BET Foundation Beats the Battle of the Bulge With the 2006 'A Healthy BET' Fitness Challenge

BET Foundation Beats the Battle of the Bulge With the 2006 'A Healthy BET' Fitness Challenge

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a successful second year, the BET Foundation along with General Mills brand Honey Nut Cheerios(R), BET Networks and BET.com announced today their plans to again sponsor the 3rd Annual A Healthy BET Fitness Challenge. This year, Canyon Ranch, the country's premier life enhancement company, also joins the effort as a sponsor, and will provide their invaluable expertise and famed health and wellness facilities to assist this year's winning teams in achieving their fitness goals. The national weight-loss and fitness competition launches today, and will handsomely reward the teams that meet their objectives at the end of the "challenge phase."

A Healthy BET Fitness Challenge is one of several health-focused components of the BET Foundation which strongly encourages and motivates individuals to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Beginning January 9 through February 6, interested persons can go to http://www.ahealthybet.com/ to complete the required online registration process, including submitting a 150- word essay and team photo. On February 13, four teams made up of eight finalists will be chosen to participate in the fitness challenge phase, and a special six-day fitness program. Also, BET.com will feature online updates on the teams' progress, interactive health-focused content, and online chats with Jeanette Jenkins on http://www.ahealthybet.com/ to complement the fitness challenge efforts. The teams will also receive fitness materials and clothing provided by The Hollywood Trainer and Lady Foot Locker.

To help jumpstart their fitness challenge, the finalists will attend a six-day fitness preparation program at Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona from February 26 - March 4. Canyon Ranch health and wellness professionals will work closely with the teams as they take part in the Life Enhancement Program which includes personal fitness and medical evaluations, nutrition counseling, and healthy meal preparation, physical activities, and advice on developing positive practices in everyday living. "Canyon Ranch is an environment that inspires people to make a lasting commitment to a wellness lifestyle," stated Canyon Ranch Life Enhancement Center Director Jim Eastburn. "We are excited to partner with the BET Foundation in this program and look forward to working with the participating teams to help them achieve their goals."

Enlisting her expertise and assistance throughout the 2006 A Healthy BET Fitness Challenge is renowned Hollywood fitness expert and A Healthy BET spokesperson, Jeanette Jenkins. Jenkins will help the teams identify and establish their fitness goals, and provide them with the necessary information to adopting a healthier lifestyle. The 2006 A Healthy BET Fitness Challenge concludes on June 5, 2006 and teams that meet their collective fitness goals will receive an all-expense paid trip to the 2006 BET AWARDS in Los Angeles, including airfare and hotel. The winning teams will also receive an opportunity to walk the famed BET AWARDS red carpet, get a Healthy BET makeover, and a gift package, including a cash reward.

Coinciding with this year's national A Healthy BET Fitness Challenge kick- off is a special BET Employee Fitness Challenge which offers an opportunity for employees of the cable network to get fit. Employees will have from January 9 until April 3 to lose unwanted pounds and inches while incorporating a healthier way of life. The winner will receive an all-expense paid trip to Canyon Ranch, including airfare and hotel.

The BET Foundation's goal is to promote healthy eating and lifestyle habits to reduce the occurrence of obesity among African-Americans. "The BET Foundation is dedicated to its healthy lifestyle campaign and this fitness challenge provides an excellent platform for both the contestants and BET employees in achieving a healthy and balanced lifestyle," states Lynda Dorman, executive director of the BET Foundation. "We look forward to working with General Mills, Honey Nut Cheerios and our new sponsor, Canyon Ranch, this year in offering an invaluable resource to obtain the vital information and motivation necessary for successful results."

ABOUT BET FOUNDATION

The BET Foundation is a non-profit organization created to raise public awareness to the numerous health-related challenges within African-American communities. Established in 2003, the Foundation takes a pioneering step in addressing one of the leading behavioral-attributed health concerns among African-American women and families, obesity-related health concerns. Through specifically-tailored initiatives and targeted campaigns, the BET Foundation aims to insure that African Americans live longer and healthier lives. The BET Foundation includes public service announcements (PSAs); targeted programming segments; seminars and health forums; health brochure materials; a dedicated toll-free hotline and website; and a nationwide Healthy BET Fitness Challenge contest to provide the tools and knowledge necessary for communities to develop long lasting healthy lifestyle habits. For more information, please visit http://www.ahealthybet.com/.

ABOUT GENERAL MILLS

General Mills, with annual net sales of $10.8 billion, is a leading global manufacturer and marketer of consumer food products. Its global brand portfolio includes Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Haagen-Dazs, Old El Paso and more. It also has more than 100 U.S. consumer brands, more than 30 of which generate annual retail sales in excess of $100 million. General Mills is also a leading supplier of baking and other food products to foodservice and commercial baking industries.

ABOUT CANYON RANCH

Mel and Enid Zuckerman founded the original Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona in 1979 and ten years later followed it with a second destination wellness resort in Lenox, Massachusetts. For over 25 years, they have guided the growth of the organization designed to help individuals meaningfully improve the quality of their lives. Canyon Ranch consistently receives top rankings in national surveys, readers' polls, and editors' selections and has been voted best in its class by the readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine ten times. http://www.canyonranch.com/

ABOUT JEANETTE JENKINS / THE HOLLYWOOD TRAINER

Jeanette Jenkins is one of the country's leading fitness experts. Her passion for fitness began as a teenager and her dedication has never wavered. She is the president of a successful company, The Hollywood Trainer, LLC, which produces and distributes home fitness videos. She has motivated and inspired thousands of people across country to improve the quality of their lives through health and fitness. She has appeared on Extra, Good Day Live, Best Damn Sports Show ... Period, VH1, The Food Network, and been featured in the L.A. Times, Self, Fitness, People, Us Weekly, In-Style, Women's Health and Fitness, etc. For more information about Jeanette Jenkins visit http://www.thehollywoodtrainer.com/.

Source: BET Foundation

CONTACT: Lyntina Townsend of BET, +1-202-608-2745, or
lyntina.townsend@bet.net

Web site: http://www.ahealthybet.com/
http://www.bet.com/
http://www.canyonranch.com/
http://www.thehollywoodtrainer.com/

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