Optavia is a weight loss program that involves replacing meals with packaged shakes, bars, soups, and other products. It was created by Medifast and is marketed through independent coaches. Some key questions about Optavia include whether it is safe, effective for weight loss, and recommended by doctors. This article will examine what Optavia is, how it works, evidence on its effectiveness, and whether doctors typically recommend it to patients.
What is Optavia?
Optavia is a commercial weight loss program that involves meal replacement. Participants purchase packaged shakes, bars, soups, puddings, and other products from Optavia and use them to replace regular meals.
Some key aspects of Optavia:
- It was created in 2017 by Medifast, which has sold meal replacements since 1980.
- Participants work with an Optavia “coach” who provides support and accountability.
- On the Optimal Weight 5 & 1 Plan, people eat 5 Optavia food products and prepare 1 lean and green meal per day.
- Other plans like Optimal Weight 4 & 2 & 1 involve more regular food and fewer Optavia products.
- Optavia claims the program helps achieve rapid weight loss without hunger.
The Optavia diet is low in calories, carbohydrates, and fats. By replacing meals with pre-portioned shakes and bars, it aims to reduce overall calorie intake leading to weight loss.
How Does Optavia Work?
Optavia works by restricting calories through meal replacements. Here are some key ways the program aims to create a calorie deficit:
- Limiting regular meals: On the main 5 & 1 plan, only one meal per day is regular food.
- Controlled portions: The shakes, bars and other products are pre-packaged in precise serving sizes.
- Low calorie meal replacements: A shake contains around 100 calories while bars average 150-180 calories.
- High protein: The products contain whey protein to help retain muscle mass when losing weight.
- Reduced carbs and fats: They are designed to be low in carbohydrates, sugars, and fats.
- Appetite suppressing ingredients: Some products contain fibers like inulin to induce feelings of fullness.
In addition, Optavia promotes lifestyle changes like more physical activity, adequate sleep, stress management, and accountability to coaches. By combining meal replacements with lifestyle changes, Optavia aims to help people lose weight and improve health.
What Does the Evidence Say About Optavia’s Effectiveness?
There are few peer-reviewed studies specifically examining the Optavia program. However, research on very low-calorie diets and meal replacements suggest they can produce significant weight loss. Some key points:
- A study funded by Medifast found people following the 5 & 1 Optavia plan lost an average of 18 pounds over 12 weeks. Weight loss plateaued after that.
- Two small studies showed Medifast’s meal replacements led to 7-10% weight loss over 3-6 months.
- Very low-calorie diets providing 800-1200 calories per day can result in 8-13% weight loss over 3-6 months, studies show.
- Meal replacements are associated with 3-9% greater weight loss compared to regular diets, according to a review.
- Rapid initial weight loss may reflect losing water weight and lean tissue as well as fat.
The evidence suggests Optavia can produce significant short-term weight loss. However, there are concerns about its nutritional adequacy and sustainability.
Is Optavia Nutritionally Adequate?
Optavia meal replacements are fortified with vitamins and minerals. Additionally, the one lean and green meal provides fruit, vegetables, protein, and healthy fats. However, some concerns include:
- The 5 & 1 plan only contains around 800-1,000 calories per day, raising concerns over very low calorie intake.
- The highly processed meal replacements lack the fiber and nutrients from whole foods.
- The diet is very low in carbohydrates, which may impact athletic performance.
- Some products contain artificial sweeteners and preservatives.
- The restrictiveness raises nutrient deficiency risks without close medical monitoring.
The US National Institutes of Health states very low calorie diets should only be followed under medical supervision. Overall, Optavia may lack nutrients and become unsafe over the long-term without medical oversight.
Is Optavia Sustainable Long-Term?
The highly restrictive nature and reliance on expensive meal replacements may make Optavia difficult to sustain. Considerations for long-term adherence include:
- Restrictiveness: Eliminating most regular foods risks lack of satisfaction and social barriers.
- Nutritional adequacy concerns: The severe calorie restriction may become unsafe over time.
- Cost: Purchasing shakes, bars and other products is expensive, averaging over $300 per month.
- Weight regain: People tend to regain most lost weight once stopping meal replacements.
- Lack of lifestyle change: Relying on substitutes may not teach healthier eating behaviors.
Experts note successful weight loss involves sustainable lifestyle and behavior changes. More balanced diets paired with increased physical activity tend to be more viable for long-term weight management.
Do Doctors Recommend Optavia?
Most doctors and dietitians do not recommend Optavia, for several reasons:
- Safety concerns with very low calorie intake without medical supervision.
- Risk of nutritional deficiencies from restrictive, processed meal replacements.
- Lack of sustainability and lifestyle change to support long-term health.
- High cost of purchasing proprietary meal replacements.
- Limited evidence backing Optavia specifically versus other diets.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics states there is no definitive evidence meal replacements lead to long-term weight loss. They also note possible nutritional inadequacies.
Instead, major health and nutrition organizations recommend balanced, minimally processed diets paired with increased physical activity and behavioral counseling for long-term weight management.
Doctors Typically Recommend More Balanced, Evidence-Based Approaches
Instead of Optavia, doctors and health organizations generally recommend more balanced, sustainable dietary patterns for weight loss such as:
- Mediterranean diet: Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fish and healthy fats like olive oil. Shown to aid weight loss and reduce disease risk.
- DASH diet: Stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Focuses on fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, whole grains, lean protein and nuts. Proven to lower blood pressure.
- Volumetric diets: Focus on eating foods with high water and fiber content to promote fullness on fewer calories. Examples include fruits, vegetables, broth-based soups.
- Intermittent fasting:Cycles between periods of fasting and eating. Shown to aid short-term weight loss with less restriction than meal replacements.
- Plant-based diets: Emphasize minimally processed foods from plant sources. Can promote weight loss and reduce diabetes and heart disease risk.
Doctors also stress pairing dietary changes with regular physical activity, behavioral therapy, social support, and addressing barriers to sustain weight loss long-term.
Professional Statements on Optavia
Here are some key perspectives on Optavia from major health and nutrition organizations:
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: States evidence does not support meal replacements leading to significant long-term weight loss and they may pose safety concerns.
- US News and World Report: Ranked Optavia #29 out of 39 diets. Their experts scored it very low on sustainability, nutritional adequacy, and safety.
- Cleveland Clinic: Does not recommend Optavia, noting restrictive diets rarely lead to long-term weight loss success. Stresses lifestyle changes.
- Mayo Clinic: States very low calorie diets like Optavia require medical supervision. Recommends more holistic, gradual lifestyle changes for weight loss.
Overall, major health organizations do not recommend Optavia, instead advising more balanced, flexible, evidence-based dietary patterns for long-term weight management.
What Types of Doctors Recommend Optavia?
Some bariatricians and doctors with a focus on obesity medicine are more likely to recommend Optavia and very low-calorie diets. Reasons may include:
- Their patients often have higher weight loss goals like losing 50+ pounds.
- Rapid initial weight loss can improve obesity-related conditions.
- They closely monitor patients to ensure medical safety.
- Medifast conducted research on Optavia for doctors to review.
- Bariatrician groups like the Obesity Medicine Association maintain ties with Medifast.
However, even most bariatric doctors utilize Optavia and other very low-calorie diets only as short-term interventions under medical supervision. They also note these programs lack long-term data.
Primary care doctors, pediatricians, and registered dietitians more commonly recommend well-balanced diets focusing on whole, minimally processed foods as the cornerstone of sustainable weight management.
Should You Try Optavia?
If you are considering trying Optavia, discuss it with your doctor first, especially if you have any medical conditions or take medications.
Be mindful that Optavia and other very low-calorie diets:
- Require close medical monitoring to ensure safety given nutrient restrictions.
- Often produce rapid initial weight loss, but regain is common once stopping the diet.
- Lack long-term data showing sustainability and health benefits.
- Are expensive and restrict types of foods, which may impact adherence and satisfaction.
For sustained weight loss, your doctor can help determine dietary changes tailored to your individual needs while optimizing nutrition and avoiding safety risks. Gradual, moderate calorie reduction paired with increased physical activity tends to be the healthiest approach.
The Bottom Line
In summary, Optavia is not typically recommended by doctors due to concerns including:
- Safety risks from inadequate calories and nutrients.
- High cost and highly processed meal replacements.
- Lack of sustainability data and lifestyle change support.
- Insufficient evidence proving superiority to more balanced diets.
Instead of Optavia, most doctors advise pairing minimally processed whole foods with increased activity, behavioral support, and addressing obstacles to facilitate steady, lasting weight loss over time. Consulting a healthcare provider to develop an individualized plan is the best way to lose weight safely and sustainably.