Jean Nidetch was born on 12 October 1923 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. She was married to Frank Schifano and Mortimer (Marty) Nidetch. She died on 29 April 2015 in Parkland, Florida, USA.
With her overweight husband and two overweight friends, she founded Weight Watchers in 1963. The company went public in 1968, turning its founders into multimillionaires. In 1978, the company was sold to the H. J. Heinz Company for $71.2 million.