-- Medifast Launches MyMedifast, an Online Community Providing Customized Weight Loss Tools to Meet Individual Needs --
BALTIMORE, July 12 /PRNewswire/ -- More and more Americans are using the Internet for everything from buying a new car to paying bills and booking vacations. Approximately 77% of Americans are now online, up from 74% in 2005, and compared with 57% back in 2000.(1) Now, Americans are even dieting online -- seeking the tools, support and motivation of online communities to achieve weight loss goals.
A study by Brown University found that people who enrolled in a structured online dieting program lost three times more weight in six months than those who casually surfed the Internet for diet information.(2) To help people successfully lose weight and lead healthier lives, Medifast (AMEX:MED), a leading clinically proven portion-controlled weight loss program, today announced the launch of MyMedifast (http://www.mymedifast.com/), creating one of the most comprehensive online customized weight loss communities in the industry to meet people's individual needs.
After conducting targeted market research among its customer base, the company identified a strong need for an online community where people could receive customized support and be part of an exclusive group, interacting with other people who are facing similar weight loss challenges.
MyMedifast offers users an interactive community where dieters can seek support by participating in a wide variety of interfaces including joining regularly scheduled chats about nutrition, dieting and exercising, or posting motivational messages on message boards. There are customized communities to meet the needs of individuals such as the "100+ pounds" and "Age 50+" categories where people who fit into these groups can connect and discuss their successes and challenges -- supporting each other and keeping one another motivated.
"The friendships I've formed on this board are wonderful. We all have something in common. We are trying, and committed to each other and ourselves in this journey. We encourage each other and no one gets that 'feeling' of being judged like in the real world," commented a MyMedifast user.
One of the most significant features on the MyMedifast website is the customized Meal Planner. This feature provides a database with thousands of food items and their nutritional profiles to give users all of the necessary information to make healthy food choices. This section of the site also allows the user to log their weight, measurements and exercise on a daily basis. The website calculates this information and delivers a report to the user, showing if they are meeting their goals.
Users can run reports and see snapshots such as a daily nutrition score that highlights totals for calories, fat, sugar, proteins, carbohydrates etc. The website also offers users the option of receiving daily and weekly tips and articles.
"We understand that it is often difficult for people to stick to a weight loss plan, find the time to attend support meetings and prepare healthy meals. With the launch of MyMedifast, we are one of the only weight loss programs to offer all of the online tools people need to successfully lose weight and lead a healthy life -- providing the meal planner, nutrition and fitness information, scheduled chats with a nutritionist and an active community of Medifast users to seek support from," said Jaime Elwood, vice president of corporate communications for Medifast.
The MyMedifast website features healthy recipes, tips for dining out and various channels that provide additional resources to help dieters stay on track with their weight loss goals, including the following: -- Blogs and Message Boards: Users can blog and post online journals
and photo albums, tracking their success. -- Eat Right Channel: This resource provide dieters with the proper
tools and support to eat better and live healthier, such as a food
locator, dining out tool, healthy recipes database and numerous
articles about making wise food choices. -- Exercise Smart Channel: Users can learn how to establish a proper
exercise routine and stay fit during and after weight loss. Features
include a personalized exercise program, fitness quiz and informative
fitness articles. -- Feel Good Channel: Users can experience weight loss success by
learning how to handle challenges, manage emotions, remain positive
and set realistic goals. Features include a meditation room,
motivational tips, and supportive articles.
In an effort to satisfy the needs of all different types of consumers, in addition to MyMedifast, Medifast offers consumers multiple ways to achieve successful weight loss, including free face-to-face, personal health counselors through the Take Shape for Life Network, many of which have been successful on the Medifast program themselves.
About Medifast http://www.medifastdiet.com/ Medifast is the leading easy-to-use, clinically proven meal replacement weight loss program. Medifast has been recommended by 15,000 physicians and used by over one million customers. Its programs have been proven effective through studies at major university research institutions. The company sells its products and programs direct to consumer via the web and national call centers as well as through its national network of physicians and clinics, and national network of Take Shape for Life health advisors. In 2005, the company reported more than $40 million in sales. The company was founded in 1980 and is located in Owings Mills, Maryland.
(1) According to a 2006 Harris Interactive poll published in the Wall
Street Journal. (2) According to a 2001 Brown University Study. DATASOURCE: Medifast CONTACT: Erin Grecu of Warschawski, +1-410-367-2700, ext. 19, or , for Medifast Web site: http://www.mymedifast.com/ http://www.medifastdiet.com/
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