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
22nd-23rd 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.
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SOURCE Medifast