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Medifast® Brings Healthy Habits to Underserved Communities with Lifestyle Brand OPTAVIA®

MED | May 6, 2019

The company's philanthropic initiative, Healthy Habits For All™, commits more than $2.5 million to nonprofit partners to teach healthy habits through education and access

BALTIMORE, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Medifast (NYSE: MED), a leading manufacturer and distributor of clinically proven programs and healthy living products, announces its commitment to bring healthy habits to kids and families in underserved communities. Through its partnerships with local and national nonprofits, the company's philanthropic initiative, Healthy Habits For All, will work to provide the education and access necessary to make healthy habits a reality for everyone.

(PRNewsfoto/Medifast, Inc.)

"Health and wellness programs are often out of reach for many," said Medifast's Chief Executive Officer, Dan Chard. "At Medifast, we are committed to empowering people to make positive changes that result in healthier lifestyles. That's why we're advancing our mission to bring lifelong transformation, one healthy habit at a time to even more people, aligning who we are with how we give."

As part of Healthy Habits For All, Medifast will host an employee week of service. The inaugural event will be held May 6-10, with more than 100 Medifast employees and local independent OPTAVIA Coaches. The volunteer activities will support the company's nonprofit partners: Living Classrooms' Baltimore Urban Gardening with Students (BUGS) program to deliver healthy habit education and No Kid Hungry®, a campaign by Share Our Strength, dedicated to ending childhood hunger in America by making sure kids have access to the nutritious food they need. Volunteers will dedicate time to various activities such as cooking healthy meals and renovating the waterfront pier at Living Classrooms' East Harbor Campus to create a space for students to exercise the healthy habits they are learning in the classroom, such as healthy motion.

"Living Classrooms is an institution here in Baltimore and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to support them and the local community," said Chard. "With the support of our partners, Healthy Habits For All will give kids and families in need the most powerful gift of all: the ability to transform their health and wellness destiny."

Healthy Habits For All will continue to expand, with Medifast investing more than $2.5 million dollars into the program over the next five years with the long-term goal of transforming communities and making healthy habits second nature for all.

For more information on Medifast or OPTAVIA, visit www.Medifastinc.com or www.OPTAVIA.com.

About Medifast®:
Medifast (NYSE: MED) is a leading manufacturer and distributor of clinically proven, healthy living products and programs. The brand has been recommended by more than 20,000 doctors since its founding. Its integrated coach model leverages nearly 40 years of experience from medical, franchise, e-commerce, and direct selling channels. Medifast and its community of independent OPTAVIA Coaches embrace the future of wellness with a shared vision to offer the world lifelong transformation, one healthy habit at a time™. OPTAVIA® is represented by a community of OPTAVIA Coaches who teach Clients healthy habits, while offering support and guidance on their transformation journey. In 2018, Medifast announced it will expand into the Asia-Pacific markets of Hong Kong and Singapore in 2019 with its integrated coach model. Medifast is traded on the New York Stock Exchange and was named to Forbes' 100 Most Trustworthy Companies in America List in 2016 and 2017. For more information, visit www.MedifastInc.com or www.OPTAVIA.com.