Online Diet Plans

Online weight-loss programs and websites

In-person support has long been a large component of Weight Watchers, with weekly meetings and weigh-ins, and it is still the best way to sustain weight loss. Reviewers are split on whether online weight-loss support works as well as face-to-face meetings. In a recent three-year study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, dieters who received personal intervention kept more weight off than those who used interactive technology support. Participants engaged in weight-loss plans for six months and then were split into a group that received personal contact as follow up, a group that used interactive technology for support, and a self-directed control group. At the end of 36 months, the personal-contact group had kept significantly more weight off than the other two groups, though all maintained some weight loss. Despite the advantages of in-person support, online weight-loss support is certainly a viable option that is more convenient for many people. It also enables shy people to ask questions and receive encouragement while avoiding the public nature of a group-support situation. Online support is also cheaper.

eDiets.com (*est. $4.50 per week and up) offers a variety of features at a low cost. You can cancel at any time after the initial 13 weeks without paying a termination fee. eDiets.com provides support for a number of approaches to dieting along with individualized eating plans, counseling, chat rooms and informational resources. Members choose from a variety of diet plans, including Atkins, a Mediterranean diet, a glycemic diet and a dozen others, including vegetarian options. Users are not limited to any one diet. Dr. Phil's Diet and the Zone used to be included, but were recently dropped.

eDiets.com also has both peer groups/mentors and expert registered dietitians for 21 different diet plans, and more than a dozen healthy-living plans for those with special health needs, such as type 2 diabetes or hypoglycemia. Access to the message boards costs an extra $2 per week. The site provides personalized meal plans, shopping lists, recipes and help with fast-food choices. Individualized fitness plans can be designed on site. One of the advisors is Oprah Winfrey's personal trainer, Bob Greene. The site contains elements of what experts find to be crucial in designing a plan to fit your lifestyle and preferences.

On the downside, eDiets.com is a busy-looking website with lots of links and many ads. Many of the recommendations for eDiets.com from other websites are suspect, as eDiets.com promotes a generous affiliate program; these seemingly impartial websites tout the virtues of eDiets.com in order to get viewers to click through to eDiets.com to join a program. We also read complaints about unwanted e-mails and trouble with cancelling. Many supplemental elements also cost extra, and eDiets.com is not very up-front about telling you that some of the fitness program add-ons cost an extra $2 to $5 per week.

eDiets.com is the largest diet website, but it's not the only one. DietWatch.com (*est. $3 per week) offers four diet plans, including a reduced carbs plan and a vegetarian plan. The WebMD Weight Loss Clinic (*est. $5 per week) receives very favorable press. For those who want the trusted Weight Watchers name but want to do it online, they can join up with WeightWatchers.com (*est. $5 per week).

Not all the online programs cost money. PEERtrainer.com is a relatively new addition to the bunch, providing free support in small groups and teams. The site also offers daily logs for meals, workouts and goals. Calorie Count, a free service of About.com, has more than a million members and offers similar user-support forums. This site also publishes a growing database of nutrition labels from commercial foods, along with online logs and trackers. (Note that ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)