Medifast

Medifast is low-calorie weight-loss and weight-maintenance program which relies on a combination of prepackaged Medifast meals and conventional food. Medifast is also the name of the publicly traded company (listed on the New York Stock Exchange) which conducts operations primarily through two wholly owned subsidiaries. Medifast products are produced by Jason Pharmaceuticals, a company founded by William Vitale in 1980, in a production facility in Owings Mill, Maryland, and are marketed by Jason Pharmaceuticals and Take Shape for Life. The latter, founded in 2002, is a network of health advisers supervised by physicians which market Medifast products as part of a wide-ranging “healthy lifestyle” program.

The Medifast Web site emphasizes the use of Medifast products within a healthy lifestyle including exercise, and the maintenance of weight loss through permanent behavioral changes. There is no charge for joining the Medifast program, but following the program requires purchasing a substantial number of Medifast packaged meals. Like the Atkins Diet, the Medifast diet is low in calories and carbohydrates [Page 452]and is intended to put the body into a state of ketosis which is believed to aid in burning fat. During the dieting phase of the Medifast program, an individual will consume 800–1,000 calories per day. Medifast encourages medical supervision of the Medifast diet, although this is not a requirement as the products may be purchased directly through the Medifast Web site. In addition, dieters have the option of enrolling in a Medifast Weight Control Center. These are franchise operations which currently (2007) exist in Texas and Florida and offer medical supervision and counseling for individuals following the Medifast diet.

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The basic Medifast diet program is called the “5 & 1 Plan” because it is based on the daily consumption of five prepackaged Medifast meals plus one “lean and green” meal of conventional food. Following this plan, a person eats a small meal every two to three hours, a plan which is intended to keep them from becoming hungry and thus encouraging adherence to the diet. Medifast meals must be purchased from the company and are available in over 50 varieties which are interchangeable; they include shakes, bars, oatmeal, and scrambled eggs. Supplemental snacks such as soup and chips are also available, and there are meals designed specifically for diabetics, and separate meal packages for men and women. Costs for Medifast meals vary, but in May 2007, the discounted cost from the company Web site for four weeks worth of meals was $275. The “lean and green” meal consumed daily consists of conventional food chosen and prepared by the dieter, and is made up of a lean protein such as chicken, fish, or egg whites, and a salad or low-carbohydrate green vegetable.

The Medifast program is divided into three segments: the actual dieting period, the transition period, and the maintenance period. Common to all phases is an educational component focused on making dieters conscious of their food consumption and dietary requirements; in the second and third phases, they must adopt an individualized diet which will allow them to maintain a constant weight. After dieters achieve their target weight, the transition period begins. During this period, dieters begin to eat more normal foods and fewer Medifast meals, gradually increasing their caloric intake, and includes in their diet higher-carbohydrate fruits and vegetables which were avoided during the initial period. During the transition period, dieters continue to eat five or six small meals per day, made up of a combination of conventional food and Medifast meals: the assumption is that dieters are now accustomed to that schedule and has also been trained to choose small portions of food similar to that provided by the packaged meals. The company Web site recommends eight weeks in the transition period for people who lost less than 50 pounds, 12 weeks for those who lost 50–100 pounds, and 16 weeks for those who lost over 100 pounds. During the maintenance period, dieters consume approximately the same number of calories as they burn; frequent consumption of portion-controlled meals remains a cornerstone of this phase (which could last the rest of the person's life) although the use of Medifast meals is optional.

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