TRAFFIC TO ONLINE HEALTH SITES SHOW HEALTHY GROWTH...

As Web surfers endeavor to grow thin, the hit counters of health, fitness and nutrition sites get fat, with over 11 million home surfer visits during the week ending Jan. 4, 2004, according to online audience measurement firm Nielsen//Net Ratings.

"Traditionally, this is a busy month for health clubs, and we're seeing this online as well," said Abha Bhagat, senior analyst at Nielsen//Net Ratings.

The top sites in the category enjoyed double and triple-digit growth. eDiets.com's weekly traffic increased 119 percent to over one million unique visitors, compared to 472,000 visitors during the week ending Dec. 28. Competitor Weight Watchers' traffic went up 97 percent, to 876,000 visitors that week, compared to 445,000 visitors the previous week.

These high-traffic sites may be a place you will want to investigate ad placement for wellness products or business opportunities.