Super Weight Loss King Files for IPO: CEO Liu Baojian Champions 'Human Intervention + Simple Solutions' to Make Weight Loss Effortless

There are only two types of women in the world: those who are overweight and those who believe they are not thin enough. Thus, weight loss has become a lifelong pursuit for many women. Liu Baojian, an affable uncle born in the 1970s, recognized the immense business opportunities within the weight-loss industry. He led a team of colleagues born in the 1980s and 1990s to launch the mobile app “Super Weight Loss King” in late 2013. Within less than two years, the app amassed over 15 million users, with more than one million daily active users, establishing itself as a leader in the female weight-loss sector. As a result, Liu earned the nickname in the industry as “the man who strikes fear into fat.”

“Weight loss is not anti-human; it is a game of human nature!” Upon meeting, Liu Baojian made a startling statement, revealing a profound truth. “Laozi said, ‘Food and sex are human instincts.’ From the perspective of fundamental human nature, there is little difference between humans and animals: eating is for survival, which humans have elevated to material enjoyment; sex is for reproduction, which humans have elevated to spiritual enjoyment. To survive, people instinctively consume more calories and expend fewer, storing the excess as fat. This is determined by our genes, making gluttony and laziness part of human nature. On the other hand, the desire to attract the opposite sex makes beauty-seeking another inherent trait. It is precisely the interplay between these two innate drives that creates an opportunity for weight loss.”

Therefore, “the difficulty of weight loss lies in human nature; the one who tied the bell must untie it, and the breakthrough also lies in human nature.”



Weight-loss products that users cannot adhere to are definitely unreliable.

In fact, overseas studies have long shown that even with professional, scientifically backed solutions, users find it difficult to adhere to cold, impersonal health and weight-loss apps in the absence of external constraints or human intervention. “Control your diet, increase physical activity, and maintain consistency” are the three major hurdles in weight loss, among which “maintaining consistency” is the most difficult obstacle to overcome.

It has always been the design principle of The Biggest Loser’s basic and value-added services to enhance the effectiveness of weight-loss efforts through external professional interventions, and to make it easier to overcome unhealthy habits such as overeating and sedentary behavior with simple and effective professional solutions.

Without the cost of giving up, it is easy for an individual fighting weight loss alone to fail. The Biggest Loser has therefore introduced a distinctive “Find a Partner” feature. Users can set multiple filtering criteria, such as same city, gender, age, and weight, then send out partnership invitations to select a qualifying user as a partner for mutual monitoring and encouragement. Partners can also compete head-to-head with other pairs from across China to determine who truly deserves the title of Weight Loss Champions.

Encouragingly, some opposite-sex partners on the platform have even tied the knot. “Finding a partner is somewhat akin to seeking a spouse, which is truly interesting. Having users monitor each other is, in effect, an external human intervention we provide to our users,” Liu said with a smile.

“The world has never lacked demand for weight loss, nor has it lacked weight loss plans and products. However, offering only plans and products is a guaranteed path to failure. The series of value-added services launched by The Biggest Loser, just like its basic services, consists of two components: ‘external human intervention’ and ‘professional services.’ This has been proven by Weight Watchers, the world’s leading weight loss service provider,” stated Liu Baojian. “Nowadays, everyone talks about ‘Internet Plus.’ I have named our product line the ‘Supervision Plus’ series, with supervisory services (external human intervention) serving as the foundation.”

The Biggest Loser has also launched an online weight-loss camp, whose core service is the 24/7, 360-degree supervision, motivation, and psychological support provided by professional coaches, followed by high-energy peer competitions among participants. The core value of the online weight-loss camp is to help users persist for 28 days to establish healthy lifestyle habits.

Furthermore, Liu Baojian introduced what he described as the premier online personal training service in China. By leveraging online education methods for personal training, the service enables users to receive professional, one-on-one, real-time remote video guidance from coaches in the comfort of their homes. Liu Baojian stated, “In addition to being professional, convenient, and affordable, the greatest benefit of online personal training sessions is the coach’s continuous companionship throughout the workout, making it much easier to persevere through what would otherwise be a grueling hour.” He recalled a civil servant user in Beijing who purchased 30 consecutive online personal training sessions. “She exercised at home while her coach called out the beats from the other end of the computer screen. Meanwhile, her child was playing noisily nearby, and her husband sat on the sofa behind her, cheering her on.”

Beyond exercise, diet poses the greatest challenge to weight loss. To address this, The Biggest Loser has designed specialized weight-loss meals, seamlessly integrating its “Supervision Plus” concept into the offering. Liu Baojian explains, “Unlike traditional commercial models that simply sell weight-loss meals and provide no further support, we group every 30 users who purchase our 7-day meal plan into a dedicated WeChat guidance community, each assigned a professional nutritionist for ongoing support and timely answers to their questions. Furthermore, we have developed a targeted four-week transitional menu to help users gradually shift from rapid weight loss to normal eating patterns, cultivate healthy dietary habits, consolidate their results, and prevent rebound weight gain. This is the essence of ‘Supervision Plus.’”

Even the most professional plan is futile if it cannot be implemented.

“Often, the inability to sustain weight loss efforts stems not only from insufficient willpower but also directly from the excessive difficulty and high barriers of the weight-loss regimen itself. We have been consistently developing products that are both scientifically effective and simple to use. With reduced complexity and lower barriers, adherence naturally becomes easier,” said Liu Baojian.

“Our online personal training sessions are more affordable and convenient compared to those offered by traditional gyms. At just 99 yuan per session, you can work out whether at home or on business trips. In Beijing, the cheapest personal training sessions at traditional gyms start at 300 yuan. While staying active is essential, online personal training is clearly easier to maintain consistently. Although our model competes to some extent with traditional gyms, we have lowered the market entry barrier and are effectively expanding the overall market.”

Weight-loss meal plans are no exception. The Biggest Loser translates abstract theories into tangible products: a 7-day, 21-meal regimen consisting entirely of all-natural foods such as beef, chicken, and freeze-dried vegetable soups. Its slogan, “Ready-to-eat meals at your fingertips, lose one jin (0.5 kg) per day,” makes adherence easy. Moreover, rapid weight loss helps dieters regain confidence, which is “very important.”



Linking Multiple Phased Weight Loss Needs Through Weight Management

Liu Baojian believes that weight loss for women is a long-term essential need composed of multiple phased essential needs, basically following the rhythm of “losing weight, then losing weight again.” How to retain users during the intervals between two weight-loss phases poses a challenge for all weight-loss products. The solution offered by Super Weight Loss King is to provide weight management services during these intermittent periods.

“Our intelligent, customized solution is more than just a weight-loss program. We break the weight-loss journey into multiple phases, including experience, adaptation, fat loss, and body shaping. When a user’s weight reaches a certain target, the system intelligently transitions to the maintenance phase. During this phase, we continue to provide users with exercise goal management, dietary goal management, and various weight-management tools such as a pedometer and a dietary calorie lookup feature.”

For this very reason, The Biggest Loser places great emphasis on the integration of hardware and software, deeply incorporating smart body fat scales and smart wristbands into its app to facilitate precise data collection and help users manage their weight effectively.

“Long-term user stickiness is driven by the fact that users’ data resides with you, and that this data delivers value to them,” said Liu Baojian. Super Weight Loss King maintains an open stance on hardware partnerships; in addition to its proprietary iBand smart body fat scale, it will gradually integrate a range of well-known smart devices.

"Act on your thoughts; set out when the path is clear."

Liu Baojian stated that the design of “Super Weight Loss King” incorporates numerous domestic firsts and innovations. “Online personal training and weight-loss meal plans are prime examples; beyond these, we have multiple other industry-leading innovations.” For instance, it was the first to introduce intelligent, customized weight-loss plans. After providing an initial plan based on basic data such as age, gender, height, and weight, the app promptly adjusts to users’ daily physiological data, intelligently generating dynamic plans. As a result, the plan executed by each user varies across different stages and even from day to day. Liu Baojian noted that “Super Weight Loss King” is the first weight-loss app in China to achieve such a professional standard, having been imitated but never surpassed. It is also the first app in China to migrate exercise instructional videos to an online platform.

The strong innovative DNA of the products is closely tied to Liu Jianbao’s personal character. “I am someone who cannot live without passion,” says Liu Jianbao. From his early days in the health industry, to the electronics sector, and now to the internet healthcare industry, Liu Jianbao states that each of his cross-industry ventures has created a sense of self-fulfilling brilliance.

“That’s just my personality: once I’ve set my sights on something, I go for it. There’s a bright light atop the distant mountain; once you’ve locked onto it, you can set out.”

“Cross-industry moves are not to be feared. As the saying goes, ‘outsiders see more clearly.’ Therefore, venturing into new fields can provide fresh perspectives, enabling a re-examination of the industry and a clearer understanding of its essence.” Liu Baojian believes that although each cross-industry transition inevitably entails gaps in networks, resources, and knowledge structures, one can fill these shortcomings by clearly recognizing one’s deficiencies and either proactively acquiring the necessary capabilities or leveraging team strengths, thereby fully capitalizing on the advantages of cross-industry integration.

Liu Baojian stated that Super Weight Loss King has been developing at a rapid pace. Version 1.0 was launched in October 2013; in August 2014, it secured Pre-A round financing led by Sina; in June 2015, it obtained Series A financing led by Matrix Partners. In July, he led a team of four from Zhuhai to Beijing to begin exploring its business model. Online personal training entered trial operation in August, weight-loss meals were introduced in late September, and the online weight-loss camp began trial operations in October. The company has been maintaining rapid growth over the past six months.

“We are fully prepared for the post-Spring Festival surge in weight-loss demand,” said Liu Baojian with confidence.

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