Weight Watchers shed pounds, raise money, feed hungry

In the seven weeks from August 30 to October 17, 2009, Weight Watchers members and online subscribers across the country pledged to adopt healthier lifestyles and eating habits in order to match or surpass last year's goal of four million pounds lost nationwide. Meeting the goal triggered a $1 million donation from Weight Watchers to Share Our Strength, which works to end childhood hunger in America, and Action Against Hunger, a humanitarian organization that works to eliminate hunger worldwide.

In addition to the cash donation, individual Weight Watchers members and meetings also contributed food to food banks in their communities, staying true to the spirit of the Seattle Weight Watchers meeting whose efforts sparked the first national "Lose for Good" campaign in 2007. Debbie Hugo, who led the meeting, sought to keep her members engaged and enthusiastic with a special activity, and hit on the idea of having members donate to a local food bank an equivalent amount of food for every pound or ounce they lost. Last year, individual members and meetings contributed 1.5 million pounds of food to local hunger-fighting organizations; this year, Weight Watchers members surpassed that figure by more than half a million pounds. Members' food contributions benefited some 3,300 food banks and anti-hunger groups acd=d

"The Lose For Good campaign inspired our members and staff to rally together and help others in need in their own backyard and around the country," said David Kirchhoff, president and CEO of Weight Watchers International, Inc. "In this short period of time, I am so proud that we collectively got healthier, exceeded last year’s campaign by holding more food drives and that we were able to donate over two million pounds of food to food banks around the country."

Written by Sandy Smith