Evidence Based Nutrition

The Optavia Diet has become a popular weight-loss strategy, no doubt due to celebrity and influencer endorsements promoting the success of following such a diet. The Optavia Diet is from the company Medifast Inc. and is marketed as a weight-loss or maintenance plan that includes eating a mix of purchased processed foods by the company known as “fuelling’s” and homemade meals they call “lean and green” (6). This diet does not require you to count calories instead provides 6 portions of controlled sized meals per day, however, meal options include shakes, bars, processed meals and puddings giving a variety of options (6). All meals contain added extra protein and a probiotic with soy protein and whey protein often listed on the list of ingredients, therefore optavia is a reduced carb and high protein diet making up to 35% of your macros (8, 6). 6 meals sound all well and good however, it is not going to be that easy to take part in this diet as it restricts calories to a very low intake per day the 5&1 meal plan (which is one of the meal plan options) is found to reduce calories to around 1,000 per day which is an extreme restriction (8). This low-calorie intake will make the optavia very hard to stick to and is only meant to be used for a short period it would not be suitable to use over a long-term period. 

Although the calories may seem extremely low it is a diet high in protein and protein is known to provide the feeling of fullness for longer similarly to fibre. Diets higher in protein, between 1.2g-1.6g per kg a day has been found to show improvements in appetite and weight management compared to lower protein diets (5). A study by Campos-Nonato et al., (2017) aimed to determine the effect of high protein intake on weight loss in Mexican adults with metabolic syndrome. 105 participants were separated into the standard protein diet group (SPD) 0.8g per kg of body weight, and the high protein diet group (HPD) 1.34g per kg of body weight. Results found in the overall group there was no significant difference in weight loss and metabolic syndrome biomarkers however, the participants with the highest adherence to the diets found the difference in weight loss was significantly higher in the HPD group compared to those with the highest adherence in the SPD group. Therefore, there is evidence that suggests high protein diets may have beneficial weight loss effects such as the review study by Halton and Hu, (2004) which concluded suggesting that higher protein may significantly increase total weight loss and a potentially higher percentage of fat loss when compared to lower protein diets in the short-term. However, a lot of studies were inconclusive and more definitive evidence needs to be provided before giving this out as a weight-loss strategy. Again, higher protein diets are found to increase the feeling of fullness which was suggested as the reason behind the results of most studies reviewed. More long-term studies are needed for more definitive evidence. 

This diet consists of mostly ready-made meals as part of their “fuelling’s”, ready meals are overall high in saturated fat and salt but can be low in sugar (7). This makes it easier and less time consuming for those that prefer not to cook therefore making it more appealing for these types of people to participate in the diet. Consuming more ready meals is associated with higher body weight due to the high levels of fat and saturated fat (4). There are healthier ready meals that may be slightly more expensive that are made lower in saturated fat and salt and contain more fibre and protein similar to the “fuelling’s” from the optavia diet, although healthier does not mean healthy and should still take caution with the intake of these foods (7). As long as these meals are eaten in moderation in a balanced diet then I see no issue with the odd consumption of ready-made meals whether it is from Medifast Inc. or your local supermarket plus there are also always usually healthier alternatives. 

Despite some of the issues with following this diet the main question that needs to be answered is does it work? The obvious answer is that of course, it would work seeing as it restricts your calories, and we are all surely aware by now that any time we create a deficit we are bound to lose weight but does the science support this when it comes to the optavia diet. Surprisingly I have found a study using the optavia diet and the Medifast diet by Arterburn et al., (2018) which compared these to a self-directed reduced-calorie diet for weight loss. This study found that after 16-weeks the Medifast and optavia diet groups lost significantly more body fat, abdominal visceral fat, and hip and waist circumferences were significantly reduced compared to the control group. Concluding that both diets reduced body fat better than self-directed weight loss outcomes. However, the control group were not given weekly guidance like the Medifast and optavia groups they only had an introduction at the beginning which gave them a target for calories and information on their weight loss journey. This could be a major factor in why the results were as they were maybe some participants did not stick to the diet plan as they received no more guidance and advice. This may have been on purpose in this study to get the right results they wanted because it should be noted this study was funded by the company Medifast Inc. giving a major flag in conflicts of interest as this is the company that owns optavia. 

I have not come across any other studies on this diet, but more long-term effects of this diet are also needed to be researched therefore currently there is not enough evidence to support using this over any other diet. It does have positives in that it reduces salt intake and provides ongoing support although the reduction in calories is extreme and low-calorie diets are found to trigger increased hunger and cravings which makes adherence difficult, and a lot of people may not be able to sustain this diet for long enough to see progress (8). If participants do stick to the diet, then it is likely they will just regain the weight after as research has shown in many restrictive diets to cause, this could also cause a reliance on packaged foods and premade meals (8).

Conclusion

The optavia diet as with any diet may work for some and not others this is basically a high protein diet which has been found to potentially be good for weight loss as higher protein causes the feeling of fullness which will reduce the likelihood of someone to snack or eat more frequently, fibre also provides this feeling. Optavia is a very low-calorie diet which can make it very difficult to stick with and lead to weight regain, is costly and includes mostly processed foods. The support is great for a weight loss journey however, the coaches are not health professionals along with I would probably most likely not recommend such an extreme weight loss strategy. Weight loss Is not a quick fix it takes time to reach your goal but there is nothing wrong with taking a long time sticking to a plan which you can adhere to and most importantly maintain once reaching that goal. I will always promote a long-term slower weight loss strategy over any fad extreme diets that claim rapid weight loss. If it works for you then good for you however, you can get the same results by eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grains and not be left feeling hungry and restricted.

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References

1. Arterburn, L., Coleman, C., Kiel, J., Kelley, K., Mantilla, L., Frye, N., Sanoshy, K. and Cook, C. (2018) ‘Randomized controlled trial assessing two commercial weight loss programs in adults with overweight or obesity’. Obesity Science & Practice, 5(1) pp.3-14.
2. Campos-Nonato, I., Hernandez, L. and Barquera, S. (2017) ‘Effect of a High-Protein Diet versus Standard-Protein Diet on Weight Loss and Biomarkers of Metabolic Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial’. Obesity Facts, 10(3) pp.238-251.
3. Halton, T. and Hu, F. (2004) ‘The Effects of High Protein Diets on Thermogenesis, Satiety and Weight Loss: A Critical Review’. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 23(5) pp.373-385.
4. K. van der Horst, T.A. Brunner, M. Siegrist (2011) ‘Ready-meal consumption. Associations with weight status and cooking skills’ Public Health Nutrition, 14 (2), pp. 239-245. 
5. Leidy, H., Clifton, P., Astrup, A., Wycherley, T., Westerterp-Plantenga, M., Luscombe-Marsh, N., Woods, S. and Mattes, R. (2015) ‘The role of protein in weight loss and maintenance’. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 101(6) pp.1320S-1329S.
6. Picard, C. (2021) ‘What Is the Optavia Diet? Why You Should Skip It for Weight Loss, According to a Dietitian’. Good HouseKeeping. [Blog] [Accessed on 9 May 2022] https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/a28436828/what-is-optavia-diet/.
7. Remnant, J. and Adams, J. (2015) ‘The nutritional content and cost of supermarket ready meals. Cross-sectional analysis’. Appetite, 92(1) pp.36-42.
8. Shoemaker, S. and McGrane, K. (2022) ‘Optavia Diet Review: Does It Work for Weight Loss?’. Healthline. [Blog] [Accessed on 9 May 2022] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/optavia-diet#bottom-line.