Losing Weight the New York Way

Brooklyn-born Jean Nidetch had been overweight all her life. Not that she hadn’t tried to lose weight—many times. In her late thirties, living in Queens with her husband and children, she decided to try a different approach. In 1961, she invited six friends who also wanted to lose weight to meet weekly in her home. At the meetings, they talked about their weight loss journey and offered each other support and encouragement. This was the origin of Weight Watchers.

Soon the women saw the success of this approach to weight management. They told their friends, and the group quickly outgrew Nidetch’s home.

In 1963, Nidetch incorporated Weight Watchers. When the company went public five years later, it boasted a million members worldwide. In 1978, the company sold for the first time. Nidetch, now wealthy beyond her wildest dreams, continued to be the face of Weight Watchers and to inspire others who hoped to slim down. She died in 2015 at age 91.