Weight Watchers briefly changed its name to 'WW' in 2018 before quietly changing it back to Weight Watchers a few years later.

Weight Watchers began offering access to GLP-1 weight loss medications in 2023 after losing more than 1.5 million members over the previous two years.

In 2025, Weight Watchers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after reporting revenue and profit losses for multiple consecutive years, with its stock price losing about 99% of its value between 2018 and 2025.

The Heinz Company acquired Weight Watchers for $71M in 1978 before selling the company to private equity firm Artal Luxembourg in 1999 for about $735M—more than 10 times the amount Heinz paid for it.

Queens, New York housewife Jean Nidetch founded Weight Watchers in 1963 after someone mistook her for being pregnant.

In 2018, Weight Watchers announced a free program for teens as young as 13—and faced significant backlash from the eating disorder recovery community as a result.

The Wing was a coworking space and private members club before it closed down

The Wing was supposed to be more than a woman’s answer to the popular WeWork coworking spaces. Founder Audrey Gelman envisioned The Wing as a private members club where women could feel empowered and dignified—if they had a few thousand dollars a year for a membership, of course. However, after racism scandals and widespread employee criticism, The Wing ceased operations in 2022.

WeWork marketed itself on community

In a new era of work where many millennials wanted to work for themselves in offices with exposed brick, cold brew on tap, and casual dress codes, WeWork realized these entrepreneurs and startup workers didn’t want to do it alone.

Ogilvy & Mather rebranded to just ‘Ogilvy’ in 2018

This was far from the first brand evolution the agency itself has gone through in its more than century-long history. The agency now known as “Ogilvy” started as a London advertising agency founded in 1850 by Edmund Mather. By 1964, it became known as Ogilvy & Mather after merging with a New York City agency that was founded in 1948 by David Ogilvy.

The WEF’s ‘Davos Manifesto’ is a set of guiding principles for the event

In 2020, these principles were updated for the first time in more than 40 years to include “stakeholder capitalism,” the idea that a company’s purpose is “to engage all its stakeholders in shared and sustained value creation.”

The rebrand to X was to make Twitter an all-in-one social media app

Elon Musk renamed the platform as part of his plan to create an app that goes beyond posts and tweets. The rebrand included a new name, logo, and vision for a platform that offers messaging, video, banking, shopping, and more.

History's weirdest weight loss fads, fact-checked

Nothing catches popular attention more than a claim to have found a quick weight-loss technique. History shows us such claims are often unfounded. Dr. Michael Mosley explores extreme weight-loss tips from history, from tapeworms to vinegar diets.

Whitney Wolfe Herd's return as CEO boosted Bumble's declining stock price

While the uptick didn't last, when Bumble announced Founder Wolfe Herd's return in 2025, shares rose in premarket trading and later that day. Investors likely hoped that her strategy could restabilize the business.

McMahon made WWE more graphic to compete with other outfits

In 1997, Vince McMahon ushered in a new era for the WWF, one that would later called the “Attitude Era.” In this clip, McMahon explicitly tells viewers what they can expect moving forward and shows how he thinks about his organization, mentioning Jerry Springer, soap operas and "Seinfeld."

Budweiser temporarily changed its name to ‘America’ in 2016

In the run-up to the 2016 United States Presidential Election, Budweiser changed its name as part of a marketing campaign that ran from the end of May through the November election itself.

Steve Jobs introduced Apple’s 'Think Different' marketing campaign

Jobs introduced the now-iconic “Think Different” marketing campaign. It won numerous awards, symbolized Apple’s new era under Jobs, and showed off his understanding of branding.

Dove’s ‘Real Beauty’ campaign sparked conversations about beauty standards in media

For the 20-year anniversary of the campaign in 2024, Dove conducted a brand-commissioned study to gauge how perceptions of beauty standards have shifted since its launch. While 81% of US women thought “the media and advertising set an unrealistic standard of beauty that most women can’t ever achieve” in 2004, the share had shrunk to 69% in 2024. Watch the ad here.

These famous brands used to have different names

Did you know that Nike used to be called Blue Ribbon Sports? Or that Google was originally named BackRub? Getting a brand's name right is a tough job; there's an entire cottage industry of brand naming agencies to prove it. See which brands got it right the first time—and which ones might be better off with their current names—in this article.

Everything Disney, from a regularly updated news source

WDWNT is a daily updated fan publication tracking news across Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California, with its own podcast and a self-described mission to be the worldwide leader in Disney park news.

How the WBL set the stage for the WNBA

Nearly two decades before the WNBA began, there was the Women's Professional Basketball League, the first women's professional basketball league in the United States. Though it was only around for three years, it was groundbreaking, building the template for women's leagues and, eventually, for the WNBA.

Activity trackers promise to improve health by forcing us to examine the facts

Explore how modern fitness culture, rooted in capitalist ideals of productivity and control, shapes our perception of health and self-worth. The author blends cultural criticism with personal insight to examine the contradictions of the wellness industry, the rise of wearable tech, and what it means to "optimize" a body.

Why Smartfood cheddar popcorn lost its flavor

A passionate fan of Smartfood's white cheddar popcorn investigates why the snack's flavor has diminished over the years. After consulting online forums, the author confirmed many fans noticed the shift. The inquiry revealed a major change to the ingredient list between 2019 and 2021, where cheddar cheese was downgraded and "natural flavors" upgraded—likely due to regulations around sodium use in snacks. Read for a fascinating overview of snack formulas, corporate marketing, and more.

Mark Zuckerberg's 2024 rebrand was dubbed the 'Zuckassaince'

Zuckerberg, like Apple cofounder Steve Jobs, wore the same, simple T-shirts and outfits for most of his early career to decrease the decisions he'd have to make on a daily basis. In 2024, Zuckerberg started wearing chunky gold chains around his neck and oversized T-shirts with slogans on them. Some say the "Zuckassaince" is an effort to rebrand Meta as a futuristic company, not just an old social media company for millennials.

Over the years, the USDA has changed its definitions of healthy eating

The US Department of Agriculture began offering eating advice in 1894 and has updated its guidance as both science and politics have evolved. In the early 20th century, its guidance emphasized recommended minimum servings of important foods; in later decades, its visual guides became more nuanced, illustrating the composition of a healthy diet and encouraging exercise.

Bottled water started as a 19th-century wellness trend

Selling drinking water in America began at resorts in New York and West Virginia, where tourists were encouraged to take the regenerative mineral water back to their homes.

Why the British royal family changed its name

Before 1917, British royals didn’t have last names—only dynastic titles. But during World War I, anti-German sentiment led King George V to replace “Saxe-Coburg-Gotha” with “Windsor.” In 1960, Queen Elizabeth II added “Mountbatten” for some descendants, but the rule isn’t binding—future monarchs can change it.

World War II helped convince food companies to produce more processed foods

Processed foods had existed since the 19th century, but they began infiltrating the mainstream during World War II, with foods designed to last on the battlefield for days. After the war, food companies saw great potential in the relatively cheap foods aimed at busy households. (Some readers may experience a paywall.)

Key milestones in the history of the World Health Organization

The World Health Organization, a UN agency founded in 1948, was first proposed at the 1945 UN Conference to coordinate global health efforts. This interactive timeline marks the WHO’s 75th anniversary with major public health milestones.

How Peloton got moms hooked

Peloton's at-home workout classes were a game-changer for parents, giving them a chance to squeeze a workout in without leaving the house. The community group feature on Peloton created a sense of community that made users incredibly loyal to the brand.

The 1990s “Got Milk?” ad campaign was intended to fix milk’s dwindling popularity

Despite its success in spreading the word about milk, the sales numbers weren’t quite as impressive. This Mental Floss article details the marketing efforts themselves, as well as how milk lobbyists didn’t necessarily succeed despite their revolutionary ads.

Meta's acquisition strategy for Instagram and WhatsApp led to a 5-year-long antitrust lawsuit

In 2020, the Federal Trade Commission sued Meta as part of the agency's efforts to rein in big tech companies. The FTC alleged that Meta overpaid for Instagram and WhatsApp in a "buy or bury" strategy to gain access to those companies' talent and diminish competition. In 2025, a federal judge sided with Meta, citing intense change in the social media landscape.

In 2021, the James Beard Awards began focusing on 'equity and sustainability'

Following accusations that the awards’ judges and winners were overwhelmingly white and male, the foundation conducted a 2021 audit focused on “equity and sustainability”; subsequent awards have been notably more diverse.

Girlboss founder Sophia Amoruso doesn’t use the word 'girlboss' anymore

An article dives into not only the origin of the term “girlboss,” but also the quotes from the woman who coined the term about her thoughts on the word and the movement around it. In the piece, she explains that she doesn’t identify with or claim the word "girlboss."

Why we should care about renaming the hormonal disorder PCOS to PMOS

The new name, polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, nods to the hormonal disruptions that cause this condition, which affects roughly one in eight women. People with PMOS may have symptoms including irregular periods, trouble conceiving, weight gain, acne, undesired hair growth, and more. The earlier name, polycystic ovary syndrome, was a misnomer because women with the condition don't have cysts in their ovaries. Rather, they have masses that are actually immature follicles. World health experts think the condition often goes undiagnosed.

At-home genetic testing results commonly led users to healthier lifestyles

Italian research that aimed to investigate what people do longer-term after receiving direct-to-consumer genetic test results indicated that whether the results were positive or negative, people tended to adopt a healthier diet after receiving the results, and they'd still maintained it a year after receiving their results. Some users also reported an overall reduction in stress over their health concerns. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

See a ranking of the most iconic Super Bowl advertisements ever aired

The list highlights ads that reshaped Super Bowl advertising, including Snickers' Betty White spot, Budweiser's endlessly quoted "Whassup," and Wendy's "Where's the beef," showing how commercials became as memorable as the game itself.

Inspired by the burrito, wraps took over the food scene in the 1990s

Using the burrito as a model, World Wrapps in San Francisco pioneered the fast-casual concept with a menu of wraps filled with gourmet ingredients like sauteed salmon and saffron rice.

Peanut allergies dropped by 43% after doctors reversed avoidance guidance, but questions remain

The study’s data appear to confirm the policy shift. Still, since the study did not include an examination of infant diet, researchers can’t definitively say that the guideline shift led to dietary changes and thus directly caused the decline.

How Guinness World Records has pivoted to a publicity business

Now that Guinness World Records gets paid to host record-breaking events, is there a conflict of interest? Here's a look at the worldwide record keeping business's pivot toward publicity.

How big brands keep your loyalty

We perceive ourselves as rational decision-makers—but research about our consumption habits suggest we are easily played by clever marketing. Here's how big brands design their branding to keep you coming back.

The history of the World Trade Organization

This episode of the "Brettonomics with Nancy Jackson" podcast explores the history of the WTO and its predecessor, the GATT, revealing the key people, negotiations, and decisions that shaped today's international trade rules.

WellHub is a startup serving roughly 4 million people in 11 countries, providing broad wellness benefits to employees

Valued at $2.4B in 2025, the company helps workers get gym access and meditation apps, in addition to basic healthcare. Listen to the founder of the company, Cesar Cevalho, explain how he scaled the company with Jeff Berman.

Who is wellness scammer Belle Gibson?

A new Netflix drama series called “Apple Cider Vinegar” tells a story inspired by the real-life scandal of Belle Gibson. Gibson falsely claimed to have healed herself of terminal brain cancer through healthy eating. She built a successful wellness empire without any medical background until journalists eventually found inaccuracies in her story. Discover more about the woman who founded a business on deception, how she got caught, and where she is now.

HRW explores women’s rights around the world

Human Rights Watch’s page documents human rights violations around the world affecting women and girls. The international women’s rights movement has made great strides over many years, but women and girls around the world continue to face...

Extreme Games rebranded as X Games for global appeal

In 1996, ESPN shortened “Extreme Games” to “X Games” to make the name easier to translate for international broadcasts and to strengthen branding as the competition expanded to global markets.

Trader Joe's hired a college student to advise on health food lingo

The grocer jumped into the 1970s health food movement by selling granola, fresh juice, nuts, and raw milk. Joe Coulombe, the company’s founder and namesake, hired “a young hippie woman” from the University of California at Santa Cruz to teach employees the language of the health food movement to properly label their products.

Investigation finds 'influencer' dietitians paid to promote sugar, supplements on social media

A joint investigation by The Examiner and The Washington Post found that food, beverage, and supplement corporations and groups have paid registered dietitians on social media to promote content that goes against decades of scientific evidence on...

Staying on standard time permanently would slightly reduce obesity and stroke risk

A 2025 study that examined time changes found that permanently changing to standard time would slightly reduce obesity and stroke risk more than switching to permanent daylight saving time.

Doctors shift focus from extending lifespan to lengthening health span

As scientific advances extend the average human lifespan, many are turning their attention toward extending "health span." Health span refers to the number of years one is active and disease-free. The ultimate goal is to extend one’s health span to match one’s lifespan.

FDA removed its cardiovascular risk warning on testosterone products in 2025

The change came a decade after the FDA added the label. Recent work, including a gold-standard randomized trial, found that men receiving the products had similar cardiovascular risk levels as men taking placebo products. Testosterone, however, may hold other health risks, including infertility.

Support groups may not be private and can suddenly change focus

Sexual assault survivors that had gathered on a Facebook support group were shocked when administrators suddenly changed the group into one for sharing erotica. Its members were trolled, and ultimately, it was unclear whether its creators had planned for this shocking shift or if the group had been hacked. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)