BET Foundation and Canyon Ranch Equip 2006 Healthy BET Finalists With Life Enhancing Tools to Succeed in Challenge Phase

BET Foundation and Canyon Ranch Equip 2006 Healthy BET Finalists With Life Enhancing Tools to Succeed in Challenge Phase

Unique Health and Wellness Environment Jumpstarts Finalists' Commitment to Meet Their Fitness Goals

WASHINGTON, April 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Hailing from both coasts of the United States and also representing the mid-west, the final four teams in the 2006 Healthy BET Fitness Challenge are more than ready to embark on their personal journey toward healthier lifestyles. Following a vigorous 6-day fitness regimen hosted by the renowned health and wellness resort Canyon Ranch, the eight finalists have been anxious to implement their new fitness and life enhancing goals.

The eight fitness challenge finalists are made up of four teams: Kimberly Williams and Wanda Cornelius (Oakland, California); Patrice Irvin and Denise Spencer (St. Louis, Missouri); Robin Beatty-Smith and Aisha Beatty-White (York, Pennsylvania); and Nichelle Poe and Glynis Hill (Silver Spring, Maryland). During their exclusive 6-day fitness preparation program, the teams participated in specially-tailored activities which included life- changing clinical and medical assessments, professional consultation and fitness workshops, and learning to establish a positive healthy environment to evoke good health.

Canyon Ranch founder Mel Zuckerman also made a special visit to the final teams to share his poignant story of inspiration and what life challenges sparked his personal motivation to create an organization committed to enhancing the health and extending the lives of others. Through Canyon Ranch's unique combination of hands on expertise and state-of-the-art facilities, the eight finalists were able to effectively transform their efforts into positive action.

"It was a privilege to open our Life Enhancement Program to the Healthy BET Challenge finalists for a week to launch their kick-off efforts," said Jim Eastburn, Director of Canyon Ranch Life Enhancement Center. "We helped them establish their fitness goals and, more importantly, appreciated the opportunity to expose them to a larger perspective of their health -- incorporating nutrition, relaxation, medical, exercise, stress reduction and motivation. The integration of these components will not only help them meet their short-term goals, but motivate them toward life-long change."

Examples of life enhancing techniques and healthier lifestyle changes were clearly evident by the conclusion of the 6-day Canyon Ranch program. One fitness challenge finalist experienced vast improvement in her asthma condition while another was able to stabilize her blood pressure, all health issues that had plagued them for some time. Famed Hollywood fitness expert and Healthy BET spokesperson, Jeanette Jenkins was also onsite to assist the teams in identifying and establishing their fitness goals through numerous fun-filled activities including low-impact exercises and fitness treks.

The BET Foundation's annual national weight-loss and fitness competition kicked off on January 9, 2006 to overwhelming public response and contest submissions since its launch two years ago. This year, the BET Foundation plans to handsomely reward the teams that meet their personal objectives at the end of the "challenge phase" on June 5. The winning teams that meet their collective goals will receive an expense paid trip to the 2006 BET AWARDS at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium, and prize packages for each team member.

The BET Foundation's long-standing goal is to promote healthy eating and lifestyle habits to reduce the occurrence of obesity among African-Americans. The BET Foundation includes a variety of components such as public service announcements, seminars, a dedicated toll-free hotline and website, brochures, and the HEALTHY BET national weight-loss competition to educate the public on healthy living. "Through the effective partnership and efforts with General Mills and Canyon Ranch, we hope to inspire individuals to achieve a healthy lifestyle and eradicate obesity-related health problems," stated Lynda Dorman, executive director of the BET Foundation. "The BET Foundation is dedicated to its healthy lifestyle campaign and hopes communities will continue to be open to positive change."

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 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 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 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,
lyntina.townsend@bet.net

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

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