Hilton Head Health is an hour's drive from the Hilton Head/Savannah airport in a gated community about a mile from the beach. Accommodations are in rented condos and townhouses, some adjacent to the facility, some as far as a mile away. Guests can choose private rooms or share a unit with another guest (with private bedroom and bath). Guests either walk or bike to the facility each morning for meals and classes. For a peek, check out A&E's "Heavy"; the current show is set at the resort and runs through March 28.

Prices range from a $295 day pass to $12,000 for an intensive month. A seven-day healthy lifestyle program costs $3,050. Prices include an entrance blood test and weigh-in, as well as a meeting with a trainer to plan the week, and all classes and meals, about 1,200 calories a day.

Those staying at least two weeks also see a psychologist/lifestyle coach. More intensive "beach boot camp," personal training sessions, kayak and bike excursions, and massage and spa services cost extra. An extended, intensive stay could run you up to $40,000, but as one long-term guest said, "What is your life worth?"

JON TEVLIN