NEW YORK (Standard&Poor's) March 11, 2003--Standard&Poor's Ratings Services said today that it raised its corporate credit and senior secured debt ratings on Woodbury, N.Y.-based Weight Watchers International Inc. (WWI) to 'BB' from 'BB-', and the subordinated debt rating on the company to 'B+' from 'B'. All ratings were removed from CreditWatch, where they were placed Dec. 19, 2002. The outlook is stable. WWI had about $455 million of total debt outstanding at Dec. 31, 2002. "The upgrade reflects the company's improving financial profile and better-than-expected operating performance, driven by increased classroom attendance and product sales across most of its geographic segments," said Standard&Poor's credit analyst David Kang. "The ratings also factor in the company's
