June 15, 2004

By: Sean Thissen
Website: http://www.1st-in-fitness.com

America Online Launches New AOL Diet & Fitness Channel Together with Health Magazine, Cooking Light and eDiets.com.

Just in time for summer swimsuits, America Online launched its new Diet & Fitness channel, designed to help support AOL members' complete weight loss needs throughout the year. Responding to the growing trend in online dieting, AOL Diet & Fitness enables members to manage their diet efforts more effectively through a one-stop weight loss center, full of the information and support needed to get fit, shed pounds and keep them off.

Enhanced through content partnerships with Health magazine, Cooking Light, eDiets.com and bestselling author and AOL Weight Loss Coach Jorge Cruise, AOL will offer members the ultimate collection of nutritional and fitness resources. With summer only five weeks away, AOL will highlight shapeup strategies during its Diet & Fitness Week campaign that begins today on the world's leading interactive service.

For the approximately 10 million AOL members who are doing something to control their weight, our goal is to help them change their shape and potentially their lives, said Tina Sharkey, Senior Vice President for Life Management & Community, America Online, Inc. The new Diet & Fitness channel is a complete experience where dieters can find the information and guidance they need, when they want it, and receive ongoing support from experts and peers alike.

Online dieting has become an increasingly popular way to lose weight, find information and recipes and get support. Last summer, the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that 44% of Americans have gone online to find information about dieting, weight loss and fitness.

Additionally, according to a 2001 study conducted by researchers at Brown University and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, people who enrolled in a structured online dieting program lost three times more weight in six months than those who simply searched for dieting information online.

AOL's new Diet & Fitness channel builds upon these current Internet habits and interests, bringing members the ultimate weight loss resource for managing their everyday diet and fitness activities.

With the heightened urgency to address obesity and the increasing desire by consumers to live healthier, we are pleased to partner with AOL to offer its members a range of personalized online diet and nutrition solutions that fit into their daily lives, said Harriet Gallu, Vice President, Brand Marketing at eDiets.com.

Incorporating eDiets.com's health assessment tools and diet information adds significant value to the AOL Diet & Fitness experience for its users.

They will benefit from personalized nutrition plans, including the Atkins Nutritional Approach, The Zone Diet and Shape Up!, inspired by Dr. Phil McGraw's Ultimate Weight Solution, along with eDiets.com's other award-winning content and support services.

Author Notes:

Sean Thissen contributes and publishes news editorial to http://www.1st-in-fitness.com.  A source of information and helpful tips on various types of fitness equipment.