Nature of the Business

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Nature of the Business

1. Nature of the Business

Medifast, Inc. (the "Company” or “Medifast”) is a Delaware corporation, incorporated in 1989. The Company’s operations are primarily conducted through six of its wholly owned subsidiaries, Jason Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Jason"), Take Shape for Life, Inc. (“TSFL”), Jason Enterprises, Inc., Jason Properties, LLC, Medifast Franchise Systems, and Seven Crondall, LLC. The Company is engaged in the production, distribution, and sale of weight management and disease management products and other consumable health and diet products. Medifast, Inc.’s product lines include weight and disease management, and meal replacement products manufactured in a modern, FDA approved facility in Owings Mills, Maryland.

The Company is engaged in the manufacturing and distribution of Medifast branded and private-label weight and disease management products. These products are sold through various channels of distribution, including the internet, call center, independent health advisors, medical professionals, weight loss clinics, and direct consumer marketing supported via the phone and internet. The processing, formulation, packaging, labeling and advertising of the Company’s products are subject to regulation by one or more federal agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency.