Bally Total Fitness Challenges All Consumers to Take Control of Their Health and Fitness Through Nationwide Metabolism Education Effort.

Business Editors

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 5, 2003

Company to Launch Awareness Campaign That Focuses on the

Value of Understanding One's Unique Resting Metabolic Rate 

For most Americans, dedication to the popular new year's resolution to get fit fell from the daily "to do" list sometime during the second week of January. It's true, while the New Year's Resolution motivation is losing steam for most, the epidemic of obesity is not. As reported in the January 2003 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 20.9 percent of adults were obese in 2001, up from 19.8 percent in 2000. And, obesity continues to be a key reason why life-threatening diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease, are on the rise.

In an effort to help America get into shape and reverse these life threatening trends, Bally Total Fitness (NYSE: BFT), North America's premier health and fitness company, this week, is launching a nationwide public awareness campaign, titled "Metabolic Month," designed to educate consumers on the importance metabolism plays in developing a long-lasting complete and effective diet, nutrition and fitness program.

As part of the effort, the company is opening its 400 Bally Total Fitness, Gorilla Sports and Pinnacle Fitness clubs throughout the country to consumers. In addition to gaining a two-week guest pass to the facility, Bally will make arrangements for individuals to obtain a free fitness assessment and will be taking appointments for a Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) consultation, a brief test that determines the number of calories an individual burns at rest - the key in creating an effective and complete diet-nutrition-fitness program. As part of it's Weight Management Program, the Company will charge a special discounted "Metabolic Month" fee for the RMR test and will offer additional fitness counseling and brochures to help inform consumers of the importance an individual's metabolism plays in an effective nutrition and fitness plan.

"Weight loss is a very basic mathematical equation," said Dr. Jason Convisor, vice president of clinical services, Bally Total Fitness. "The number of calories consumed in a day, minus the total number of calories you burn at rest (RMR) and during exercise, equals the amount of calories lost, or gained, each day. Understanding your RMR measurement is invaluable information for ensuring that you reach your weight loss goals efficiently and is as critical as understanding your blood pressure or cholesterol and how each effects your body's overall wellness."

In the past, those interested in taking the extra step to understand their unique metabolic measurement would find themselves visiting a hospital or special diet clinic for lengthy and expensive testing. Using the BodyGem indirect calorimeter, a revolutionary handheld device, a fitness consultant can now easily measure an individual's RMR within a 10-minute fitness consultation. Presently, Bally Total Fitness is the only national health club company in the US to offer this new, proprietary technology in conjunction with its new Weight Management Program, launched earlier this year.

About Bally Total Fitness. Bally Total Fitness is the largest and only nationwide, commercial operator of fitness centers, with approximately four million members and over 420 facilities located in 29 states, Canada, Asia and the Caribbean under the Bally Total Fitness(R), Crunch Fitness(SM), Gorilla Sports(SM), Pinnacle Fitness(R), Bally Sports Clubs(R) and Sports Clubs of Canada(R) brands. With more than 150 million annual visits to its clubs, Bally offers a unique platform for distribution of a wide range of products and services targeted to active, fitness-conscious adult consumers. For more information, visit www.ballyfitness.com.