First Ever Independent Study of Herbal Dietary Supplement Proves it to be Safe and Effective; Metabolife International Sets Precedent With Proactive Testing.

SAN DIEGO--(BW HealthWire)--Nov. 25, 1997--Vanderbilt University Medical Center has released its results on the safety and efficacy of San Diego headquartered Metabolife International's herbal dietary supplement Metabolife 356(TM).

The preliminary results of this independent scientific study prove that the herbal supplement is a "promising and effective product in chronic weight loss and weight management."

This is the first time in the United States that an all natural herbal product has been independently tested and found effective under Western medicine standards.

The study further showed that Metabolife 356 "indicated a body fat loss without additional exercise or change in diet," said Dr. Harry Gwirtsman, associate professor at Vanderbilt School of Medicine and co-conductor of the study. Metabolife 356 even increased the test subjects' energy expenditure by 5.6 percent while sleeping. Vanderbilt is the only medical school in the U.S. with a 24-hour metabolic chamber to determine weight loss.

"We saw no adverse effect that would have affected the health of our subjects in this study." said Dr. Gwirstman.

Metabolife hired the nonprofit Academy of Clinical Environmental Research and Informational Sciences (ACERIS) to contract with two medically independent board certified laboratories for its efficacy studies. Vanderbilt School of Medicine and Science, Toxicology & Technology (ST&T) were selected.

"We wanted to ensure that our products were safe and effective," said Michael Ellis, president of Metabolife. "We are thrilled to have independent scientific proof of the beneficial effects of Metabolife 356."

The results of a second university study of Metabolife 356 will be released in February 1998. Additional information from ST&T, ACERIS and Vanderbilt University are available upon request.

Metabolife International, Inc. was founded in 1994. In addition to its flagship weight loss supplement Metabolife 356, the company manufactures a diverse line of herbal products including vitamin supplements, all-natural sleep aids, skin care products and exercise equipment. Sales figures for Metabolife in 1997 are projected to exceed more than $100 million. Currently, several new products are in development, each of which will offer scientific evidence of safety and efficacy.

CONTACT: McClellan Ehrenfeld Marketing

Gerald Poindexter, 619/233-9966

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