CALORIESCOUNT.COM: NEW ONLINE PROGRAM FOCUSES ON LONG-TERM WEIGHT LOSS AND SUCCESS

(ATLANTA, April 8, 2002) - If you need to lose just a few pounds or lots of pounds, there is no need to fork out a lot of money to receive truly effective tools for your weight loss effort. A new online weight loss support website - www.CaloriesCount.com - has just the tools weight-conscious consumers have been seeking.

"CaloriesCount.com: Healthy Eating and Exercise for Life" is dedicated to educating and assisting people achieve a healthy weight, primarily through a balanced diet incorporating their favorite foods and appropriate physical activity. The site promises no gimmicks, no quick-fixes, no miracle obesity cures. Instead, CaloriesCount.com is focused on tried and true sensible methods of weight control that help people lose weight and keep it off, helping people learn how to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Who better to launch an online weight loss support program than a non-profit organization that has been tracking Americans' eating and weight control habits for over 20 years?

Back in 1997, even before it was trendy, the international not-for-profit Calorie Control Council established one of the original, informational, diet-related sites that continues to attract millions of visitors to this day (nearly 10 million to date). Its members, comprised of companies that make low-calorie and reduced-fat foods and beverages, consider this site to be one more step in the intensified effort to control the increasing incidence of obesity in the U.S. So it made sense for the Council to utilize its expertise in communicating the importance of diet, physical activity and weight control in another way - through a weight loss support website.

According to Dr. John Foreyt, Director of the Nutrition Research Clinic at Baylor College of Medicine, and a scientific advisor for this new site, "Research shows the individuals who join online weight management programs are often more successful in losing weight and keeping their weight off." Such online services are becoming increasingly popular as people seek out information and tools privately, conveniently and affordably.

What distinguishes CaloriesCount from other weight loss websites is that it is "anti-diet" according to Beth Hubrich, M.S., R.D., CaloriesCount Health and Nutrition Director. "Diets are doomed to failure because they don't teach people how to adopt sensible eating habits for life and don't motivate them to maintain healthier, active lifestyles," she explains. "Our approach is consistent with the recommendations of respected health and medical organizations for safe, effective weight management, and at a price set only to cover our costs."

With registered dietitians and obesity experts working behind the scenes, CaloriesCount.com members can participate for less than the cost of similar sites. For just 16 cents a day (a six-month membership costs only $25; a year, only $45), CaloriesCount.com members receive:

Healthy Meal Plans and Recipes
Exercise and Food Nutrition Content Calculators
Other Tools to Help Members Stay on Track
Timely Information on Fitness, Cutting Calories and Overall Health
Expert Advice and Chats
Tips of the Day and Weekly E-mail Reminders
Motivation and Ongoing Support
Access 7 Days a Week, 24 Hours a Day

and much, much more (not to mention the site's "Enhanced Calorie Calculator" has been ranked as one of the best on the Internet).

Obesity in the U.S. is now considered to be at epidemic proportions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC estimates that 60 percent of Americans are overweight and 26 percent are clinically obese (which means that an individual's weight is 20% or more above what is considered to be her/his healthy weight). And being overweight can put adults and children at an increased risk of chronic diseases, including diabetes and heart disease.

So there is no time like the present to boot up the computer and start learning how to control calories and reduce weight that you may have battled before, to no avail. As the CaloriesCount.com motto says, "Diet is a four-letter word. Never say #@!% again!"

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Note to Editors: More background on the principles, people and support behind CaloriesCount.com can be found at www.caloriescount.com/aboutus.html.