Medifast-Sponsored Survey Reveals U.S. Adults' Healthy Eating Priorities for 2021

BALTIMORE, March 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Medifast, Inc. (NYSE: MED), the global company behind one of the fastest-growing health and wellness communities, OPTAVIA^®, today released survey findings from a consumer study designed to further understand trends around nutritional priorities and challenges. As we mark the one-year anniversary of the pandemic in the U.S., many Americans are putting increased emphasis on the importance of working toward optimal health and wellness with healthy eating being a major component of success.

The study surveyed 1,426 U.S. adults* and found that although the majority of people (84%) are prioritizing healthy eating as much or more than they did last year, many are facing challenges in doing so despite recognizing its importance.

Nearly nine out of ten survey respondents (89%) report that nutrition is important to them; however, 56% say it's difficult to eat healthy, especially at home. In fact, over half (53%) of all respondents agree that being home more often during the pandemic has enabled them to snack more and/or eat less healthy and report that the top factor preventing them from eating healthy more often is their inability to resist cravings.

Other notable findings include:

• 72% of those prioritizing their nutrition just as much as or more than last year say they're doing so to improve their long-term health.
• Over one-third of respondents (35%) are overwhelmed by all the information available on the topic of nutrition.
• The top factors that would allow U.S. adults to make healthier food choices are setting small, realistic goals (47%), experimenting with new, simple recipes (39%) and meal-prepping (38%).
• Education also plays a vital role in overcoming difficulty around eating healthy, with nearly half (47%) of all U.S. adults saying that learning how to establish healthy habits and/or learning more about healthy nutrition would allow them to make healthier food choices.

Supporting Quote 
Dan Chard, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Medifast 
"Over the past year, the majority of Americans have come to recognize the importance of proper nutrition to their overall health, though many still struggle with where to start or how to stay consistent. Oftentimes, support is the missing link – it's why our model puts independent OPTAVIA Coaches at the center of everything we do. We believe the recent momentum behind our Coach growth can be attributed to people seeking support to help them not only eat healthier but create healthy habits in all areas of their lives."

To address the barriers many face in eating healthy, OPTAVIA offers a proprietary system built around healthy habit creation, clinically proven plans and scientifically developed products – all reinforced through Coach and Community support. 

About Medifast^®: 
Medifast (NYSE: MED) is the global company behind one of the fastest growing health and wellness communities, OPTAVIA^®, which offers scientifically developed products, clinically proven plans and the support of Coaches and a Community to help Clients achieve Lifelong Transformation, One Healthy Habit at a Time^®. Based on nearly 40 years of experience, Medifast has redefined direct selling by combining the best aspects of the model. Its community of thousands of independent OPTAVIA Coaches teach Clients how to develop holistic healthy habits through the proprietary Habits of Health^® Transformational System. Medifast is traded on the New York Stock Exchange and ranked second on FORTUNE's 100 Fastest-Growing Companies list in 2020. The company was also named to Forbes' 100 Most Trustworthy Companies in America list in 2017. For more information, visit MedifastInc.com or OPTAVIA.com.

*Methodology:  
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1,426 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 22^nd-23^rd February 2021.  The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all US adults (aged 18+). The margin of error for this survey is +/- 3% at 95% confidence.

SOURCE Medifast

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