The programs are designed based upon individual members' personal goals, food preferences and lifestyles. In addition, eDiets.com publishes a popular bi-weekly diet and fitness email newsletter, Glee Magazine, which is delivered to a community of more than 13 million subscribers. Their main customers are women, aged 25-54.

In perhaps its most significant recent development, the company decided to enter the diet food home delivery business--competing directly with companies such as NutriSystem. This service was launched on Jan. 5, 2006. Deliciously Yours, (formerly called eDiets Express) now delivers fresh food weekly and is priced at $19.95/day plus shipping, or about $600/month. There is also a 5-day plan that omits weekends, for less money. You get 1 week of meals free with a 7-week plan, and you have live access to dietitians and fitness trainers, plus all the online tools, forums, etc. available at the main website. This is still almost double NutriSystem's prices but prices have been cut from prior levels, and the food is better quality.

This company didn’t invent the concept, but it refined it, acquired similar websites, and expanded beyond its original diet plans to become accessible to a broader range of dieters. The company wants to expand beyond weight loss into total wellness and lifestyle improvement. It wants to enter the corporate wellness market and retail channels as well. eDiets offers 22 personalized online programs, including a dozen of its own health living diet plans for those with special needs (type 2 diabetes, low fat, low sodium, cholesterol lowering, high fiber, low sugar, soy plan, vegetarian, lactose free, wheat free, Trim Kids, etc.) and many others licensed and adapted to online versions from celebrities and other well-known weight loss companies.  At any given time, it is negotiating with other companies to license and adapt to an online format other weight loss programs.

eDiets.com has licensed and adapted for the Internet the following well-known weight loss and fitness plans of other diet companies and celebrities:

- The Blood Type Diet ("Eat Right For Your Type", by Peter D'Adamo)

- Suzanne Somers weight loss plan

- Slim-Fast Optima diet

- Dr. Perricone Nutritional Facelift

- Atkins Nutritionals

- Mayo Clinic's plan

- Bill Phillips Eating For Life plan

- Bob Greene's "Total Body Makeover" (Oprah's personal trainer).

Other companies and celebrities' plans were offered in the past, such as Dr. Phil, but were dropped for various reasons.

Check this company’s website often, since they are an aggressive company that adds new programs on a regular basis. Company management reports that the price of their program is 50% lower than traditional diet programs and that their members are staying longer and spending more. One must take this price claim with a grain of salt. Yes, it’s inexpensive. However, the price does not include the cost of grocery store food that you still have to buy, under most diet programs. And, the company has steadily lost subscribers in the past year as it placed more emphasis on its diet food delivery program.

Recent Developments & New Services

New Agreement with Diversified Health & Fitness...

Partners with Glaxo and Alli diet drug...

Partners With Author/Actress Suzanne Somers...

On Dec. 20, 2006, eDiets announced a partnership with actress Suzanne Somers to offer her weight loss program online. This is a healthy lifestyle solution and Suzanne's plan incorporates a variety of food choices, gradual weight loss, food combining and physical activity. By following the plan, users will learn eating patterns that work best for their body type as well as regulate blood sugar levels to improve metabolism. The plan is focused on gaining energy instead of losing weight, and it does not overly restrict exact food quantities.

National Fresh Food Home Delivery Service (Fresh Cuisine) rolled out...

On Jan. 5, 2006, eDiets.com entered the diet food home delivery market with the launch of FreshCuisine(TM) (now called Deliciously Yours), a chef-prepared fresh food delivery service offering 400+ menu items. Nutritionists are available by phone and online to provide counseling about customers needs and weight loss. They are available, toll-free, Monday-Friday 8 am - 10 pm EST and 11 am to 6 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. One can find information about the service at: DeliciouslyYours.com or by calling: 1-877-968-7343.

At the website, you complete a profile to determine their health conditions, weight loss goals and preferences. After that's completed, chefs prepare meals and shop them to your home. The plan fits requirements for low sodium, low fat, low cholesterol, carb-controlled, and heart smart diets. The plan is based on 1200 calories per day. If a person needs more than that, a list of recommended snacks is provided to increase the calorie level.

This service provides 7 breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks per week. Deliciously Yours allows members to select their own meals. Meals are delivered weekly. Two plans are available, varying in price. The difference between them is the type or quality of foods you get. With the basic plan, you may get items such as tuna, sloppy Joe sandwiches, and macaroni and cheese for lunches and chicken entrees for dinner. With the signature plan, you get a dinner choice of filet mignon, lobster, and sirloin--more gourmet items and a more complete breakfast. Here are the three plans and their weekly costs:

Other Developments

Mayo Clinic Plan added...

In 2005, eDiets launched the Mayo Clinic Plan. This plan is based on the principles of the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid. The foundation of the pyramid is made up of foods that have low energy density (i.e. that have few calories within a large portion or volume, such as vegetables and fruits. These foods help fill you up, since they contain very large amounts of water and fiber, without increasing calorie intake. This is the first time eDiets has collaborated with a renowned medical/clinical organization such as the Mayo Clinic. Personalized menus, charting, dining out tips, and editorial content by Mayo Clinic's medical staff are all available on this plan.

Blood Type Diet Plan added...

eDiets added the Blood Type Diet to its roster, a customized online nutrition plan created by Peter D'Adamo, a doctor of naturopathy, based on his NY Times bestseller, "Eat Right 4 Your Type." According to the book and D'Adamo, a person's blood type influences their recommended meal plan, which consists of foods D'Adamo recommends as beneficial for each blood type. "Eat Right 4 Your Type" has been translated into 50 languages and is followed by consumers in 45 nations.

After completing an online profile that gathers data on blood type, weight loss goals, height, and current activity level, each member is issued a customized 7-day meal plan, updated weekly, reflecting those foods that will provide the most benefits for their specific blood type.

Online diet "meeting"...

The company introduced "Online/Anytime Meetings (SM), where members may create a private diet "meeting" on their computer desktop by choosing from a menu of diet, fitness and motivational subjects delivered by professionals, and play the meeting in streaming video whenever they want. This service is available 24/7 to members of Solutions (SM), a subscription service. Solutions may be purchased as a stand-alone subscription service or as a supplement to one of the company's diet plans.

Service for low-carb followers...

The company introduced eDiets.com/Solutions (SM), an online subscription service targeted to millions of low-carb followers. For a limited time, subscribers receive a free 14-day trial and have access to low-carb product reviews, diet information and news, and the advice of experts on diet, fitness, and motivation. Solutions can be bought as a stand-alone subscription service, for $1 per week billed quarterly, or as a supplement to the other eDiets plans.

Oprah Winfrey's personal trainer, Bob Greene, signed up as a partner... 

eDiets.com has added an online version of one of the country's leading fitness trainer's plans, "Get With The Program!"  This fitness trainer is the author of 3 books: "Get With the Program", "The Get With the Program! Guide to Good Eating", and "Make the Connection".  eDiets.com is now offering consumers two customized fitness regimens: "Basic Training", an entry level 12-week plan for novices, and "Stay With the Program", an ongoing maintenance plan of advanced strength training and aerobics.

Partnership formed with Bristol-Myers Squibb on ChoiceDM™  products for people with diabetes...

With this agreement, the companies will offer the "Living With Diabetes" Plan, a personalized online nutritional program designed to address the needs of people with type 2 diabetes. This program features a carbohydrate-controlled weekly meal plan. eDiets.com makes ChoiceDM's line of consumer diabetic care products (sugar-free shakes, skin, foot and oral care products, etc.) available via its online store.

Slim-Fast plan adapted to an online version...

eDiets.com is now offering three Slim-Fast^Ò meal plan options: The Slim-Fast^Ò Lower Fat Meal Plan, The Slim-Fast^Ò Lower Carb Meal Plan, and a Combination Plan. Members are able to buy Slim-Fast^Ò meal and snack products via the eDiets.com electronic store.

Over 2 million consumers are claimed to have become eDiets members since its inception. eDiets.com provides 22 personalized diet, fitness, and motivation plans including online versions of other companies' and celebrities' plans, such as:

The firm also provides diet plans for those with special needs, including Type 2 Diabetes, Heart Smart and The Vegetarian. Members choose a plan or take a test to determine the best diet for their needs.

All eDiets.com plans cost $5 per week (although specials may be run periodically), and members can change plans for no additional charge. eDiets.com bills clients every 28 days.

For a monthly fee, eDiets.com creates custom diet plans based on information provided in response to a comprehensive personal profile questionnaire. To date, millions of consumers have completed the eDiets.com personal profile, which elicits information on weight-loss goals, lifestyle, food preferences and/or restrictions, pertinent medical conditions, fitness level and attitude. Each eDiets.com member enjoys the convenience and privacy of 24/7 access to their personalized online eDiets.com program that includes customized weekly menus, recipes and grocery shopping lists, interactive tools, online meetings, support boards, chats, fitness tips, professional advice, and more through their desktop computers.

The support center can be accessed 24 hrs., 7 days a week, 365 days a year—and that is one of the key selling points of the plan. The dieter is not constrained by the hours of their local weight loss center. They can log on anytime and speak with weight loss counselors or communicate with other dieters to share their progress and setbacks.

eDiets.com uses a combination of registered dietitians, psychologists, certified fitness trainers, and lay people for its support center. It operates moderated online chat rooms and 100+ distinct bulletin boards focusing on new mothers, people who need to lose 100+ lbs., etc. It has a free opt-in newsletter.

The company says that the average time a member stays with their plan is about 27-29 weeks. By BestDietForMe.com’s calculations, that would mean that the average customer spends about $100-$130 on the plan. Members can change among available plans at their discretion at no extra charge.

Management says that it’s common for a customer to be on the eDiets.com plan and Weight Watchers or another plan at the same time—they are complementary.

New York-based DietSmart (www.dietsmart.com)  offered six different diet philosophies on the site. Once a client defines his or her personal diet objectives, DietSmart creates a program and provides one-to-one support and expert information to help him or her accomplish their goals. Founded in 1999, prior to the acquisition, DietSmart was the second largest subscription based online diet company, and was the fourth largest health site online. It is now fully integrated into eDiets.com and does not operate as a separate website.

eDiets.com has been honored with the Forbes "Best of the Web" 2000 rating for the fitness and nutrition category by Forbes magazine, as well as one of the "Best of The Web" in the magazine’s Summer, 2001 issue.

eDiets.com was named the best "Healthcare/Pharmaceutical" site at the 2003 Webby Business Awards. The awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences. The Academy said that: "Of the many diet sites, eDiets has done the best job of compiling information and cementing partnerships (with weight loss specialists like Atkins and healthy eating magazines like Cooking Light) most desired by dieters. Add in exercise guides as well as sections that account for a host of medical conditions (diabetes, high cholesterol, lactose intolerance) and eDiets is by far the most customizable and cleanly designed dieting resource on the Web."

BestDietForMe.com analysts feel that this company spent a lot of time and money developing what, in our opinion is one of the best diet websites. It is the "deepest" diet website out there, in terms of useful information, flexibility, ease of use, and interactive features. If 24/7 convenience is your thing, and you don’t want to spend a lot of money or see weight loss counselors in person, this may be the program for you. This is for Web-savvy do-it-yourselfers who are content to get weight loss tips and advice and information from another source, and design their own plan around it. However, the novelty of e-dieting may be over and it's getting harder to retain subscribers. There are now many diet websites available, some offering some of eDiets.com services free of charge, such as Sparkpeople.com.

Time will also tell if, by shifting their company's focus to diet food delivery services, the website or its services will suffer.

eDiets’ staff of counselors appears to be top-notch, registered dietitians, nutritionists, psychologists, and certified fitness trainers, for example. With more than 100 different bulletin boards for every conceivable type of dieter, plus chat rooms, and a free online newsletter, it’s hard not to stay in touch and get feedback and motivation. However, some may prefer the in-person motivation instead. For them, a "bricks and mortar" weight loss center, RD, nutritionist, MD or some other "live" person may be better.