Medifast recently released its "Holiday Survival Guide" to address the weight loss challenges Americans encounter during the holidays.
According to the National Institutes of Health, the average American will gain seven pounds this holiday season, from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day.
"The stress of the holidays combined with the continuous presence of fattening foods makes healthy eating difficult to achieve during this time. Our society places a high value on appearance, which is especially important during the holiday season," commented Dr. Lucian Manu, clinical instructor of psychiatry at NYU Medical School.
Medifast's "Holiday Survival Guide" is designed to help Americans lose weight during the holiday season and look great by New Year's Eve. It contains eating tips and healthy recipes featuring Medifast products such as Peppermint Patty Shakes, Holiday Stuffing and Pumpkin Pie.
In addition to this guide, Medifast is also offering a "Holiday Support" message board on its website, http://www.medifastdiet.com, where Medifast customers can share their experiences and offer support to each other during the holiday season. The downloadable "Holiday Survival Guide" and message board can be accessed on the Medifast website.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the average number of calories consumed by one person during a typical holiday dinner feast is 7,100. This underscores the problems many Americans will face managing their weight this holiday season.
Medifast's 5 & 1 plan allows people to eat five pre-packaged Medifast meals a day and one "lean and green" meal. Medifast offers over 70 flavors and types of foods including shakes, soups, bars, oatmeal, hot and cold drinks, pudding and chili. The average person on the Medifast program loses between 2-5 pounds each week, making it possible to lose up to 20 pounds in just one month.
"Many Americans wait until New Year's to begin their weight loss resolutions - after they have already put on additional holiday weight," commented Robert Hallock, vice president of marketing for Medifast. "By using Medifast's quick, easy-to-use meal options, people will be able to begin working on their weight loss goals now and look great by the New Year."
