OPTIFAST: Frequently Asked Questions

OPTIFAST is a comprehensive weight management program that combines lifestyle education and medical monitoring with a great-tasting meal replacement. To get detailed information on the OPTIFAST program, patients attend a free, no-obligation consultation that takes about one hour.

BMI or Body Mass Index uses your height and weight values to determine whether you are at risk for weight-related health problems. The lower your BMI, the lower your risk for health problems.

The cost of the OPTIFAST program varies by city and by the clinic and on the specific program that is right for your weight loss goals and individual medical situation. To get detailed information on the OPTIFAST program, patients attend a free, no-obligation consultation that takes about one hour. 

Insurance carriers are inconsistent in what they cover when it comes to weight loss and vary greatly by state. It's important to contact insurance providers, prior to enrolling in the OPTIFAST program, to see if they cover all or a portion of it. Employee benefits and health care spending accounts may also be options for reimbursements with some employers.

Although individual results vary, a 52-pound average weight loss has been documented in over 20,000 patients who completed 22 weeks of the program.

Unlike fad diets, the OPTIFAST program has been cited in more than 80 clinical studies and has a long history of successful weight management with more than 1 million people who have participated in the program since 1974. OPTIFAST succeeds because it treats the whole you - not just your weight. It combines support and counseling, comprehensive lifestyle education, and medical monitoring with a meal replacement to help people lose weight, which can lead to a significant reduction in weight-related health risks.

The nutritional profiles of the OPTIFAST 800 Products and Slim-Fast shakes are significantly different. The OPTIFAST 800 Products and intended for the use in a full meal replacement diet whereas the Slim-Fast 3-2-1* Diet Plan combines calorie-controlled meal and shake replacements with other foods. Thus, the Slim-Fast shakes are not positioned by their manufacturer for use in a full meal replacement diet. For more additional information please contact our customer service hotline at 800-662-2540 Monday through Friday 8am to 8pm EST and Sat from 9am to 5pm EST.

All OPTIFAST formulas are nutritionally complete, containing high-quality protein and meeting 100 percent of recommended daily nutritional needs. Individuals are medically monitored to reduce the potential for side effects and to maximize improvements in weight-related health risks.

OPTIFAST, a division of Nestle HealthCare Nutrition, Inc (formally Novartis Medical Nutrition), has been an innovator and leader in clinically validated weight management for over three decades. This division specializes in providing nutritional products, including OPTIFAST, and treatment protocols to aid overweight and obese individuals with their weight management goals. Over one million patients have used OPTIFAST nationwide since 1974.

While each clinic is a little different, typically a weight management team will include a physician who provides regular monitoring of health status, a dietitian who provides nutritional support and a behaviorist who leads weekly sessions on various lifestyle topics.

The length of the OPTIFAST program varies by individual, depending on their weight loss goals. Generally speaking, the program has three phases: active, weight loss, transition, and ongoing maintenance.