Weight Watchers Vs. Medifast

Obesity is one of the most worrisome issues today, and is, in a way, a side effect of the fast-paced competitive life that we live. Losing weight and maintaining the correct Body Mass Index (BMI) is extremely important to stay away from various life-threatening diseases. A good height-weight ratio also boosts the moral and social image of that individual. All in all, weight loss is the need of the day, which is also the reason why many fad diets and quick weight loss diets have become a rage. Weight Watchers and Medifast are two of the top companies that are popular for offering successful weight loss programs. Due to the immense competition amongst the two, the debate about the best one is always an outrageously discussed topic.

Overview

Before learning more about how to compare these two, let's get to know more about them.

Weight Watchers

Disclaimer: The team of Weight Watchers keeps updating their program according to the requirements/feedback of their members. The program has been updated many times, the latest one being the Weight Watchers 360° Program, which was unveiled on the 3rd of December, 2012. The program teaches members how to manage their food environment, claiming that we tend to eat what we see. It also guides people on ways to control their temptation, and to avoid pleasure eating. Weight Watchers has not increased their rates for this new approach, and all the meetings, eTools, and apps are included in the total fee.

The content in this paragraph explains the Weight Watchers program in detail. The details of the current program are exclusively available to the only paid members of Weight Watchers.

Weight Watchers is the older of the two, and specializes in providing various lifestyle management products that revolve around weight loss. Considering various causes, like lack of time and effort for healthy weight loss, Weight Watchers has come up with a unique point system. In this system, each food item is rated with a certain number, which is based on the nutritional facts of that item. A restricted point diet is what you need to follow in order to lose weight. Along with a special weight loss diet plan, the dieter is also provided with a free counseling session, and online forums of his fellow dieters that not only boost his morale but sort out all relevant queries as well. Foods included in the Weight Watchers points list are the same foods that we consume on a regular basis, which means that this program monitors the amount of consumption. This is one of the biggest difference between Weight Watchers and Medifast.

Medifast
Medifast Inc. is also a diet food company, which is popular for weight management and disease management products. The Medifast diet is one of their most well-known and followed weight loss programs, which was initially provided to the patients of Johns Hopkins University. Medifast provides well-planned and pre-packaged meals to dieters. There are various popular weight loss diets by Medifast, from which you can select one that suits you. You can also get coupons to avail special discounts from Medifast. Similar to Weight Watchers, the company also offers an online helpline and support forum to its dieters through a special 'Take Shape for Life Program'.

As you can see, both weight loss programs are great in themselves, which is the reason why one cannot easily select a winner between the two.

The Differences
There are a few basic points to consider when learning more about the difference between Weight Watchers and Medifast. These points include product description, type of weight loss diets that both these companies offer, prices, and reviews. The first point to consider is the type and nature of both the diets. Weight Watchers is basically a low-calorie diet with an average calorie intake of 1250 a day for women, and 1600 a day for men. Medifast is a well-supervised and very low calorie diet plan, with only about 800 to 1000 calories being consumed each day, depending on the type of diet that you choose. The next point to consider is the price. As far as Medifast is concerned, you don't need any type of membership, and depending on the diet program that you choose, it can cost as much as USD 300 per month. Weight Watchers, on the other hand, charges for several activities, like registration, weekly meetings, and counseling sessions. So, as you can see, there are plus and minus points of both these weight loss diet plans.

According to reviews, both plans work well in helping you lose weight, provided you are determined to do so. Weight Watchers lets you eat anything, but needs you to keep an account of the amount you eat, and that can get annoying quite fast. On the other hand, Medifast provides a pre-planned diet, but that can get boring quite fast. Choose a plan that suits your needs; more importantly, a plan that you will stick to, and the result will come sooner than you think.

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