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Website: eDiets.com

eDiets.com used to be one of the largest subscription-based online diet, fitness and counseling network with over 200,000 paid members and an opt-in circulation of 13+ million. However, the company has shifted its focus to working with corporate wellness departments and getting into the diet food home delivery business, called "eDiets Express", "Deliciously Yours", and now just meal delivery. As a result, the number of digital plan subscribers has fallen to 30,000. The focus is now mostly on meal delivery services.

Many people have left the company in recent years, amid multiple changes in CEOs and top management, and the company is losing money. The company's faces substantial competition in both online program and diet food home delivery services.

Founded in 1996, eDiets.com offers 20 online subscription-based weight-loss and fitness programs using proprietary software to generate customized diet programs.  The company uses a combination of registered dietitians, psychologists, certified fitness trainers and lay people for its support center.

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 $131/week. 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 of online dieting, but it refined it, acquired similar websites, and expanded beyond its original diet plans to become accessible to a broader range of dieters.

The Program

eDiets offers 20 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 used to license 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. However, in the shift away from online programs, NONE of these programs are offered any longer.

The company says that the typical customer stays on the online program about 27 weeks, for a total cost of $100-130, based on $45 for the 9-week plan. Members can change plans at no extra charge.

Recent Developments & New Services

New Deal Struck With The Biggest Loser TV Show

eDiets entered into a licensing agreement with NBC Universal Television Consumer Products Group and Reveille LLC to become the new provider for The Biggest Loser branded meals. eDiets meals designed for The Biggest Loser program will provide consumers the same nutrition and calories contestants are taught to eat while on the show.

eDiets will be developed and launcheda line of meals for home delivery branded The Biggest Loser Meal Plan – by eDiets. The debut of eDiets’ new line will launchedon September 1, 2010, coinciding with the latest season of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.” The shoe returned for its 10^th season on NBC, September 21 at 8:00PM (ET/PT).   

National Diet Food Home Delivery Service

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  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

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.

Over 2 million consumers are claimed to have become eDiets members since its inception. eDiets.com provides 20 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.

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.