• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer, January 19, 2006

According to their recent report, visits to the Hitwise Health and Medical - Wellbeing category, which contains diet, health and fitness sites, increased by 8 percent in the final week of 2005 compared to the final week of 2004.

Losing weight and getting in shape are among the most popular New Year's resolutions, and as seen in previous years, the Internet continues to play a pivotal role in providing guidance for slimming down and shaping up.

The report notes that "what is intriguing is the shift in interest from low-carb and fad diets to more scientific and balanced approaches, as indicated by the top search terms for the Health & Medical - Wellbeing Category."

Sites showing the biggest increases in market share during that period were:

• Spark People, up 148 percent
• Nutrisystem, up 130 percent
• Jenny Craig, up 40 percent

Visits to The Biggest Loser Club increased by 69 percent for the week ending Dec. 31, 2005 versus the previous week.

Hitwise Search Intelligence data suggest that this year's dieters are less focused on fad diets and are interested in a more scientific, balanced approach to dieting and fitness. The share of Internet searches for "glycemic index," "body mass index" and "weight training" were up 161%, 67%, and 61% respectively, for the week ending Dec. 31, 2005 versus the week ending Jan. 1, 2005. In the same time period, searches for "atkins diet" and "south beach diet" were down by 12% and 36% respectively.

Bill Tancer, General Manager of Research at Hitwise, said "Internet visit and search data appear to show a shift in dieting philosophy. Our data is indicating that low-carb/no-carb diets are falling out of favor, as Internet users appear to be researching exercise and common sense nutrition."

"Online dieting sites shed light on the staying power of our New Year's resolutions" said Tancer.

For more analysis on online trends, please visit Hitwise USA