Compare popular medical weight loss programs like Optifast, Health Management Resources, Medi-Weightloss, and more based on cost, methods, typical results, and other key factors.
This comprehensive guide will help you determine the most effective medical weight loss option for your needs and budget.
The journey to losing weight and achieving better health can sometimes feel like an uphill battle.
When attempts to lose weight through diet and exercise alone have proven unsuccessful, medical weight loss programs may provide the extra support needed to finally shed those stubborn pounds.
But with so many different programs available, how does one determine what’s best for their individual needs and budget?
How Do Medical Weight Loss Programs Work?
Medical weight loss programs are clinically supervised programs designed to help individuals lose weight and improve health through a combination of services like nutritional meal replacements, prescription medication, counseling, fitness guidance, and more.
These intensive programs are tailored to each patient’s unique needs and overseen by doctors or other medical professionals.
This level of personalization and medical support gives patients the best chance at long-term weight loss success compared to commercial diet plans.
While exact programs and services vary, most medical weight loss clinics follow a three-phase process:
Phase 1: This initial phase typically lasts several weeks to months and involves active weight loss through meal replacements and possibly medications under medical supervision.
- Patients replace traditional meals with shakes, bars, or pre-made meals.
- Appetite suppressants or other medication may be prescribed.
- Regular check-ins monitor progress.
Phase 2: As the patient nears their target weight, traditional food is slowly reintroduced while continuing medical supervision.
Phase 3: This maintenance phase aims to sustain long-term weight loss through lifestyle coaching, nutrition plans, exercise programs, and continued monitoring.
This phased approach sets up patients to lose significant weight under medical guidance, while equipping them with the knowledge and skills to maintain results over time.
Now let’s explore some of the most prominent and effective medical weight loss programs available today.
Popular Medical Weight Loss Programs Compared
| Program | Typical Cost | Methods Used | Average Weight Loss | Sustainability | Health Benefits |
| Optifast | $1300+ monthly | Meal replacements, medication, counseling | 50 lbs over 12-26 weeks | Very good with continued monitoring | Medically-supervised, reduced risk factors |
| HMR | $300+ weekly | Meal replacements, classes | 30-50 lbs over 12-20 weeks | Good with continued coaching | Rapid initial weight loss |
| Medi-Weightloss | $300+ weekly | Low calorie plans, shots | 20-50 lbs over 8-20 weeks | Very good with continued monitoring | Treats weight-related health conditions |
| Nuviva | $200+ weekly | Custom meal plans, medication | 15-25% of body weight over 16 weeks | Good with lifestyle changes | Reduces medication dependence |
| New Direction | $150+ weekly | Custom meal plans, coaching | 25-40 lbs over 8-16 weeks | Very good with continued monitoring | Affordable, prevents chronic disease |
Below we take a closer look at each of these major nationwide medical weight loss programs.
Analyze the key details of each to determine which seems the best fit for your needs and preferences!
Optifast
Optifast aims to produce rapid weight loss results through substituting traditional meals with shakes, bars, soups, and other meal replacements under close medical supervision.
With over 30 years of experience and hundreds of centers across North America, Optifast is likely the largest and longest-running medically managed weight loss program.
Typical cost: $250-$350 per week plus $500 program fee during active weight loss phase. Ongoing maintenance fees after reaching goal weight.
Methods used: Primarily meal replacements plus behavioral counseling and medical monitoring. Prescription appetite suppressants or injections may be included.
Average weight loss: 50 pounds over 12-26 weeks.
Sustainability: Very good if continuing with monitoring and partial meal replacements. Maintenance phase sustains results.
Health benefits: Structure eliminates decision fatigue. Medically managed care reduces risk factors for disease. Gradual food reintroduction teaches balanced eating.
Optifast is likely the most rapid and well-supervised medical weight loss programs available.
The costly initial investment pays off with better health and reduced obesity-related disease risk long-term.
HMR Program
The Health Management Resources (HMR) Program utilizes meal replacements, education classes, and lifestyle training to induce sustainable weight loss and improved health markers.
Products and programs are available through major medical centers, clinics, or at home.
Typical cost: $300+ per week for prepared meals, classes at clinic locations. $400+ monthly for at home program with meal replacement orders.
Methods used: HMR-branded meal replacements and multi-phase educational programs with coaching. Prescription meds not used.
Average weight loss: 30-50 pounds over 12-20 weeks. Up to 2 pounds per week.
Sustainability: Good if continuing healthy lifestyle changes and weight maintenance phase. Less monitoring than Optifast.
Health benefits: Classes drive lifestyle change and education on nutrition, exercise, and psychology of weight loss. Improves risk factors like cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar.
HMR offers an affordable medically-monitored program that focuses on true lifestyle change measured by health markers, not just pounds on a scale.
This empowers patients with knowledge and support networks that improve the odds of long-term weight loss maintenance.
Medi-Weightloss
The Medi-Weightloss program takes a multifaceted clinical approach to weight loss including customized low-calorie meal plans, prescription appetite suppressants and fat burning injections, and medical counselling. With over 100 locations across the U.S., Medi-Weightloss is a popular option for those needing robust medical support.
Typical cost: $300+ per week covers nutritional counseling, evaluations, medication
Methods used: Very low-calorie plans, prescription meds, counseling, food journaling, vitamin injections
Average weight loss: 20-50 lbs over 8-20 weeks. Typical 1-5 lbs per week.
Sustainability: Excellent sustainability with monthly clinic visits or maintenance plan. Instills lifestyle changes.
Health benefits: Designed to treat weight-related conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure. Medical staff tailor program to health needs.
With an intensive combination of calorie-controlled meal plans, appetite and fat targeting injections and medication oversight, Medi-Weightloss generates rapid weight loss results supported by comprehensive clinical care.
Nuviva
Offering a physician-monitored outpatient medical weight loss program, Nuviva sets itself apart by not solely relying on meal replacements. Custom nutrition plans, prescription medications and intensive lifestyle education allow patients to lose significant weight while still enjoying whole foods.
Typical cost: Around $200 per week plus cost of food and medication
Methods used: Custom structured meal plans utilizing real foods, prescription meds, intensive counseling
Average weight loss: 15-25% of total body weight over 16 week program
Sustainability: Very good chance of keeping weight off long-term through lifestyle education
Health benefits: Reduced need for medications treating conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure. Comprehensive improvement tracking.
By not relying as heavily on meal replacements as competitors, Nuviva empowers patients to make healthy whole food choices aided by clinical support; an approach that proves more sustainable for many.
New Direction
New Direction offers an affordable medically-guided weight loss program customizable to your needs.
With locations across the southern and midwestern U.S., New Direction tailors programs to patient preferences and health conditions while incorporating counseling, fitness guidance, and long-term weight maintenance.
Typical cost: Around $150 per week plus food costs
Methods used: Custom structured meal plans or partial meal replacements. Fitness counseling. Supplements, not prescription meds.
Average weight loss: 25-40 lbs over 8-16 week program
Sustainability: Excellent chance of keeping weight off long-term if continuing monitoring
Health benefits: Guidance on managing health conditions. Affordable to lower income patients. Prevent onset of chronic diseases.
For those wanting significant weight loss with medical oversight at 50-70% less than competitors, New Direction tailors customized programs on an affordable budget better suiting lower income households.
