please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . unsourced material may be challenged and removed . february 2016 learn how and when to remove this template message nutrisystem inc. type public traded as nasdaq ntri founded 1972 headquarters fort washington pennsylvania 19034 usa area served usa and canada key people dawn zier president and ceo products weight loss weight management nutrition services telephone internet and mobile counseling for weight control website http nutrisystem.com nutrisystem headquartered in fort washington pennsylvania is a commercial provider of weight loss products and services . initially the company offered weight loss counseling and products in brick and mortar centers . in 1999 the company moved to a direct to consumer business model selling its products and programs on the internet and through a call center via 1 800 numbers . nutrisystem s programs have been sold on the qvc television home shopping network since 2001 1 and in costco stores since 2009 . 2 the company entered the retail arena in 2012 with the launch of its everyday line of breakfast and snack items in kroger grocery stores . 3 in 2013 nutrisystem began selling its five day jumpstart line in walmart stores . 4 in 2010 the company s mobile platform was launched amidst allegations that nutrisystem had stolen the technology from webdiet inc. a silicon valley startup . 5 6 contents 1 effectiveness 1.1 research on program components 1.2 maintenance of weight loss 2 products 2.1 meal plans 2.1.1 food 2.2 physical activity 2.3 behavioral support and additional resources 2.3.1 counseling 2.3.2 self monitoring tools 2.3.3 behavior modification guide 2.3.4 additional resources 3 cost 4 references effectiveness edit nutrisystem as of 2014 is lacking long term evidence . 7 there is tentative evidence that at three months it resulted in 3.8 % more weight loss than a control group . 7 research on program components edit increasing the structure of a low calorie diet has been found to improve weight loss when compared to a low calorie diet of self selected foods . 8 use of portion controlled foods and structured meal plans are two means to that end 9 both of which are incorporated into nutrisystem s weight control programs . the primary concern related to this approach is long term sustainability . no studies have compared long term adherence to structured versus unstructured low calorie diet plans . nutrisystem s low calorie diet is also low in glycemic index . whether reducing the glycemic index of a low calorie diet improves weight loss has been the subject of considerable debate . the empirical evidence is mixed . whereas a meta analysis showed a small but significant weight loss advantage of approximately 2 lb 10 several larger studies that were subsequently published found no additional weight loss benefit . 11 12 for persons with diabetes however the evidence suggests a greater reduction in hba1c with a low glycemic index diet compared with a higher glycemic index diet that produces the same weight loss . 13 14 maintenance of weight loss edit reviews of the nutrisystem program criticize the company s approach as not conducive to long term weight control . for example the review on webmd.com states dieters may only experience success while they are ordering the prepackaged foods because once they are on their own they are faced with the real world of cooking meal preparation and issues they are not prepared to handle because they were not addressed on the plan . 15 in response to concerns such as these nutrisystem began offering transition plans in 2011 . the idea behind these plans is to help customers continue following the principles of the nutrisystem program portion controlled low gi eating after they no longer purchase pre packaged foods from the company . this is achieved by allowing customers to select partial programs e.g. exclude pre packaged dinners from their orders and offering portion control tools and recipes that are consistent with the nutrition profile of the main weight loss program . weight loss maintenance results from customers who use these programs have not yet been published . products edit the company states that its mission is to provide a weight loss program based on quality foods and a nutritionally balanced meal plan . the foundation of all nutrisystem programs is the home delivery of portion controlled entrees and snacks . customers supplement these packaged foods with grocery foods including vegetables fruits and dairy items . when followed the diet is low in glycemic index and provides nutrition consistent with the dietary guidelines for americans 2010 . 16 resources are also available for increasing physical activity and obtaining behavioral support . meal plans edit separate plans are offered for women and men at calorie levels that support a weight loss of 1 2 lb week approximately 1200 calories per day for women and 1500 per day for men . approximately 52 % 26 % and 22 % of calories come from carbohydrate protein and fat respectively . 17 all plans contain at least 28 g of fiber per day and have no more than 85 g of sugar 170 mg of cholesterol and 2300 mg of sodium per day . under its current program nutrisystem success the company offers four categories of weight loss plans standard plans for women and men nutrisystem d a plan designed for people with diabetes or prediabetes that meets the nutrition guidelines of the american diabetes association 18 ; nutrisystem silver a plan targeting heart health ; and nutrisystem for teens a plan for adolescents age 14 17 years old who are above the 85th percentile for body mass index . many special dietary needs can be accommodated e.g. low sodium vegetarian whereas others can not e.g. allergies to peanuts or soy celiac disease . food edit the nutrisystem program provides over 150 menu choices in four categories breakfast lunch dinner and snacks desserts . most options are shelf stable products which include bars muffins pretzel snacks and pancake mix as well as microwavable soups and dinner entrees . all shelf stable microwaveable entrees are developed through retort preparation which uses heat and pressure to cook food in a strong sealed package like a can or pouch . this preparation method allows for safe holding at room temperature and minimizes the need for added preservatives or sodium . nutrisystem also has a line of frozen food choices available called nutrisystem select . the nutrisystem products provide approximately 60 % of daily calorie needs . the remaining 40 % of daily calorie intake comes from grocery foods which the customer purchases separately . these grocery food additions include fresh fruits and vegetables and low fat dairy and protein sources . the program provides specific guidance on how to choose and when to use these grocery additions . physical activity edit although dietary intervention is the primary focus of the program nutrisystem encourages customers to increase their physical activity . my daily 3 nutrisystem s exercise guidelines encourages customers to complete at least the equivalent of three 10 minute bouts of moderate intensity activity per day . customers who choose to set exercise goals are given targets for aerobic and strength training activities at the beginner intermediate and advanced levels . online resources in support of customers activity goals include sample workouts articles discussion boards tips and exercise trackers . behavioral support and additional resources edit because nutrisystem is not offered in brick and mortar centers or clinics behavioral support is not available in face to face interactions . the program however includes several resources intended to promote motivation and behavior change . counseling edit customers have free access to trained counselors via telephone online chat and email . nutrisystem d customers additionally are given access to certified diabetes educators who are registered nurses or registered dietitians . contact with counselors is initiated by the customer and is not regularly scheduled as a required part of the program . self monitoring tools edit research on weight loss programs has consistently found that self monitoring i.e. keeping track of weight related behaviors is related to losing more weight . 19 nutrisystem provides paper online and mobile device applications to encourage customers to record their food intake and physical activity . customers can also keep track of their progress weight loss and changes in measurements on the company s website . in 2014 nutrisystem was accused of stealing mobile application and online technology from webdiet a silicon valley startup . 20 behavior modification guide edit mindset makeover nutrisystem s behavior modification guide is used in all programs except nutrisystem for teens . this guide covers 13 topics related to making mental and behavioral changes in support of weight control that are intended to be completed over 13 weeks . customers can access the guide in its interactive form online or download a copy of the guide in . pdf format . alternative behavioral materials were developed for the nutrisystem for teens program . separate guides are available for the teen participant and the responsible parent or guardian . additional resources edit other resources available on the member website are largely educational or intended to help customers adhere to program recommendations . they include nutrition health and wellness articles ; daily tips ; online recipe center ; printable list of recommended grocery foods ; comprehensive dining out guides cost edit the company s weight loss plans include 28 days worth of breakfast lunch dinner and snack entrees and are sold on three tiers which nutrisystem calls basic core and select . the basic level plans include a pre configured menu of shelf stable nutrisystem foods which is not customizable . the core level plans allow customization of shelf stable foods and include free access to counselors . the select level plans additionally include frozen foods . at the time of writing january 11 2013 28 day packages ranged in price from 230 for the basic version of the nutrisystem success plan for women to 290 for the select version of the nutrisystem d plan for men . note that nutrisystem customers must purchase additional grocery foods e.g. fruit vegetables dairy to complete the meal plans . discounts and promotions are frequently offered as an incentive to join the program . a common promotion is the inclusion of multiple weeks of free food typically divided among a corresponding number of months . customers who enroll in the auto delivery option i.e. subsequent shipments of food are delivered without further action by the customer receive free shipping and a discount of approximately 10 % off the month to month price . a long term contract is not required but purchasing fewer than two orders on auto delivery will result in a retroactive charge for any auto delivery discount plus the cost of shipping on the first order . references edit http www.qvc.com cgen render.aspx qp class % 7c4813 http www.marketwire.com press release nutrisystem inc affiliates with costco wholesale corporation 934488.htm http drugstorenews.com article nutrisystem launches line kroger nutrisystem expands to select walmart stores . nutrisystem . 2013 04 22 . brandy shaul 24 april 2015 . nutrisystem launches weight loss platform on ios . adweek socialtimes . retrieved 18 may 2015 . fair matt 1 july 2014 . nutrisystem accused of stealing rival s diet mobile app technology . law360 . retrieved 18 may 2015 . a b gudzune ka ; doshi rs ; mehta ak ; chaudhry zw ; jacobs dk ; vakil rm ; lee cj ; bleich sn ; clark jm 7 april 2015 . efficacy of commercial weight loss programs an updated systematic review . . annals of internal medicine . 162 7 501 12 . doi 10.7326 m14 2238 . pmid 25844997 . sarwer db ; von sydow green a ; vetter ml ; wadden ta oct 2009 . behavior therapy for obesity where are we now . curr opin endocrinol diabetes obes .