EDIETS
The Internet has become a central place to find solace and support in dieting efforts, and eDiets.com leads the pack as a source to find information and tailored weight-loss programs. It was created during the dot-com boom in 1996 by a registered dietician and its staying power has been established with over 11 million opt-in subscribers. eDiets is a subscription-based program that offers long-range diet planning under the supervision of a team of professionals. The message boards and online communities are geared towards helping the dieter achieve their weight-loss and health goals, while providing options based on wellness needs.
Foods Encouraged: Varies according to diet plan
Foods Discouraged: Varies according to diet plan
Premise and Guidelines: The eDiets website has a strategy that works- they were largely unaffected by the downfall of many dot.com subscription-based sites, but they boast several million paying subscribers who use their online weight-loss plans.
eDiets offers a variety of programs that meet your specific dieting needs. Nurses, fitness experts and psychiatrists are all part of an expert team that provides online dieting and nutritional advice. There’s also an online message board, regular newsletter, online meetings, and personal testimonials that offer encouragement.
The annual cost is $155 for a basic subscription, and approximately $250 a year for a full-support plan. This is a reasonable cost that almost anyone could afford; less than $3 per month could mean the difference between achieving your dieting goals and settling for less-than-desired results.
eDiets has developed 12 of its own weight-loss plans that target different dieter types, and is supportive in following many other well known diets. To determine which diet plan will serve you best, eDiets requires the completion of a 60-question survey. Based on the results and the expertise of the eDiets team, you will be recommended a specific diet.
eDiets provides a weekly meal planner with recipes, a grocery list and caloric values of meals for diet plans such as Atkins, South Beach and more. Some members have remarked that much of the content on this subscription-based site have been found elsewhere free of charge. Also, people have had concerns about questionable or unauthorized charges on their credit card and experienced problems with cancellation. It should also be noted that members must be 18 years of age or older to subscribe to eDiets, making it a true adult-based wellness community.
The biggest reasons for the success of eDiets.com are the availability of information on a variety of diets, ability to create diet plans that work for you and can be viewed online, and the ‘peer’ factor that creates a supportive environment in which to achieve diet goals. Because of this, dieting with eDiets seems to be a sensible and safer way to manage your weight-loss.