The OPTIFAST® Program
The OPTIFAST® program is designed to help its participants, through education, behavior modification and supplied meals, to lose weight. The supplied meals are preportioned, calorie-controlled, nutritious and easy to prepare. The full program, which is medically supervised, typically lasts 6 months, and is recommended only for those with a body-mass index greater than 30.
How the OPTIFAST® Program Works
The OPTIFAST program initially uses complete meal replacement to help limit calorie consumption. Over time, the supplied meals are phased out, and personal dietary choices, with a concentration on smaller portion sizes and more nutritious food choices, are incorporated. The OPTIFAST program is often successful because the rapid weight loss achieved at the beginning of the program acts as an incentive for participants to make the lifestyle changes necessary for losing more weight and keeping it off. Participants learn to make better choices, and optimize their health and weight through diet, exercise and overall lifestyle improvements. The OPTIFAST program is overseen by physicians who manage the weight-loss process at a safe and healthy pace, and by weight-loss experts who provide individual and group counseling, and ongoing support.
Results of the OPTIFAST® Program
Since being developed in 1994, the OPTIFAST program has had more than one million participants, whose average reported weight loss is greater than 50 pounds. To help participants keep off the weight they have lost, the program provides the same tools and staff support for the weight-maintenance period as it did during the the weight-loss period.