Weight Watchers of the Adirondacks opened its very first meeting at the Holiday Inn in Saratoga Springs on April 26, 1967. Saratogians can thank sisters Rose Rothstein and Libby Levine for bringing a new weight reducing program to their small town. After learning about Weight Watchers Mrs. Levine and Mrs. Rothstein traveled to New York City for 8 weeks to learn the program, and learn how to become Weight Watchers leaders and business owners. Mrs. Rothstein recalls being overwhelmed with the idea of living in NYC and staying with cousins, Monday through Friday and traveling home on weekends but the sisters were thrilled with their weight loss and excited to open their first meeting.

There were 80 members at that first meeting. People were hungry for a weight reducing program that really worked! Weight Watchers was a hit. For the very first time, there was hope for men and women who desperately wanted to lose weight and stay healthy at the same time. Mrs.Rothstein and Mrs. Levine became known to their members as Rose and Libby and they opened meetings throughout 8 counties. They recruited their sister Dora to become a leader and weight loss became a family affair. In 1973, Libby left Weight Watchers to pursue other interests and Rose become the sole President of the company. Weight Watchers has continued to grow and quickly became and has retained its place as the number one weight loss program in the world.

For Rose, it has been a dream come true. Watching men and women lose weight and emerge from their cocoons is the most rewarding part of running Weight Watchers. Rose has owned and operated Weight Watchers of the Adirondacks for over 37 years. She continues to run the company with the help of her husband Gerald and dedicated staff. Rose and Jerry enjoy traveling the world and meeting other franchisees who joyfully share the important task of ensuring that Weight Watchers continues as an organization that welcomes and supports its members. Weight Watchers will, no doubt, continue to be the world leader in weight loss and weight maintenance for a long time to come.