Abstract
BackgroundWeight loss diets continue to rise in popularity; however, the associated costs are seldom reported. Certain weight loss diets may be unaffordable and differ from their traditional nutrition composition to include non-conventional premium products. In contrast, healthy eating principles such as the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) and the Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) place an emphasis on fresh produce and staple foods but are sometimes thought to be unaffordable. A new methodology was piloted to assess the cost of weight loss diets using seven meal plans.MethodsSeven meal plans were analysed to quantify the absolute grams required of all ingredients across seven days and multiplied by the cost of the ingredient per gram to determine the total cost of each ingredient based on unit size and price. The weekly grocery shopping cost was determined through summation of all ingredients and their entire unit size to compare weekly costs.ResultsWeekly meal plans (absolute grams) cost between $93-193AUD. The AGHE meal plan was the least expensive and 8 Weeks to Wow was the most expensive. Weekly grocery shopping of entire units cost between $345-$625AUD, over $100AUD greater than the spending of an average Australian ($237AUD/week).ConclusionsThe financial feasibility for long-term sustainment of weight loss diets may be questionable for groups including low-income earners and low socioeconomic status. Further, when dietary patterns are adapted for weight loss, or followed by consumers, deviations from foundational principles tend to occur which may influence overall cost.
Highlights
Weight loss diets continue to rise in popularity; the associated costs are seldom reported
The present study aims to provide a standardised approach of costing seven popular weight loss diets based on meal plans for one adult
Grocery shop and proportion of income The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) Weight Loss (WL) was the cheapest meal plan at $93 per week followed by ketogenic and the Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) WL at $112 per week. (Table 1) 8 Weeks to Wow (8WW) had the highest cost per week at $192, $100 more than the cheapest meal plan
Summary
Weight loss diets continue to rise in popularity; the associated costs are seldom reported. In 2011– 2012, almost 2.5 million Australians reported having been on a weight loss diet, a higher proportion of which were females [3]. Nutrition and diet related advice has deviated from traditional and qualified health. Bracci et al BMC Public Health (2022) 22:23 professionals such as nutritionists and dietitians towards social media and unqualified sources [4, 5]. It is relatively unsurprising and concerning that the popular dietary advice from unqualified and underqualified individuals contradicts or deviates from the Australian government guidelines, the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) and the Australian Dietary Guidelines (ADG) [6,7,8]. It is important to acknowledge that qualified Australian health professionals may provide dietary advice that differs from the national guidelines depending upon an individual’s medical history, food preferences, allergies and pre-existing intolerances
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