Medifast

Medifast, Inc.

Company type	Public
Industry	Nutrition, Weight management
Predecessor	HealthRite (formerly Vitamin Specialties Corp.)
Founded	1980
Founder	Dr. William Vitale
Headquarters	Baltimore , United States
Area served	United States, International
Key people	Bradley T. MacDonald (Chairman), Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen (Clinical expert)
Products	Health and weight loss products, Optavia coaching program
Website	www.medifast1.com

Medifast, Inc. () is a U.S.-based company specializing in nutrition and weight management, with its main office located in Baltimore, Maryland. The firm designs, promotes, and distributes health and weight loss products through various channels including online platforms, multi-level marketing networks, telemarketing efforts, and franchised weight loss centers.

Subsidiaries

Medifast operates through five distinct subsidiaries:

• Jason Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
• Take Shape for Life, Inc. (TSFL), which was rebranded as Optavia in July 2017
• Jason Enterprises, Inc.
• Jason Properties, LLC
• Seven Crondall, LLC

History

Established in 1980 by Dr. William Vitale, Medifast originally marketed its products directly to healthcare providers who combined their use with behavioral counseling. The company later became publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol MED.

In 1995, the company formerly known as Vitamin Specialties Corp. rebranded as HealthRite, the predecessor to Medifast. By the year 2000, it transitioned towards a direct-to-consumer sales approach supported by Jason Pharmaceuticals and officially adopted the Medifast, Inc. name in 2001. The following year, then-Chairman Retired Marine Colonel Bradley T. MacDonald together with clinical expert Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen introduced Take Shape For Life—a coaching program emphasizing long-term healthy lifestyle changes.

Medifast received significant industry accolades, achieving the top position on Forbes magazine’s "America's 100 Best Small Companies" list in 2010 and ranking 18th in 2014. Additionally, it was recognized as one of Forbes’s 100 Most Trustworthy Companies in America during both 2016 and 2017.

In mid-2017, Take Shape For Life was renamed Optavia as part of a rebranding initiative alongside the launch of Optavia Essentials—a product line marketed directly by Coaches to consumers—strengthening the company’s direct sales framework. To accommodate its growing international presence, Medifast moved its headquarters from Owings Mills to Baltimore in October 2017. By June 2022, the company’s market value stood at $2.106 billion.

Most recently, in December 2023, Medifast announced a strategic alliance with LifeMD aimed at integrating virtual healthcare services into its weight management offerings. This partnership allows Medifast clients to benefit from medically supervised weight control programs—including access to prescription GLP-1 treatments when appropriate—while LifeMD patients receive support from independent Medifast Coaches and lifestyle guidance services.

False advertising settlement

In September 2012, Jason Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Medifast, agreed to pay a $3.7 million civil fine related to false advertising claims. Authorities from the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice indicated that promotional materials for the "Medifast 5 & 1 Plan" asserted consumers could "lose up to 2-5 pounds per week" without adequate scientific validation. The settlement mandates that all future marketing claims must be substantiated by at least one human clinical trial.