Weight Watchers has made headlines all over the world by changing the name it has had since it was first founded. The weight management program was first created in the 1960s and has been synonymous with healthy and effective weight loss since that time.

Over the years, Weight Watchers has boasted a strong diet culture and many celebrities have not only credited their slimmer waistlines to the program, but have become spokespeople for the lifestyle it encourages. Most recently, Oprah Winfrey has become the face of the brand.

Weight Watchers: What’s in a Name?

As much as Weight Watchers has been very successful under its traditional name, the brand has announced that it is keeping up with changing times by changing its name, too. Moving forward, the company has rebranded to call itself simply WW.

Among the reasons the company prefers the initials WW over Weight Watchers is that it removes the indication that the program is focused exclusively on body fat. Instead, they want to think about their program as one that goes above and beyond weight. The brand is now focused much more on health and wellness, particularly at a time when the concept of dieting is seeing some negative light.

Living a Healthy Lifestyle

The change from Weight Watchers to WW is one that has been in the works for a while. According to CEO and president of the company, Mindy Grossman, the brand was originally launched based on the “power of community” as well as the “science of healthy eating.” While the point to the program was to achieve a healthy body weight and maintain it, this mission has since grown.

“We’ve evolved to be a much more sustainable and long-term approach to wellness,” explained Grossman in a Forbes interview. She pointed out that the program creates a focus on nutrition, active living and the way the mind supports those healthy lifestyle components. By rebranding, the company is hoping that it will better reflect its focus on overall wellness, not just the waistline.

Will WW Live Up to Weight Watchers?

Only time will tell whether the rebrand under the new name of WW will keep the program as popular as it was under the Weight Watchers name. That said, the company is hoping that its new features and resources, including exclusive content on the popular meditation app, Headspace, will help to appeal to a new market that thinks beyond the concept of traditional dieting.