Bally Total Fitness and American Diabetes Association Raise Awareness of Diabetes Prevention During American Diabetes Alert Day.

Nation's Fitness Leader Holds One-Day Event That Will Include Cutting-Edge Aerobics Classes, Diabetes Risk Tests and Free Fitness Assessments

What: In observance of American Diabetes Alert Day - a one-day
          "wake-up" call to inform the public about the seriousness of
          diabetes, particularly when left undiagnosed or untreated -
          Bally Total Fitness and the American Diabetes Association
          (ADA), will host HealthCheck to raise awareness of diabetes
          and educate participants on the benefits of regular physical
          activity and healthy eating.

          As part of the event, Bally clubs will also offer Diabetes
          Risk Tests and free fitness assessments with expert personal
          training staff, including body fat, strength, flexibility
          and cardio measurements. In addition, select clubs will also
          be holding special marathon group exercise classes where
          members and non-members alike can participate in a mix of
          cutting-edge aerobics classes. On-site donations will
          support ADA's mission to prevent and cure diabetes.

    Why:  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
          the incidence of diabetes has jumped nearly 50 percent in
          the past 10 years. It's estimated that about 1.3 million
          people will be diagnosed with diabetes this year and one in
          three Americans born in 2000 will develop diabetes in their
          lifetime. In addition, approximately 41 million Americans
          have pre-diabetes, a condition that puts them at increased
          risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Bally and the ADA want
          to inform Americans that although lifestyle factors - such
          as poor diet and physical inactivity - are closely
          associated with the development of type 2 diabetes, even
          small steps taken can help delay, prevent or manage this
          serious disease. In fact, being overweight or obese is the
          leading modifiable risk factor for type 2 diabetes.

    Who:  Everybody and anybody looking to support ADA and live a
          healthy and active lifestyle

    When: March 22, 2005, American Diabetes Alert Day
          5:00pm - 8:00pm

   Where: Any of the more than 350 Bally Total Fitness clubs across
          the nation.


    More information is available at www.diabetes.org/adaandbally.

  To schedule a crew/photographer to capture HealthCheck events at a
     Bally Total Fitness location on American Diabetes Alert Day,
  or to speak with a fitness expert about how a healthy lifestyle can
             help reduce the risk for developing diabetes,
                  call Jamie Morgan at [phone].