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                       WEIGHT WATCHERS INTERNATIONAL, INC.
                 COMPLETION OF FRANCHISED OPERATIONS ACQUISITION



WOODBURY, NEW YORK, JANUARY 16, 2001

WEIGHT WATCHERS INTERNATIONAL, INC. TODAY ANNOUNCED THAT IT HAD COMPLETED THE
ACQUISITION OF CERTAIN FRANCHISED TERRITORIES OPERATED BY WEIGHCO ENTERPRISES,
INC., WEIGHCO OF NORTHWEST, INC. AND WEIGHCO OF SOUTHWEST, INC. PURSUANT TO THE
AGREEMENT DATED DECEMBER 11, 2000. THESE OPERATIONS CONDUCT OVER 3000 WEEKLY
MEETINGS IN THE SOUTHEASTERN, SOUTHCENTRAL AND NORTHWESTERN UNITED STATES. THE
PURCHASE PRICE IS $83.8 MILLION DOLLARS AND WAS FUNDED WITH CASH AND ADDITIONAL
BORROWINGS UNDER THE COMPANY'S SENIOR LOAN FACILITY. AS A RESULT OF THIS
ACQUISITION, COMPANY-OWNED OPERATIONS WILL NOW CONTROL OVER 50% OF ALL U.S.
CLASSROOM ATTENDANCE.

THE COMPANY ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAD PROMOTED PRESIDENT
LINDA HUETT TO THE ADDED POSITION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER. RAYMOND DEBBANE,
CHAIRMAN OF WEIGHT WATCHERS INTERNATIONAL, INC. AND PRESIDENT OF THE INVUS
GROUP, LTD., THE EXCLUSIVE INVESTMENT ADVISOR OF ARTAL LUXEMBOURG, S.A., THE
CONTROLLING SHAREHOLDER OF THE COMPANY, SAID, "SINCE LINDA HAS TAKEN OVER AS
PRESIDENT OF THE WORLDWIDE ENTITY IN SEPTEMBER 1999, SHE HAS DONE AN OUTSTANDING
JOB OF GROWING THE BUSINESS PROFITABLY AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HER LEADING THE
COMPANY AS CEO FOR MANY YEARS TO COME."

CLIVE BROTHERS, VP WEIGHT WATCHERS CONTINENTAL EUROPE, HAS BEEN APPOINTED TO THE
NEWLY CREATED POSITION OF CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER EUROPEAN OPERATIONS. IN HIS
NEW CAPACITY HE WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR BOTH THE UK AND EUROPEAN OPERATIONS.

RICHARD MCSORLEY, WHO HAD BEEN WEIGHCO'S PRESIDENT, WILL JOIN THE COMPANY AS
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER NORTH AMERICA. CEO LINDA HUETT SAID, "UNDER DICK'S
LEADERSHIP WEIGHCO HAS BECOME ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL WEIGHT WATCHERS
OPERATIONS AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO DICK BRINGING HIS EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE
AND BUSINESS SKILLS TO OUR ORGANIZATION. HIS APPOINTMENT WILL ENSURE A SEAMLESS
INTEGRATION OF WEIGHCO INTO OUR COMPANY-OWNED OPERATIONS."

WEIGHT WATCHERS INTERNATIONAL, INC., HEADQUARTERED IN WOODBURY, NEW YORK, IS THE
LARGEST PROVIDER OF WEIGHT CONTROL PROGRAMS IN THE WORLD. IT OPERATES IN THIRTY
COUNTRIES THROUGH A NETWORK OF COMPANY-OWNED AND FRANCHISE OPERATIONS.
CURRENTLY, OVER 1 MILLION MEMBERS ATTEND WEEKLY WEIGHT WATCHERS MEETINGS TO
RECEIVE GROUP SUPPORT AND EDUCATION ABOUT HEALTHY EATING PATTERNS, BEHAVIOR
MODIFICATION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WEIGHT WATCHERS, VISIT
www.weightwatchers.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: THIS NEWS RELEASE CONTAINS FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS, WHICH INVOLVE RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES. ACCORDINGLY, NO ASSURANCE CAN
BE GIVEN THAT THE ACTUAL EVENTS AND RESULTS WILL NOT BE MATERIALLY DIFFERENT
THAN THE ANTICIPATED RESULTS DESCRIBED IN THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT. THERE
ARE A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT FACTORS THAT COULD CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS TO DIFFER
MATERIALLY FROM THOSE EXPRESSED IN ANY FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. THESE FACTORS
INCLUDE THE RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES DISCUSSED IN DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION BY WEIGHT WATCHERS INTERNATIONAL, INC.

WEIGHT WATCHERS INTERNATIONAL, INC. DOES NOT UNDERTAKE ANY OBLIGATION TO
PUBLICLY RELEASE THE RESULT OF ANY REVISIONS TO THESE FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS, WHICH MAY BE MADE TO REFLECT EVENTS OR CIRCUMSTANCES AFTER THE DATE
HEREOF OR TO REFLECT THE OCCURRENCE OF UNANTICIPATED EVENTS.