BALTIMORE, Sept. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/
-- Medifast (NYSE: MED), a leading manufacturer and
distributor of clinically proven programs and healthy living
products, held its first Healthy Habits For All Week, a week
of service dedicated to advancing its mission of offering the world
Lifelong Transformation, One Healthy Habit at a Time®. The company
partnered with its OPTAVIA Community of more than 30,000
independent OPTAVIA Coaches with the goal of promoting
healthy habit creation in local communities. From Monday, September 9 through Sunday, September 15, 2019, thousands of
OPTAVIA Coaches, community members and many corporate
employees joined forces globally to volunteer, fundraise and
donate.
"From flagship events to one-of-a-kind fundraisers, this past
week marked the start of a movement led by our amazing
OPTAVIA Coaches," said Medifast Chief Executive Officer
Dan Chard. "One by one, we are
investing in the health and wellness of our local communities and
bringing healthy habits to our neighbors who need it most. Through
Healthy Habits For All, we are succeeding in advancing our mission
and empowering generations to adopt healthy habits through
education and access."
While thousands of volunteer hours were logged at fundraising
and volunteer events hosted by OPTAVIA Coaches, the company
partnered with the OPTAVIA Community and non-profit
organizations to host four flagship events in Annapolis, Maryland; San Diego, California; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Brooklyn, New York. Service activities at the
events included:
- Assembling bikes for the students at the Living Classroom's
Foundation, a Baltimore –
Washington, D.C. nonprofit that
disrupts the cycle of poverty and makes communities safer, stronger
and healthier by teaching lifelong skills to children and
youth.
- Packing nearly 4,000 healthy, shelf-stable meals and snacks
into backpacks with personalized messages in Brooklyn and Salt
Lake City with the non-profit Blessings in a Backpack. The
organization provides meals for school children on the
federally-funded Free and Reduced Meal Program who are at risk of
going hungry on the weekends.
- Helping to revitalize a school in San
Diego with HandsOn San Diego,
including restoring the school's health and wellness rooms,
beautifying the exterior and engaging a PE class to promote healthy
motion.
Healthy Habits For All Week is part of Medifast's philanthropic
initiative, Healthy Habits For All, which empowers generations to
adopt healthy habits. By teaming up with local and national
nonprofits, the initiative aims to provide the education and access
necessary to make healthy habits a reality for everyone. To date,
Medifast and the OPTAVIA Community have helped provide kids
in need with up to 2 million healthy meals.
"Healthy Habits For All helps us break the generational chains
of poor health by teaching kids and families one healthy habit at a
time, the same way our Coaches help their Clients," said Dr.
Wayne Scott Andersen, OPTAVIA
Co-founder and Independent OPTAVIA Coach. "Healthy Habits
For All Week brought together thousands of people from around the
world who share a common goal: giving kids and families in need the
ability to transform their health and wellness destinies."
The company intends for Healthy Habits For All to continue to
expand, with Medifast investing more than $2.5 million dollars into the program 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.
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SOURCE Medifast, Inc.