Get Active America! Health Clubs Around the Country Open Doors for Free to Combat Obesity.

News Editors/Lifestyle Editors

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 4, 2004

Fitness Centers Nationwide Host Weeklong Get Active America! Event (May 17-23) Coordinated By The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association

In an unprecedented effort for the fitness industry, the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) has issued a nationwide challenge - Get Active America! Health clubs around the country will open their doors to the public, free of charge, during Get Active America! week, a nationwide open house at more than 1,600 participating health clubs May 17-23, 2004. Clubs large and small will host unique classes, seminars, trainings, fundraisers and special events in order to make first time exercisers to advanced athletes feel comfortable. Details about the event including locations of participating clubs, tips on getting started and the benefits of exercise are available by visiting www.GetActiveAmerica.com.

Get Active America! is part of the industry's effort to fight obesity and inactivity. The statistics are overwhelming - sixty percent of the American population is overweight and it is estimated that some 400,000 Americans will die this year because of health problems associated with obesity and inactivity. While many industries and consumer groups have been looking for someone to blame, the health club industry has joined forces in order to encourage more Americans to take a "first step" towards a healthier lifestyle.

For millions of Americans, Get Active America! is the perfect opportunity to get started on an exercise program designed specifically for their personal needs by health club industry professionals in a supportive, safe environment. The weeklong program (May 17-23) will begin with a "bring a guest" promotion and build to a three-day "open house" event (May 21-23) when participating clubs will open their doors to their local communities. IHRSA will coordinate the efforts along with corporate sponsors, including premier consumer sponsors, the California Strawberry Commission (CSC) and Listerine PocketPaks(TM), as well as leading fitness industry companies including: premier sponsors Cybex, Life Fitness, Matrix and Technogym; sustaining sponsors Nautilus Health & Fitness Group and Star Trac; and contributing sponsors Freemotion Fitness, Iron Grip Barbell Company, Precor and True. Health and industry organizations such as 5 A Day and the American Council on Exercise have also lent their support to Get Active America!. The American Cancer Society is the program's official charity and will benefit from fundraising efforts at participating health clubs.

"Our goal is simple," states John McCarthy, executive director of IHRSA. "We want to open our doors to all Americans - regardless of their age, experience or fitness goals. Our hope is that they'll enjoy the experience and choose to pursue a healthy lifestyle for years to come."

While Get Active America! will highlight the enjoyment and satisfaction that can be derived from physical activity, the motivation is far less pleasant. According to recent research:

-- In 2000, poor diet including obesity and physical inactivity 

caused 400,000 U.S. deaths - more than 16 percent of all

deaths(1)

-- Poor diet and physical inactivity is the second leading cause

of preventable death(1)

-- In 2001, 38 percent of Americans were sedentary; and

worldwide, sedentary lifestyles are the cause of nearly 2

million deaths a year(2)

-- In 2000, 64.5 percent of Americans were overweight and 30.5

percent were obese; the prevalence of obesity is higher in

women than men(3)

-- 16 percent of children (ages 6-19) are overweight(4)

-- Cancer was the second-leading cause of death in 2000, second

only to heart disease(1)

"The fitness industry as a whole is very concerned about the alarming overweight and obesity trends in America," said McCarthy. "Fitness professionals are in a unique position to help Americans at any age and level of physical activity to safely adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes physical fitness. We want to join with individuals and organizations in order to get this country moving in a positive direction."

To help spread the word that what you eat and how active you are can impact your cancer risk, IHRSA is inviting its member health clubs to hold cancer awareness and prevention-related events and generate funds in support of the American Cancer Society at their facilities during Get Active America! week. The goal is to support the American Cancer Society's fight against cancer and its efforts in cancer education, research, advocacy and patient services.

Americans will also receive strawberry nutrition education during Get Active America! through the distribution of brochures and California Strawberry Commission's healthy recipes. Strawberries, an excellent source of both dietary fiber and vitamin C, are an important part of a healthy lifestyle. In addition, the CSC will provide nutrition content for the www.GetActiveAmerica.com Web site, and in select markets, the CSC will conduct sampling activities at participating clubs.

Listerine PocketPaks(TM) will distribute 2.5 million samples of their Cool Mint and Fresh Burst flavor PocketPaks(TM) to all participating clubs during Get Active America! week as well. These germ-killing oral care strips are sugar-free, alcohol-free and calorie-free.

About the California Strawberry Commission (CSC)

The California Strawberry Commission is the Premier Consumer Sponsor of Get Active America and is a California state government agency that represents an industry of approximately 575 growers and over 100 shippers and processors. The California Strawberry Commission was enacted by enabling legislation and a referendum of farmers and handlers in 1993. The Commission succeeds the California Strawberry Advisory Board established in 1955. For more information, visit www.calstrawberry.com.

About Listerine PocketPaks(TM)

A revolutionary, discreet, and portable Oral Care product, Listerine PocketPaks(TM) are translucent, ultra-thin film strips, about the size of a postage stamp, that dissolve instantly on the tongue, killing 99.9 percent of odor-causing bacteria within 30 seconds. Listerine PocketPaks(TM) contain the powerful germ-killing ingredients of Listerine(R) Antiseptic (Thymol, Eucalyptol, Methyl Salicylate, Menthol). This is the first and only portable product that, unlike gums or mints which only mask bad breath, kills bad breath germs on contact and is clinically proven to control bad breath for up to 90 minutes. These germ-killing oral care strips are also sugar-free, alcohol-free and calorie-free. The oral care strips are conveniently and easily dispensed from a tiny, ergonomic vial that is perfect for today's busy lifestyle. Listerine PocketPaks(TM) are now available in three flavors. Cool Mint, Fresh Burst and Cinnamon.

About IHRSA

The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) is a nonprofit association dedicated to the growth, protection, and promotion of the health club industry, and represents more than 6,500 clubs worldwide. IHRSA is an international leader in health club industry education and research.

(1) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Actual Causes of Death in the United States, 2000," Journal of the American Medical Association, March 2004.

(2) Freid VM, Prager K, MacKay AP, Xia H. Chartbook on the Trends in the Health of Americans. Health, United States, 2003. Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics. 2003

(3) Ogden CL, Flegal KM, Carroll MD, Johnson CL. Prevalence and trends in overweight among US children and adolescents, 1999-2000. Journal of the American Medical Association 2002;288:1728-1732

(4) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Actual Causes of Death in the United States, 2000," Journal of the American Medical Association, March 2004.