Research and general acceptanceNutriSystem does not appear to have been used in
any clinical trials reported in the medical literature,
most likely because of its heavily commercial emphasis
as well as the number of different subprograms it
markets. Its chief dietitian, Jay Satz, has apparently
never published a research article in a professional
medical or nutritional journal. NutriSystem has not
yet been rated or evaluated by the American Dietetic
Association. Existing feedback about this diet pro-
gram is informal as of early 2007, consisting solely of
testimonials in television commercials and the website
itself, and comments or reviews on various Internet
diet websites and online chat groups.
The only nutritional information that NutriSys-
tem supplies is that its meal plan ‘‘meets, and in many
cases, exceeds the government standards for healthy
eating,’’ the government standards in question being
the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005. There are no
endorsements by physicians, dietitians, or other health
care professionals on the website, although a physician
is listed as the second author of the 2004 book on the
NutriSystem program.
General acceptance of the NutriSystem program
is mixed. Some people who have tried the system
report that the meals vary considerably in tastiness
and overall quality. A 2005 article inBusiness Week
reported that the company’s own chief dietitian
acknowledges that some of the items are less than
delectable. The reporter continued, ‘‘The meals and
snacks, all packaged to keep without refrigeration, are
not unlike offerings from competitors and have a
mushy nursing-home quality when heated.... [No
visiting] Frenchman would stomach the beef Bur-
gundy with rice. And the Thai noodles with peanut
sauce and tofu, left on my desk for two days, sent a
vegetarian colleague fleeing.’’ One unhappy customer
said, ‘‘I couldn’t stand NutriSystem but was able to get
a partial refund.... They were really quite nice about
everything, considering I told them I didn’t like their
food’s taste and consistency.’’
The company maintains a blog calledNutriSystem
Food Reviews and Recipes Blogat http://www.nsfood
reviews.com, where people can leave reviews of the
various food choices available. Dieters who are
unhappy with their selections may return unused food
items within 30 days of receipt for refunds with no
questions asked. In addition to the poor quality of
some of the foods, another customer complaint is the
occasional unavailability of popular items around hol-
iday seasons. The average customer stays on the plan
for about 9 weeks and loses an average of 20 pounds;
about a third will return to the plan within a year. Most,
however, regain the lost weight; in fact, the company’s
business strategy is based on this fact. The president has
been quoted in print as saying, ‘‘It’s a sad thing from the
consumer’s standpoint; but it makes a very attractive
business model.’’Resources
BOOKS
NutriSystem and Dr. James RouseNutriSystem Nourish:
The Revolutionary New Weight-Loss Program. Hobo-
ken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, 2004.
Scales, Mary Josephine.Diets in a Nutshell: A Definitive
Guide on Diets from A to Z. Clifton, VA: Apex Pub-
lishers, 2005.
PERIODICALS
‘‘The 200 Best Small Companies: –1 NutriSystem.’’Forbes,
October 12, 2006.
Kiley, David. ‘‘My Dinner with NutriSystem.’’Business
Week, September 19, 2005, 84. Available online at
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/
05_38/b3951108.htm (accessed March 31, 2007).
‘‘NutriSystem Lures Men with Pizza, Sex.’’CNN.com, Jan-
uary 30, 2006. Available online at http://www.cnn.com/
2006/HEALTH/diet.fitness/01/30/diet.nutrisystem.ap/
index.html (accessed March 30, 2007).
Palmeri, Christopher. ‘‘How NutriSystem Got Fat and
Happy.’’Business Week, September 19, 2005, 82.
Available online at http://www.businessweek.com/
magazine/content/05_38/b3951105.htm (accessed
March 31, 2007).
OTHER
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).Dietary Standards
for Americans 2005. Available online in PDF format at
http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/
document/.QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR
DOCTOR What is your professional opinion of
NutriSystem?
Do you know of any published clinical studies of
this program?
Have any of your other patients tried it?
Which of the six subprograms did they use?
Did they like the foods available?
Were they able to lose weight and keep it off?NutriSystem