Weight Watchers plans tech rebrand to take on wellness industry

Under the name WW the US-listed firm hopes to broaden its appeal as diets begin to wane

Weight Watchers will from next month ditch its name and rebrand as "WW" as it takes on competition from fitness trackers and phone apps and attempts to remould itself as a lifestyle tech brand.

Behind the relaunch is concern that the long-term effectiveness of diet plans is on the wane, while health and wellness are now in vogue. The US-listed firm wants to broaden its appeal and keep subscribers signed up by moving beyond a short-term diet fix to become a credo to live by, with an app that it hopes users will check as frequently as Facebook or Instagram.