Comparison

Comparison of health coaching service offers

There are many other offers of health coaching, weight loss methods, and natural health services. Some of them offer excellent information about health via food. A few are designed or endorsed by medical doctors. They include books, websites, online courses, offline courses, conferences, some unnconventional medical doctors, and so on.

Different from almost all others, HealthViaFood makes it possible to:

• personalize your nutrition,
• forget about calories,
• have a conditional money-back guarantee (and no supplements are required).

This page is a work in process. If you find mistakes or have any corrections or suggestions, then you can email me.

List

In brief, the most popular other offers are:

1. Weight Watchers – counts calories, weekly weigh-ins, color-coded categories of foods, “smart points”, review,
2. BeachBody – excellent website graphics, offers subscriptions, independent coaching for exercise, supplements, and exercise equipment,
3. Dr. Neal Barnard, Dr. Michael Greger, and other strict vegan advocates,
4. NaturHouse – offers supplements and coaching, listed in Spain, head office in Spain, franchises,
5. Medifast, holding company of Optavia, who offer various programs, products, and franchised coaching services,
6. Noom – smartphone app, tracks calories, online quiz, goals, behavior modification, in Asia also, review,
7. DietDoctor – Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt, MD, recipes, meal plans, low-carb videos, free trial
8. Mayo Clinic – no local support, drips content without how-to details for the motivated, review,
9. Nutrisystem – processed foods, some fresh to be added, no vegan options, review, not EU,
10. Jenny Craig – pre-packaged frozen & other foods, no cooking lessons, no vegan options, review,
11. Food Lovers Fat Loss System – recipes, menu planner, and coaching,
12. Atkins – US site, high-protein, fresh food delivered, in stores in BE,
13. Golo – supplement- , “insulin resistance”, 60-day money-back guarantee, ,
14. South Beach  – packaged meals, $300-400/month (not required – ?), $30/membership, vegetarian- and vegan-friendly, review, not EU,
15. 21-Day Fat Loss Challenge – promotion, forum, approved and unapproved foods, detox from carbs, daily plan,
16. MyDiabetes Diet – offers an app, a meal plan, a workout plan, tracking glucose and meals
17. Body For Life – based on 2007 book, review, requires intense daily exercise,
18. Brown Fat Revolution Diet – based on 2009 book, switch between “Carb Days” and “Protein Days.” Exercise., review,
    
19. Ornish Diet – Dean Ornish MD, essentially a vegan diet, review, another review, since January 2011, after 16 years of internal and external review, Medicare has been covering Dr. Dean Ornish’s Program for Reversing Heart Disease® under a new benefit category, ‘Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation’
20. Personality Type Diet – Robert Kushner, MD, review,
21. Dr. Oz’s Ultimate Diet – Mehmet Oz, MD, review,
22. Dr. Phil’s 20/20 Ultimate Weight Solution – Dr. Phil McGraw, tv celebrity and psychologist, review,
23. Macrobiotic Diet – review,
24. Pritikin Diet – 1979 best-seller, review, packaged foods, oriented towards heart disease,
25. Online weight loss courses via Udemy, a course promoter,
26. Codemaigrirdefinitivement.fr, a new French service offer, including youtube’s and a website,
27. Bioindividual Nutrition Institute, offers various diet options and 30 hours of online training for professionals,
28. Behavioral Nutrition, corporate nutrition services, can also collect from insurance,
29. Happy Healthy Thin, a local clinic in Texas,
30. FITTR, Pune, Maharashtra, India. offers personalized calorie-counting and exercise programs, with information free to read online, but coaches payable,
31. bariatic surgery and patented pharmaceutical products, such as ozempic and wegovy, some of which are promoted as weight loss aids, for $ 1300 – 1700 per month,
32. Hims & Hers Health, Inc., an online service to find doctors and get prescriptions,
33. Dr. Andrew Weil MD,
34. Dr. Carrie Madej MD, and
35. Dr. Mark Hyman MD (“Dr. Hyman+”).

Table

This table lists supplier with certain details – name with link to website home page, head office, offer, prices, details, and the differences to HealthViaFood.

Who? Where?	Offer? (Home page pitch)	How much?	Details	HvF Difference
Weight Watchers, New York, NY	Plans  – “Lose weight with our new holistic approach.”	$20 to join + $20-45/month or $55/month with a personal coach, + optional packaged meals and snacks	members-only community, “more than 9,000 free recipes“, myWW+	clear offer, cancel anytime, personalized nutrition, forget about calories, no supplements, be ready to finish translation of posts, recipes, and workshops
BeachBody, Los Angeles, CA	Plans (+ supplements) “Lose up to 9 lbs. in 14 days with Beachbody — a community that’s 2.3 million users strong.”	offering a 14-day free trial, then either $15 or $25 per month	“Your personalized Health Esteem routine: Fitness, Nutrition, and Mindset.”	personalized nutrition, forget about calories, no supplements
NaturHouse, Madrid, Spain	“experts in nutrition and weight management”, supplements, coaching	50 €/week + supplements		since 1986
Medifast, Inc. Baltimore, MD
Dr. Neal Barnard, MD, Dr. Michael Greger, MD, and other strict vegan advocates	books	medical advice	free videos online on youtube, interviews on LondonReal	personalized nutrition, forget about calories, vegan-friendly
Noom, New York, NY	“Learn to eat mindfully. Psychology is the key to lasting change. I want to: get fit for good or lose weight for good.”	7-14 day free trial, then $59/month or $150/month		personalize nutrition
DietDoctor	“Discover what foods work for you… personalization… without hunger, cravings & struggle.”	first-month free trial, then $11.49 per month	excellent quiz generates a seven-day meal plan
Mayo Clinic, New York, NY	Lose the weight. How it works. What you get. Testimonials The difference.	$65/quarter = $5/week for an online community (recipes and meal plans) or read the book for free	Signup “Eat well, get moving, track healthy habits, and stay motivated.” FAQ, meal plans, corporate wellness	“How would you describe your current eating and activity habits?” counts calories and appears to recommend grains and dairy for all, unclear personalization, MD-approved (with photo of healthy MD’s and nurses)
Nutrisystem Fort Washington, Pennsylvania	“Real people. Real support. Lose up to 18 pounds fast.” “Clinically proven to work. Money back, guaranteed.” prepared meals, apps, coaches	$250, 300, or 360/month for 100-150 prepared, packaged meal plans + option of $40/month for shakes, online community	Their offers refer to vegetarians (no vegan options), diabetes, and men. They claim they have been chosen by more than “500,000 Americans with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes”.	“More than 150 menu items” (recipes) (to be matched), personalize your nutrition, not selling supplements
Jenny Craig, Carlsbad, California	“Lose up to 17 pounds in your first 4 weeks with our New Recharge Bar designed to increase fat burn.”	$13-26/day, plus delivery, including meals, snacks, and coaching, depending on the meal plan	“science-based” with little clear concept	personalize your nutrition, not selling supplements
Food Lovers Fat Loss System, Encino, California	“Want to eat what you love and still lose weight? Food Lovers Online® is made for you!”. “Speed up your metabolism.”	$5/week for online program, with a two-week “free” offer (with credit card details) or $120 for “at home package” or “premium program”	“no dieting, no counting (calories), no tasteless food, no drastic lifestyle changes”, recipes, coaching, free online community with “hundreds of recipes”	personalize your nutrition
Atkins – US site, Denver, Colorado (Simply Good Foods USA, Inc.)	This is Today’s Atkins™… It’s not just a diet…it’s life well lived. Where you’ll learn how to get the most out of protein, and how to live a low carb life deliciously. All available to you for FREE! … “low carb”	shop for snack bars ($1.80 each), shakes ($1.80-2.25 each), treats, frozen food & meals, purchased online or in person at retailers, such as CVS Pharmacy (chain)	recipes, meal plans, and shopping lists, offer of plans,	has Belgian site (in Dutch), personalize your nutrition, no counting calories, and not selling supplements
Golo, Newark, Delaware	“Lose weight. Look great. Love life.”	shop – $50, 80, 100 for 1-2, 2-3, or 3-5 month supply of “Release” supplements (with magnesium, zinc, chromium, and rhodiola), free online community (facebook – 37,000 followers), with reference to keto	“Your insulin’s effectiveness is affected by unbalanced diets which increase glucose levels and spike insulin levels causing excess glucose to be stored as fat. Unhealthy insulin levels lead to Insulin Resistance …”, 60-day money-back guarantee (first-time orders only)	personalize your nutrition, natural substitute for sugar (pure stevia or raw honey), leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, broccoli, rhodiola tea
South Beach Diet, Fort Washington, Pennsylvania	“Save time and eat right with our delicious, fully prepared foods.”  … keto	shop online for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, shakes, supplements, snack bars, vegetarian, diabetes-friendly	+ counselors by phone, email, and chat, refers to Dr. Arthur Agatston, MD, Miami, keto-friendly, 2020 book	personalized nutrition, without counting calories, and not selling supplements
21-Day Fat Loss Challenge, via BetterMe, Nicosia, Cyprus (UK terms)	keto, “If you adopt a rapid weight loss program, you may end up losing more than just the extra pounds. You just might lose your muscles, water, and bone.”, vegan options,	$6.50 – $22/month, billed semi-annually or monthly for intermittent fasting, “The idea of fasting is that you don’t restrict what you eat, but rather when you eat it.”	“As we all know, cutting out sugar, carbs, or alcohol are not the only mandatory practices for weight loss… Weight loss calls for a calorie deficit, regular exercise, and the consumption of a nutritious, balanced, and healthy diet.”, articles	Personalize your nutrition, without counting calories, and not selling supplements
Nourishing Hope for Healing Kids, San Francisco, California	Offers personalization, oriented towards parents, “BioIndividual Nutrition”	$997 – one-time or $97/month for twelve months		not oriented towards kids, but towards consenting adults
Institute for Integrative Nutrition, New York, NY	“Our holistic health & nutrition school will teach you how to change lives, including your own. Become an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach!”	$6,800 – one-time (before “pay in full” discounts) or $200 per month		uses needle.com for online chats
MyDiabetes Diet	“Engineered for people with diabetes. Works for diabetes, prediabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure. Answer a few routine questions to see what’s possible for you with an all-in-one diabetes management plan.”	after an online quiz, $1.30, $2, or $3 per week for 3-, 6-, or 12-month plans	app, meal plan, substitutions, shopping list, 24/7 support, TrustPilot reviews	personalize your nutrition, forget about calories, and vegan-friendly
Online courses via Udemy	“weight loss” – 350 of the most popular	12 – 30 € each		personalized nutrition, no counting calories, and not selling supplements
Bioindividual Nutrition, San Francisco, California	twelve online modules of 2.5 hours each	$5000 – one-time or payment plan	low phenol, low amine, low salicylate, FODMAPS, low glutamate, low histamine, low oxalate, details	simpler to apply, start with digestion by the individual
Behavioral Nutrition, Quincy, Massachusetts, FL,TX, NH, NJ, SC, NY, CA, CT, RI	“Eating Disorder Treatment Services”, nutritional counseling, binge eating, food addiction	?	referred by medical doctors for diagnosed medical conditions, reimbursed by insurance	personalized nutrition, no counting calories, and not selling supplements
Happy Healthy Thin, clinic in Grapevine, Texas (Dallas-Fort Worth)	Offers results in 5 weeks	$149 initial consultation	looks at the individual based on “liver body type”	They cut sugar, cut flour, cut processed oils, but specific personalization is unclear. They may count calories. They appear to offer supplements.

 

Details

Weight Watchers

Listed on the New York Stock Exchange (WW), they have been offering their services for sixty years. Their satisfied customers describe the group interaction as a desirable part of their offer. This is a reason to include conference calls and an online forum with any offer of similar, health-oriented workshops.

According to their latest financial report to stockholders, they had revenue of $1 billion in 2022. At the end of the year, they had 3.5 million subscribers, of which approximately 2.8 million were digital subscribers, including personal coaching, and approximately 0.7 million were workshops + digital subscribers, including unlimited access to workshops.  “The typical WeightWatchers user, as of 2018, was a woman in her 50s.”

Their digital offer includes an app (to count “smart points”), the ww dot com website, workshops, and events. They refer to their green, blue, and purple plans, depending on the number of “smart points” in the “budget”. For their Belgian customers, they offer French- and Dutch-language versions of their website. They offer prepaid quarterly and annual subscriptions and also monthly pay-as-you-go (cancel anytime) subscriptions. Their prices are twenty-two to forty-five dollars per month.

In 2018, they bought a competitor, Kurbo Health, who offer weight loss advice for children (for the mothers) and who charge eighty-five dollars per month for membership subscriptions. They have since canceled this offer.

In continental Europe, they operate directly in Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Sweden.

Their latest offer is called myWW+, an enhancement claimed to be based on the “science”, but what science? They promote the calorie theory. They put foods in color-coded categories, green, purple, or blue. They pay lip service to personalization, but their method is not transparent. They link to other health service providers, such as “mindfulness” and meditation services.

For the digital + workshops level members, they offer workshops of thirty to forty-five minutes, both online and in person. Face-to-face interaction is a cornerstone of the workshops. Coaches solicit members to describe their experiences.

About ten percent of their revenue is from selling snacks, bars, cookbooks, and kitchen tools online. They license their trademark to promote other food, beverages, and related consumer products and services. Their previous owner, Kraft Heinz, as part of a spinoff in 1999, has a perpetual, royalty-free license to use their trademark in some categories. Heinz originally made ketchup from rotten tomatoes, sugar, salt, and vinegar.

To their credit, they recognize the concept of blood sugar control. They seek referrals from medical doctors.

They also offer an online membership plan that includes a personal coach. The demand for their services is seasonal. They recruit most of their members in the first quarter of the year from January to March.

They believe that they are one of the most clinically-studied commercial weight management programs and that this differentiates them from many of their competitors. They do not believe that suppliers of packaged meals are competitors, since these companies do not promote behaviour modification. They believe that they have an advantage in the form of online communities that make it possible for members to exchange information.

They were owned by Heinz from 1978 to 1999. Their largest shareholder is now a Belgian group incorporated in Luxembourg called Artal SA, who hold 22%. Since 2015, they have had a publicity and stock purchase agreement with Oprah Winfrey, a popular television celebrity. In 2020, Ms. Winfrey sold 3.9 million shares of WW stock at an expense of $32 million to ww.

They have a facebook page, an Instagram account, and a Twitter account, which they consider part of advertising and promotion for ww.com.

Financially, their debts exceed their assets by one third.

In March 2020, they suspended in-person workshops in their studios.

In their words, in their 2020 10-K, “the weight management and wellness marketplace is highly competitive. We compete against a wide range of providers of weight management services and products. Our competitors include: commercial weight management programs; weight loss and wellness apps; surgical procedures; the pharmaceutical industry; the genetics and biotechnology industry; self-help weight management regimens and other self-help weight management products, services and publications, such as books, magazines, websites, and social media influencers and groups; dietary supplements and meal replacement products; healthy living services, coaching, products, content and publications; weight management services administered by doctors, nutritionists and dieticians; government agencies and non-profit groups that offer weight management services; fitness centers; and national drug store chains.”

They refer to “the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that took effect in May 2018 and includes increased privacy and security requirements for companies that receive or process personal data of residents of Europe. As a result, we have implemented measures to comply with these requirements, including, among other things, documenting our data processing activities and informing users about how we use their personal data. We also obtain consent and/or offer new controls to existing and new users in Europe before processing data for certain aspects of our services and products. In addition, the GDPR requires submission of personal data breach notifications to our designated European privacy regulator. The GDPR also includes significant penalties for non-compliance with any of several requirements of the regulation.”

According to their 10-K, most of their coaches and guides do not have extensive training or certification in nutrition, diet or health fields beyond the training they receive from them.

Not all of their customers are satisfied. Complaints in videos can be found here.

BeachBody

Listed on NASDAQ (BODY), BeachBody has its headquarters in El Segundo, California. As of March 8, 2023, insiders still hold more than 14 percent of the shares. There may be a dispute with a certain class of shareholders about the back-door listing in 2021.

They have been in business since 1998. The chairman and CEO describes their business as of March 2023. Most of all, they offer digital subscriptions, which include online access to exercise videos (recorded and live streaming) via the Beachbody app (mostly on the Apple App Store but also via Apple TV and Roku) and supplements (“nutrition products”) such as their Shakeology milkshake that includes ground foods for minerals, vitamins, fiber, and protein. The subscription period is 38 months. They often sell bundled products that combine digital subscriptions, nutritional products, and other fitness products. They recently acquired a business to offer stationary bicycles (“Beachbody Bikes”) to their existing customerrs.

In their 2022 report to stockholders, they reported 692 million in sales in 2022, about 2 million online customers (average $150 per year revenue each and current price of $120 per year), and .2 million “nutrition” customers for their supplements. Sales and subscribers are declining, but they claimed 96% retention of online customers in 2022. They have been in business since 1998. They claim to have 120 programs and 8,500 videos.

 

Online, they offer a 14-day free trial and then a subscription for either $15 or $30 per month, including online “blocks”, classes, workouts, recipes, and meal plans. They claim to have more than 2700 videos online. Their coaches earn a 25% commission on sales in a network marketing scheme.

Recently, they are starting to downplay their message about a “beach body” and to emphasize health and fitness, similarly to Weight Watchers. No doubt this corresponds to the demand.

They also offer supplements, most of all a powdered mix called Shakeology that contains proteins (whey), vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, pre- and probiotics, phytonutrients, digestive enzymes, fiber, and adaptogens, for $160/month. They offer this powder in a vegan version too. They also offer a powdered drink of citric acid, green tea, stevia, potassium, and brewer’s yeast for $50 for 40 servings.

They also promote exercise in the form of what appear to be free courses and exercise equipment.

They have at least three websites – beachbodyondemand, beachbody, and thebeachbodycompany (with corporate and investor information, including SEC filings). The design of beachbodyondemand.com includes a detailed testimonial on the front page and the top-level headers Nutrition and Recipes. They have a link to a “Community” via a “private” Facebook page (with 95k members). Other testimonials are sprinkled through the website, including photos of weight loss. They offer a “preferred customer” membership for €18/month, which includes discounts on the supplements.

They offer individual coaching through independent coaches trained in their products and ideas, but no personalized nutrition, except the choice between vegan or non-vegan protein powder with supplements. They offer a program to train the coach for $16/month.

They question the ”body mass index” theory of a healthy weight, but they do not question the calorie theory.

Naturhouse

Listed on the stock exchange in Madrid (NTH.MC) in 1992, Naturhouse Health SA now has more than 1500 shops in 31 countries. More than 1400 shops are franchised. They charge 50 € per week for consultations plus the cost of supplements. They promote a ketogenic diet.

According to their 2022 annual report, “after the experience in the development of the digital business in the English and North American markets, the company is committed to incorporating the online channel into its activity to serve digital consumers.”

Medifast

Listed on the NYSE (MED), Medifast Inc. offers health coaching services via their Optavia brand since 1981. According to their 2022 financial report to stockholders, they had 2022 revenue of $1.6 billion and 60,900 active (commissioned) coaches (average $5,538 revenue per coach). Optavia offers various packages of prepared foods for vitamins & minerals, protein, and fermented foods (“probiotic culture”) without food additives. The price varies from $21 for 7 servings (“protein bars” and chocolate cake) to $395 for 119 servings. They also offer 200 recipes, including recipes for green salads.  They promote “lifelong transformation”, “one healthy habit at a time”, and “healthy habits for all”. Their method focuses on six key areas: weight, eating and hydration, motion, sleep and energy management, mind and surroundings.

They appear to promote a ketogenic diet. They do not appear to offer personalization nor do they elaborate the concepts behind the packaged foods, except to eat many smaller meals during the day. They appear to subscribe to the calorie theory. They also offer would-be coaches a kit for $199.

Drs. Barnard, MD, Greger, MD, and other strict vegan MDs

Various medical doctors promote vegan (“plant-based”) eating habits for everybody. (Nota bene. Some people can eat a lot of plants, but also eat red meat now and then, but the term “plant-based” usually excludes meat.)

“One man’s food is another man’s poison” is an ancient adage of Lucretius, a Roman philosopher.

These doctors publish books and broadcast their ideas for free in videos via youtube or in interviews, for example via LondonReal. They have many followers, and they have helped many people become healthy.

On the other hand, they make a mistake to assume that while vegan eating is healthy for them and for some of their followers, it is not healthy for everybody all of the time. They do not personalize nutrition. If you failed to gain health on a vegan diet, then they might tell you that you were not vegan enough. Many vegan failures have blood type O, but thedo not notice or report on this pattern.

Noom

Their head office is in New York. They have offices in Tokyo and Korea. More than ninety percent of their employees are remote. They have at least 1912 employees, mostly self-employed personal health coaches in the US. As of May, 2021, they have raised $657 million in nine rounds of initial startup capital.

From crunchbase.com, “Noom provides mobile health coaching, focused on combating chronic and pre-chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. It combines the power of technology with the empathy of real human coaches to deliver successful behavior change at scale. Noom’s direct-to-consumer weight loss and exercise tracking mobile applications have reached more than 47 million users worldwide. Leveraging the success of their ground-breaking health and fitness programs, Noom developed a behavior change platform to treat chronic and pre-chronic conditions, beginning with the CDC’s Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP). On the first dayn that the CDC began recognizing mobile and online DPP providers, Noom was there. Since then, Noom has expanded its curricula across the acuity spectrum and now features programs for pre-hypertension, hypertension, and diabetes management in addition to its flagship weight loss and diabetes prevention programs. Noom was founded in 2008 and has offices in New York City, Seoul, and Tokyo.”

To their credit, they promote health and a change in eating habits (“behavior modification”) before restrictive diets. They avoid the word “diet”. This is an intelligent approach to health via food and to weight loss. Referring to Weight Watchers, they claim that they are not in the “weight loss business” but that they are in the “behavior modification business”. They offer their services to individuals, employers, doctors, and health insurance companies (“life science”). They make claims about diabetes prevention.

Most of their service is delivered in a sixteen-week initial program, by smartphone app, 1-to-1 chats, and communication among peer groups of members (a forum or community). In a second phase, they aim to show how to apply the program. They refer to artificial intelligence in their app. They have endorsements from doctors and hospitals. They start with a survey (questionnaire) on their website, after asking the question, “do you want get fit for good or lose weight for good?” The believe in the bmi (body mass index).

Their twitter slogan is ‘”Noom creates fun and easy-to-use mobile apps that provide intelligent nutrition & exercise coaching. Support available via DM (chat – ?) Monday-Friday 9a-5p EST.”

Their instagram slogan is “Change how you think. Change how you eat. Change for good. Noom uses psychology-backed tools and 1:1 coaching to help you feel your best.”

On their facebook home page, they describe themselves, “Psychology-backed tools for a healthier life. Learn how to eat and develop sustainable, healthy habits. Noom creates fun and easy-to-use mobile apps that provide intelligent nutrition and exercise coaching. Look to us for motivation, inspiration, and solid strategies for long-term health. We will help you lose weight, exercise, feel happy, and stay motivated — all while having fun.” They have posted forty-dix videos on facebook, none recently, many of ten seconds or less, and the longest ones of fort minutes going back five years.

To their credit and advantage, their app and content is available in Korean, Japanese, German, and Spanish.

They appear to offer little if any personalization, or else the method is not transparent. They believe in the calorie theory.

Not all of their customers are satisfied. Complaints in video form can be found here. Dr. Eric Berg’s opinion on Noom is here. A 6-month review by a customer is here.

DietDoctor

Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt MD, a Swedish doctor, started this website. He promotes personalization, starting with an online quiz of personal goals and preferences. Their service includes other doctors. A one-month free trial is included. After the trial, it costs $11.49 per month.

Mayo Clinic

The Mayo Clinic website is operated by Everyday Health, Inc.in New York on behalf of the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research in Minnesota. Their home page reads, “Lose the weight… How it works… What you get… Testimonials… The difference… names and photos of MDs“. They charge $65/quarter ($5/week) for an online community (recipes and meal plans), or you can read the book for free. A film is here.

They have helped helped many people to change their eating habits and become healthy, but they believe in the body mass index theory of a healthy weight. They believe in the calorie theory. They do not appear to personalize nutrition. “How would you describe your current eating and activity habits?”. They appear to recommend grains and dairy for all.

Nutrisystem

Their head office is in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. They deliver meals. Their home page says, ““Real people. Real support. Lose up to 18 pounds fast.”. “Clinically proven to work. Money back, guaranteed.” They also have apps and coaches. They charge $250, 300, or $360/month for 100-150 prepared, packaged meal plans, plus the option of $40/month for shakes. They also have an online community.

Their offers refer to vegetarians (no vegan options), diabetes, and men. They claim they have been chosen by more than “500,000 Americans with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes”. They claim to have more than 150 recipes.

Jenny Craig

Their head office is in Carlsbad, California. From their website, “Jenny Craig has approximately 600 company-owned and franchised centers in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Puerto Rico with approximately 2,500 coaches worldwide. 500 centers have shifted from in-person to phone coaching… Members eat 6 times a day (3 main meals with 3 snacks) and follow personally customized programs including nearly 100 delicious menu items, with new items being added frequently… We offer personalized menus/activity and motivational plans… Love your first week, or your money back!”

They offer a “diabetic weight loss plan”. They tell people what to eat and when. “Our menu features your favorite foods in smart portions including pasta, burgers, pizza, ice cream, and so much more… You’ll meet with your coach once a week, at a center or over the phone, to plan out your week. Have an upcoming event? Your personal weight loss coach will provide you with strategies for staying on track.”

Their plans are priced at $13-26/day ($390-780/month) for 2-3 meals of the packaged food and snacks plus delivery by the week to the customer’s door. They refer to clinical studies in their articles, and they have paid MD’s as advisors.

Food Lovers Fat Loss System

Their head office is in Encino, California. Their home page reads, “”Want to eat what you love and still lose weight? Food Lovers Online® is made for you!”…”Speed up your metabolism.”

They offer a two-week free trial in exchange for a credit card number. After this, they charge $20 every four weeks for recipes, coaching, and free online community with “hundreds of recipes” or $120 for a “premium” program.

They promote “no dieting, no counting (calories), no tasteless food, no drastic lifestyle changes”.

They appear to offer little or no personalization.

Atkins

Their head office is in Denver, Colorado. This is not for all. They focus on “low carb”. They emphasize protein. This program works for many people in the short-run, because it prompts the body to burn stored fat, if no fruits or grains are eaten, but they overlook micro-nutrients, minerals, and vitamins.

Golo

Their head office is in Newark, Delaware. They have 37,000 followers on their public facebook page (online community). They offer recipes and shopping lists online and coaching by phone. They offer for $50, 80, or $100 a 1-2, 2-3, 3-5 month supply of “Release” supplements (with magnesium, zinc, chromium, and rhodiola).

This supplement probably is effective for many people, but you can obtain magnesium from leafy green vegetables, among other foods; zinc from pumpkin seeds, among other foods; and chromium from spinach, among others. Rhodiola is an herb that can be used to make tea. The supplement can be substituted with real food. They offer little or no personalization.

Dr. Josh Axe reviews Golo.

South Beach

Their head office is in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, like Nutrisystem. They promote a ketogenic diet. They are vegan-friendly. “Save time and eat right with our delicious, fully prepared foods.” They offer packaged meals for $300-400/month (not required – ?) or a $30/membership. A ketogenic diet can be very useful for some people, particularly to control blood sugar. It is not for everybody all the time. Their customers shop online for shop online for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, shakes, supplements, and snack bars. They are vegetarian- and diabetes-friendly. They also offer coaching by phone, email, and chat. They refer to Dr. Arthur Agatston, MD, Miami, and his updated 2020 book, promoting a ketogenic diet.

They have little or no personalization. They count calories.

21-Day Fat Loss Challenge

Their registered head office is in Nicosia, Cyprus, while their terms and condtions refer to the UK (for arbitration). They offer a “personalized meal plan and 2800+ recipes”, though the personalization is not clear.  “The idea of fasting is that you don’t restrict what you eat, but rather when you eat it.” They promote intermittent fasting, restricting eating to a certain window of hours of the day.

Nourishing Hope for Healing Kids

Nourishing Hope has their head office is in San Francisco, California. Julie Matthews offers “personalized nutrition for autism and adhd”, in other words for parents with children who have neurological damage. Their method refers to “therapeutic diets”, most of all gluten- and dairy-free, but also “specific carbohydrate and GAPS” diets, “Feingold and Failsafe” diets, low oxalate diet, “low FODMAPS” diet, elimination diet, paleo and “autoimmune paleo”, ketogenic, and Weston Price principles. The logic appears to try gluten-, dairy-, and soy-free, and then to try the others.

The one-year program costs $997 one-time or $97 per month for twelve months, including an online course, a facebook group, three months of two live (zoom) meetings per month with Q&A, a personalized meal planning app, and ten (gluten-, dairy-, and soy-free recipes per month.

This appears to be an excellent service for a niche market. She has testimonials on the website. She risks being accused of practicing medicine without a license, but perhaps this is a low risk.

Institute for Integrative Nutrition

Their head office is in New York. They offer an online program to train health coaches in a long series of ideas, including food combining and blood type eating. Their one-time price is $6800, and they offer a certificate at the end of the course. To promote the course, they call on the phone, email, and chat online.

MyDiabetes

Their registered head office is in Vilnius, Lithuania. In their emails, they put an office address in San Francisco, California. According to their home page, their offer is “engineered for people with diabetes. Works for diabetes, prediabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure. Answer a few routine questions to see what’s possible for you with an all-in-one diabetes management plan.”

After the reader takes the quiz, they offer an app for a meal plan (recipes) and a shopping list and to keep track of exercise. They also have an online community. They claim to offer a “tailor-made diabetic diet plan”, although the method of personalization is not clear. They promote 24/7 support and TrustPilot reviews.

After an online quiz, they charge $1.30, $2, or $3 per week for 12-, 6-, or 3- or month plans.

Also according to their website, they first offered the app in 2019. The app in available in 6 languages and 195 countries. They have more than 150,000 active subscribers and a community of more than 150,000 users.

BioIndividual Nutrition

Julie Matthews offers what appears to be an excellent online course in nutrition for would-be health coaches. She promotes these ideas directly to parents of children with autism on her website NourishingHope – for $ 897 one time or $ 137 seven times She cites published medical research, for example that a sugar-, gluten- (most grains), casein- (dairy), and additive-free diet can reduce symptoms of autism. She is a published author of “Nourishing Hope for Autism“.

Thes BioIndividual Nutrition  course has twelve modules and twenty-eight hours of content. She recognizes biochemical individuality. She claims to have cured or relieved children with autism, using these ideas and diets.

Specifically, six of the twelve modules focus on details of the following diets:

• Allergens (with the most common allergens are gluten, casein, soy, corn, eggs, citrus, nuts, peanuts, seafood, chocolate, and sugar) and gluten-, casein-, and soy-free,
• SCD (specific carbohydrate diet) & GAPS Diet (both grain-free and starch-free),
• Paleo and autoimmune paleo (both grain-free diets that also cut out beans, dairy, and refined sugar),
• Feingold Diet (removes food additives to reduce symptoms of hyperactivity),
• Failsafe Diet (free of additives, low in salicylates, amines and flavor enhancers; restricts intake of salicylates, amines, and glutamine, through elimination of additives, preservatives, artificial flavors and flavor enhancers, and synthetic antioxidants; includes emphasis on fresh foods; cuts out all processed food and drink, cheese, and fruit; “a popular choice for parents of children with ADHD”,
• Low oxalate Diet (cuts high oxalate foods such as certain greens, beans and legumes, and nuts),
• Body Ecology Diet (reducing yeast overgrowth, cuts out sugar, fermented foods, and extremely acid or alkaline foods),
• Low FODMAPs Diet (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols, which are short-chain carbohydrates, that is sugars, that the small intestine of some people absorbs poorly; reduces symptoms of Crohn’s disease and colitis by removing fermentable carbohydrates such as wheat, onions, dairy, and fructose),
• Ketogenic (high in protein and and low in all types of sugar, including fruit),
• Rotation Diets,
• Elimination Diets (2-3 weeks),
• Low Salicylate (natural substances created by plants and used as a defense mechanism against organisms eating the plant), Amine (in foods that involve fermentation or protein breakdown), and Glutamate.

Other modules look at detox (methylation), laboratory testing to look for nutrient deficiencies, and a “new food pyramid”. The course includes food lists, meal plans, and more than one hundred recipes. Oddly, it excludes a vegan diet. It does not address eating according to the ABO blood type. The price is $ 4995 one time or $555 ten times.

She appears to advocate paleo with variations. She includes various ideas, but a simpler, more flexible, possibly equally effective approach to the individual may include food combining, the acid-alkaline balance, blood type eating, detoxification (and parasite cleanse), and re-mineralization.

Riordan Clinic

The Riordan Clinic in Wichita, Kansas offers the “Lifestyle Rx Weight Loss Program“. For $832, they offer an initial appointment, lab tests, a prescription for phentermine (an appetite suppressant not included in the price), body composition measurement (of muscle and fat), “resources to plan and organize daily nutrition and exercise”, recommendations for supplements; and follow-up appointments at extra charge.

Dr. Christopher Motley MD

Dr. Christopher Motley MD offers a virtual consultation. For $435, he offers lab tests analysis and discussion, voice signature analysis, analysis of possible food sensitivities, analysis of possible  infection frequencies, suggestions for additional tests, and analysis of supplements.

Anya Perry

Anya Perry is a self-employed health coach in California. She offers a remote, 90-minute call with 2 weeks of support by email or walkie-talkie (Voxer) for $497 (“90-minute intensive“). She also offers a 30-day “reboot” program with daily emails and other information for $127. She has a 1-on-1 coaching service for 3 months, including phone calls every two weeks and a guarantee of results “if you put in the work”, for $497 per month for 3 months (VIP 1-on-1 Coaching). She is developing an online course. Her market appears to be younger women.

Dr. Joel Fuhrman MD

Dr. Joel Fuhrman MD offers memberships on his website – gold ($8/month), platinum ($75/month), and diamond ($4750 for a lifetime). He includes recipes, articles, online workshops (webinars & Facebook live events), a forum (Nutritarian Network Private Group), and “Ask the Doctor” (asking general medical questions).

Metabolic Balance

Promoted by Dr. Wolf Funfack in his book, “metabolic balance® – Nutrition basics: Introduction to the success program“, this method is to reduce sugar and starch and to consume proteins and fats. This is said to be based on a nutritional plan that is individual according to their blood count and other personal data. The details of personalization are not disclosed. This method of “personalized nutrition” has been studied formally. They have a website, a blog, including recipes, trained coaches, and articles. They offer a subscription to their website for one hundred dollars per year.

Headquartered near Munich, they appear to have trained health coaches online in their method. They offer their program only with a health coach. They claim to have been in business for twenty years and to have more than a million customers. The price, if any, is unclear, as of this writing.

Hims & Hers Health, Inc.

Listed on the NYSE, according to their latest 10-K, “launched in 2017, Hims & Hers Health, Inc. (and together with its subsidiaries, “Hims & Hers”, the “Company”, “we”, “us” or “our”) has built a consumerfirst platform transforming the way customers fulfill their health and wellness needs. We believe that the Company has the technical platform, distributed provider network, and access to clinical capabilities to lead the migration of routine office visits to a digital format. The Hims & Hers platform includes accessto a highly-qualified and technologically-capable provider network, a clinically-focused electronic medical record system, digital prescriptions, and cloudpharmacy fulfillment. Our digital platform enables access to treatments for a broad range of conditions, including those related to sexual health, hair loss,dermatology, mental health and primary care. Hims & Hers connects patients to licensed healthcare professionals who can prescribe medications when appropriate. Prescriptions are fulfilled online through licensed pharmacies on a subscription basis. In addition, we also offer access to a range of health andwellness products designed to meet individual needs, which can include curated prescription and non-prescription products. Through the Hims & Hers mobile apps, consumers can access a range of educational programs, wellness content, community support, and other services that promote lifelong health and wellness. Since our founding, we have facilitated more than ten million telehealth consultations, enabling greater access to high-quality, convenient, and affordable care for  people in all 50 states and the United Kingdom. Hims & Hers products can also be found in tens of thousands of top retail locations in the United States.” As of the end of 2022, they claim to have more than a million customers, with three fourths recurring, and paying an average of $167 per month.

OneSpaWorld

Based in the Bahamas and listed on NASDAQ (OSW), OneSpaWorld has offered spa services on cruise ships for more than twenty years. They are asset-light.

Wegovy, Ozempic, Trulicity, and Rybelsus

These patented pharmaceutical products were intended to control blood glucose (diabetes), but have been promoted for weight loss. Ozempic is particularly in fashion.

The weight loss effect has catapulted these drugs to quickly become among the bestselling drugs in history, expected to reach something like $18-19 billion per year over the next four years. Of course, it is forbidden to make health claims without a medical license, but they indicate the demand and the context. They cost $1000 – 1500 per month for life, according to Dr. William Davis MD, author of the book about losing weight by avoiding wheat.

Other

Listed on the website of the Nutritional Therapy Association are three practitioners in Belgium, Healthfully Heather (between Ghent and Brussels), Marieke Steen (facebook), and Maria Boitel (in Ghent), all of whom offer nutritional counseling.

10 Best-Selling Weight Loss Plans for Women – Reviewed

WebMD has reviewed a set of “diets”. Some of their reviews are incorrect, such as their review of the “alkaline diet“, which does not exclude beef nor require beans and tofu. Some of their reviews appear to be biased.

To lose weight, many people already go to fitness studios, run, and lift weights. Some of them may be looking for personalized health coaching. It is possible to offer the know-how on HealthViaFood in the form of a series of presentations and discussion, including the related course materials.

After attending presentations, a customer can apply the ideas, the related methods, and the sexy seven recipes by reading the course material. The most frequently asked question for many people for their health is, what do I eat to maintain my own health myself? Reading the articles, you can answer this question, or else join the club.

For individual service, for example custom meal plans, recipes, and possibly limited catering, let us offer membership in a club, the Health Food Conspiracy.