Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Basis of Presentation - Additional Information (Detail)

v2.4.0.8
Basis of Presentation - Additional Information (Detail)
Share data in Millions, unless otherwise specified
 12 Months Ended 12 Months Ended 1 Months Ended 3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended 12 Months Ended 1 Months Ended 12 Months Ended 3 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
USD ($)
sqft
Dec. 31, 2012
VEF
Dec. 31, 2011
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2010
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2009
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2012
Buildings [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2012
Land [Member]
USD ($)
Feb. 28, 2011
Herbalife Venezuela [Member]
USD ($)
Feb. 28, 2011
Herbalife Venezuela [Member]
VEF
Mar. 31, 2011
Herbalife Venezuela [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2012
Herbalife Venezuela [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Herbalife Venezuela [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2010
Herbalife Venezuela [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2009
Herbalife Venezuela [Member]
USD ($)
May 31, 2010
Herbalife Venezuela [Member]
Dec. 31, 2012
Alternative Bolivar Exchange Mechanisms [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Alternative Bolivar Exchange Mechanisms [Member]
USD ($)
Jan. 31, 2010
Previous CADIVI Rate [Member]
VEF
Dec. 31, 2010
CADIVI Rate [Member]
Dec. 31, 2010
CADIVI Rate [Member]
Herbalife Venezuela [Member]
General and administrative expenses [Member]
USD ($)
Jun. 30, 2010
SITME Rate [Member]
Herbalife Venezuela [Member]
Jun. 30, 2010
SITME Rate [Member]
Herbalife Venezuela [Member]
General and administrative expenses [Member]
USD ($)
Subsidiary or Equity Method Investee [Line Items]                                            
Overstatement of fully reserved deferred income tax assets     $ 40,200,000                                      
Foreign currency transaction losses 16,700,000   11,400,000 7,300,000           1,300,000       15,100,000   4,800,000 1,200,000          
Cash and cash equivalents 333,534,000   258,775,000 190,550,000 150,801,000           99,200,000 34,800,000                    
Receivables from credit card company 81,100,000   65,100,000                                      
Square footage of facility purchased 800,000 800,000                                        
Purchase price of facility 22,200,000         18,800,000 3,400,000                              
Estimated useful lives of long lived assets Three to ten years Three to ten years                                        
Estimated useful life of buildings           40 years                                
Depreciation and amortization of property, plant and equipment 70,900,000   68,900,000 67,700,000                                    
Marketing related intangibles 310,000,000   310,000,000 310,000,000                                    
Goodwill 105,490,000   105,490,000 102,900,000                                    
Increase in goodwill due to acquisition     2,600,000                                      
Intangible assets with finite lives are amortized over their expected lives 4 years 4 years                                        
Intangible assets with finite lives 1,100,000   1,700,000 800,000                                    
Amortization expense for finite life intangible assets 600,000   600,000 900,000                                    
Future amortization expense for 2013 400,000                                          
Future amortization expense for 2014 300,000                                          
Future amortization expense for 2015 300,000                                          
Future amortization expense for 2016 100,000                                          
Advertising costs 42,300,000   38,400,000 30,700,000                                    
Equity grants, outstanding 4.0 4.0 2.1 1.5                                    
Period of receiving anticipated returns 12 months 12 months                                        
SITME can only be used for amount per day                     50,000                      
SITME can only be used for amount Per Month                     350,000                      
Period to use denominated bonds                     90 days                      
Percentage of cumulative inflation rate                           100.00%                
Incremental costs related to the importation of products                         12,700,000                  
Official conversion rate for non-essential items, Bolivars per USD                                   4.3        
Official conversion rate for essential items, Bolivars per USD                                   2.6        
Foreign currency exchange rate, Bolivars per USD                                     4.3   5.3  
Net foreign exchange gain (pre-tax)                                       5,800,000   4,000,000
Net (post-tax) foreign exchange gain                                           2,600,000
Parallel market rate                             8.3              
Face value of U.S. denominated bonds               20,000,000                            
Payments to acquire U.S. denominated bonds                 86,000,000                          
Proceeds from sale of U.S. denominated bonds               15,000,000                            
Average effective conversion rate               5.7 5.7                          
Percent by which alternative legal exchange mechanism was less favorable than SITME                               43.00%            
SITME rate for re-measurement                               5.3            
Currency exchanged through alternative legal exchange mechanisms 6,400,000 59,200,000                                        
Net monetary Bolivars denominated assets and liabilities                     $ 82,900,000 $ 26,800,000                    
Subsidiary's net sales to Company's consolidated net sales, percentage                     4.00% 2.00% 2.00%                  
Subsidiary asset as percentage of consolidated assets                     7.00% 3.00%