There are many diets out there. But not all of them are successful. Some promise results they can’t follow through on. Others just don’t work for everyone.
Now there’s a new diet called Relish. It stands out from the others because it takes a mental health approach. But does it work? Read on to find out.
What is Relish?
Relish combines aspects of standard diet plans with a mental health approach. Treatment includes:
- Virtual doctor’s visits
- Video calls with a personal health coach
- Registered dietician feedback on food and mood journals
- Weekly online support groups
- Integrating with your primary and mental health providers
- Access to a library of mind-body health programs, meal plans, and coaching tools
Providers may also prescribe popular diet drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy.
How it Works
Relish starts with an initial assessment. You fill out a questionnaire and enter a credit card number. The first 30 days are free.
After the first month, you will need to sign up for a $199/month basic membership or a $399/month premium membership. Relish is also covered by some insurance providers.
Once membership begins, you will get an email to schedule a 30–45-minute virtual appointment with a nurse practitioner or physician. The provider will assess your medical and health history, your current conditions, and your relationship with food.
The Mental Health Angle
Relish considers the fact that most weight management issues stem from mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. Things get worse when people berate themselves for not being able to reach their weight loss goals. The diet plan aims to address underlying issues to stop unhealthy patterns at their root.
“Yes! Weight is the symptom, it’s not the (main) issue,” explains Shannon Shearn, co-founder of Relish. She explained how she found herself in a “really scary place” when she was unable to shed the pounds she gained after giving birth to her second child.
“What was going to kill me was not the calories in and out; it was my mental health and the way I spoke to myself, just constantly berating myself. I felt so lost and had intense depression and thought it was because I couldn’t lose weight,” she went on to say.
She claimed that once she got treatment for her mental health issues, the weight “just melted off”.
Does Relish Work?
If you look at the Relish website, you will see results of a 400-person study claiming most participants saw an 11.1% weight loss within 6 months. 50% of people who completed the program kept off 2/3 of their weight after 18 months. There was a 71% decrease in type 2 diabetes and a 62% decrease in hypertension.
People that have used the diet have seen some weight loss. They also claim to have better mental health. They ask themselves, why, before diving into a vat of ice cream.
Will you be trying Relish to reach your weight loss goals?
