Weight Watchers And the United States Conference of Mayors To Announce Recipients Of Healthy Communities Grants

LAS VEGAS, June 19, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Weight Watchers International, Inc. and the United States Conference of Mayors will announce the three cities that have been selected as grant recipients of the Healthy Communities Grant Program, an initiative designed to help curb the national obesity epidemic and foster healthy lifestyles in communities, especially low-income areas that tend to have higher obesity rates and increased risks for obesity, at next week's 81^st Annual Conference of Mayors.

The three awarded cities – one large, one medium and one small – were selected by an independent judging panel. Each city will use this new grant to build upon their successful efforts to foster healthy eating, increase physical activity, and promote weight loss and weight management by receiving steeply discounted Weight Watchers memberships for local residents who qualify based on health status and financial need. The total retail value of all Weight Watchers memberships offered as part of the grant is up to $1 million across the three cities. Each of the three cities will also receive a $25,000 grant to administer their new program and build capacity for its success.*

The grant recipients will be unveiled at a Monday, June 24 plenary breakfast session in Las Vegas, where Weight Watchers will highlight the healthy programs these cities have underway that are helping citizens maintain healthy lifestyles. The grant program's goals are to help cities reduce the incidence of weight-related diseases, control healthcare costs and improve quality of life for qualifying community residents. Visit usmayors.org/weightwatchers  for more information on the program.  

WHAT: 
Announcement of Grant Recipients in Healthy Communities Grant Program
81st Annual Conference of Mayors

WHO: 
* Mayor Michael A. Nutter, City of Philadelphia, USCM President (presiding)
* Cheryl Callan, Senior Vice President, Marketing,Weight Watchers International, Inc.

WHEN:
Monday, June 24, 2013, 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. MT, Noon – 2 p.m. ET

WHERE: 
Mandalay Bay Hotel
Las Vegas, Nevada

The event will be live streamed at http://www.usmayors.org/81stAnnualMeeting. 

MEDIA:    
Interviews with David Kirchhoff, CEO of Weight Watchers, and Cheryl Callan, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Weight Watchers available.  For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Caty Bennett, 212-445-8261, [email protected], or Susan or Lina listed below.   

About The United States Conference of Mayors
The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are 1,295 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/usmayors, or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/usmayors.

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 more than 40,000 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.

*Award of steeply discounted Weight Watchers memberships was subject to eligibility and compliance with local, state and federal laws and regulations, including without limitation any applicable local gift ordinance.

Contact:

Susan Craig, Weight Watchers
212-589-2774, cell 347-439-1840
[email protected]

Contact:
Lina Garcia, USCM
202-861-6708, cell 202-341-6113
[email protected]

SOURCE Weight Watchers International, Inc.