it has honored
American Express with the Best Employers for Healthy
Lifestyles award.
This concept is already drawing praise from key business groups.
"It's these kind of initiatives from world-class companies like
American Express, NYSE Euronext and Weight Watchers that we hope
will encourage other corporations to follow suit," said
Helen Darling, President and CEO of
the National Business Group on Health, which has promoted worksite
wellness for 35 years. "The on-going obesity epidemic needs more
creative solutions, such as these, to counteract weight-related
health consequences and soaring healthcare costs. We hope that
these partnerships will be a new model for other employers of all
sizes to use."
Through these two initiatives, American Express and NYSE
Euronext will provide Weight Watchers offerings to a broad variety
of employees with varying work schedules. Employees will have
the flexibility to follow the renowned PointsPlus®
program by attending meetings at work, in the community or to
follow the plan online with a subscription to Weight Watchers
Online, which is customized for men and women.
To help the growing number of corporations, insurance companies
and government entities that seek to improve the health of their
employees and members, Weight Watchers Health Solutions provides
Weight Watchers offerings including on-site workplace meetings with
Monthly Pass and Weight Watchers Online. This can help employers to
lower overall healthcare costs, improve worker productivity and
lower absenteeism rates. Weight Watchers Health Solutions also
provides helpful tools to its customers such as incentives
alignment, employee communication and data analysis.
Also, as healthcare costs soar, employers are looking for
innovative ways to rein in expenses. A recent report by the
Conference Board notes that employers who invest in wellness
programs to help with weight control, exercise, smoking cessation
and stress reduction can generate an average return on investment
(ROI) of 500 percent (1).
"Employers large and small which provide coverage for many
Americans for healthcare must look for new solutions to control
rising healthcare costs," said David
Burwick, President, North
America, Weight Watchers. "Research shows that the costs of
treating expensive weight related chronic illnesses such as
diabetes can be reduced significantly by tackling these issues
early on through the education and behavior modification that we
offer."
About Weight Watchers International, Inc.
Weight Watchers International, Inc. is the world's leading
provider of weight management services, operating globally through
a network of Company-owned and franchise operations. Weight
Watchers holds over 45,000 meetings each week where members receive
group support and learn about healthy eating patterns, behavior
modification and physical activity. WeightWatchers.com provides
innovative, subscription weight management products over the
Internet and is the leading Internet-based weight management
provider in the world. In addition, Weight Watchers offers a wide
range of products, publications and programs for those interested
in weight loss and weight control.
(1) Weights & Measures: What Employers Should Know about
Obesity -- Key Findings, 2008, The Conference Board,
May 2008.
SOURCE Weight Watchers International, Inc.