ADVISORY/GNC Offers Memory Test At -- Just Gimme a Minute -- At the California State Fair! That's It!; Prevention Healthy Lifestyle Tour Visits Sacramento August 23-26.

Business Editors & Health Writers

ADVISORY...for Aug. 23-26 (Thursday-Sunday)

PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 10, 2001

Maybe you know all the details of Chris Webber's new contract, but you have trouble remembering the name of your first grade teacher. Or maybe you know the exact calorie count for an avocado, but quickly -- what did you eat for lunch yesterday?

General Nutrition Centers (GNC) is bringing a fun, free memory test to the California State Fair in Sacramento from Aug. 23 through Aug. 26 as part of Prevention magazine's "Healthy Lifestyle Tour."

"GNC is happy to offer this quick and easy test because memory quirks are becoming as common as cell phones," said Roberta Gaffga, GNC's senior vice president of marketing. "Part of it is the aging of the population in general, but memory glitches can strike at any age. A young professional who has spent the day juggling job assignments and using the latest high-tech tools may have trouble remembering whose telephone number he or she just dialed."

The Healthy Lifestyle Tour is in the midst of a six-month tour of the country. Inside the Tour's 18-wheel truck, trained crewmembers give free one-on-one health assessments. The Tour also supplies free literature, product samples and health guides from GNC and other companies to consumers all over the country. In addition, a GNC spokesperson will be on hand to answer questions and provide information on GNC's Preventive Nutrition(R) brand and other nutrition and health products.

Free tests worth approximately $400 are available at many of the Healthy Lifestyle Tour stops. Tests include:

-- Dermascan: screening the face for abnormalities such as pre-cancerous areas

-- Hologic Sahara: testing for osteoporosis risk

-- Bioanalogic: testing general health, including body mass index

-- A1C Diabetes Test: monitors blood glucose levels

The 2001 Prevention Healthy Lifestyle Tour will be at the California State Fair at Cal Expo, 1600 Exposition Blvd., in Sacramento August 23-26 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.

Available for interview on site: Jeff Gulesarian, GNC's Consumer Health Specialist

Available for interview from New York: Dr. Jay Lombard, Director of The Brain Behavior Center of Rockland County in New York and GNC's spokesperson for Preventive Nutrition(R)Cognita(TM)

To schedule an interview contact: Paige Pertz at 412-473-3404 or [e-mail]. A copy of this press release is available electronically at www.jackhorner.com.

About GNC

General Nutrition Companies, Inc. (GNC), based in Pittsburgh, PA is the largest nationwide specialty retailer of vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements, sports nutrition as well as many personal care and related products. GNC operates more than 4,500 retail outlets throughout the United States and 26 foreign markets including Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico. GNC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Numico N.V., a worldwide market leader in specialized nutrition that includes infant and clinical nutrition and nutritional supplements. Headquartered in Zoetermeer, The Netherlands, Royal Numico's operations include manufacturing facilities in more than 50 countries and research facilities in The Netherlands, Germany, the U.K. and Australia. In addition to GNC, Royal Numico's family of companies includes Rexall Sundown, Inc., a major supplier to the mass market based in Boca Raton, FL, sports nutrition leaders MET-Rx and Worldwide Sport Nutrition and the multi-level marketing operation of Unicity Network (encompassing the multi-level operations and products of Enrich International and Rexall Showcase International).