For anyone looking to make some extra money, selling health and wellness products seems like a good choice. It may even fit your lifestyle if you are already interested in health and fitness. You may have heard of Optavia products before. In this Optavia/Medifast MLM review, we’ll take a look at the products to see if you can actually make money with them. It’s important that you read the fine print.

Optavia/Medifast Mlm Review - Featured

What is Optavia/Medifast?

Medifast is a multi-level marketing company specializing in weight loss products through its Optavia brand. The company was founded in 1980 by William Vitale, a medical doctor. Initially, weight loss products were sold to other doctors who in turn prescribed them to their patients. 

The company is headquartered in Baltimore, MD, and currently has over 52,500 coaches. Reported revenue for the first quarter of 2021 was $340.7 million. This is a 90% increase over the first quarter of 2020.

Are Optavia Products Worth Their Price?

The Optavia diet plans are designed as high protein, low carbohydrate diets to help you lose weight. We all know that there are a lot of weight loss products on the market. So what’s so special about this offer? Let’s take a look at the plans:

5&1 Plan: this plan provides 80-100 grams of carbohydrates and 800-1,000 calories per day. Clients typically participate in this diet for about 12 weeks and lose about 12 pounds. That’s one pound per week. There are two kits to choose from: the Essential Optimal Kit and the Essential On-The-Go Kit. Both kits cost $428.20.

4&2&1 Plan: this plan is a little more flexible. Four of your meals are individually purchased meals called Optavia Fuelings. You can choose from a total of 60 meals. These meals are interchangeable.

3&3 Plan: This plan is designed to help you maintain a healthy weight once you reach your weight goal. This plan consists of three balanced meals and three Optimal Fuelings per day.

Optavia/Medifast Mlm Review - Products

The plans are easy to follow because all the foods are pre-made. You can also buy individual products. However, the problem with these diet plans is that you have to buy pre-made meals. And this is not necessarily a good thing. Without knowing the composition of the meals, these meals can have a negative impact on your health. 

According to the BBB (Better Business Bureau), customers have complained that the products have side effects that are sometimes severe. Bloating, constipation and abdominal pain are some of the most common complaints.

These products are very expensive and there are certainly similar plans that are just as effective and cost less, like Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig.

The Optavia/Medifast Opportunity

When you join Optavia/Medifast, you become a coach. Most coaches start by using the products and losing excess weight. To get started, you need a sponsor and must purchase a starter kit. When you sign up, you become part of your sponsor’s downline. You will need to purchase the Optavia Business Kit.

Once you have your kit, you can start selling diet plans. As a coach, you will provide 1:1 support to all customers to answer questions about the products and encourage them to follow healthy diet and exercise plans.

How Much Does It Cost To Join Optavia/Medifast?

To get started as an Optavia Coach, you’ll need to purchase the Optavia Business Kit for $199.

Optavia/Medifast Mlm Review - Starter Kit

The business kit includes business plan information, business tools and supplies, and 12 months of free access to your personal Optavia website space. There is no information about how much the personal website space costs after 12 months.

Can You Make Money WithOptavia/Medifast?

As an Optavia Coach, you earn commissions based on the PCV (Personal Compensation Volume) of all products ordered by clients. See the image below:  

Optavia/Medifast Mlm Review - Client Compensation

If you become a Certified Coach, you can earn bonuses based on the FQV (Frontline Qualifying Volume). The bonuses are listed below:

2,000 FQV = $250 bonus

4,000 FQV = $500 bonus

6,000 FQV = $1,000 bonus

The bonuses above are based on sales within a consecutive 3-month period.

As is typical for MLMs, you have to work very hard to sell products and make money. After all, it’s all about commissions. And if you read the fine print, you will find that Optavia does not give any guarantee of financial success. 

Another way to increase your income is to recruit members. Every time you recruit a new member, you will receive commissions from their sales.

Pros of Optavia/Medifast

Decent Bonuses: If you manage to become a certified coach, you can earn bonuses when you make qualified sales.

Certified Training Programs: If you want to reach the next level, you need to get certified by attending the advanced training courses. 

3-6 Months Customer Income: Customers who purchase these plans will continue to buy 3-6 months of monthly supplies, which will help you earn consistent commissions.

Cons of Optavia/Medifast

Product Side Effects: Some customers have complained that they have experienced a number of adverse reactions to the products. (See product information above.)

No Discounts: customers and coaches pay the same price for the products. 

No FDA Approval: the FDA does not have approval for dietary supplements or weight loss products.

Very Expensive Products: The starter kits and products are very expensive.

False Advertising: in 2012, Medifast was fined $3.7 million for false advertising. The fine centered on the advertisement that customers could lose 2-5 pounds per week with the Medifast 5&1 Plan. Unfortunately, this claim had no scientific basis.

Is Optavia/Medifast A Scam?

Optavia/Medifast is another MLM company that relies solely on its coaches to make money. But in this case, someone involved in health and fitness would not normally use or sell products that are highly processed and contain sugar and other additives.

Final Thoughts

When you sell such products that can make people sick, you get queasy. Not to mention that it will affect your commissions. To be an effective coach, you will probably need to speak from experience, which means going through the plans yourself. This will cost you another $428.20.
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