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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Phyllis Douglass
(850) 402-5468, phone/(850) 402-9826, FAX
phyllis@dvercity.com
http://www.dvercity.com/buddies.html
TALLAHASSEE, FL - May 9, 2001 - "What's wrong little girl, your mommy eat all of your food?" That is what a boy said to Shay Bell one evening when she and her daughter were getting out of the car and her daughter was crying, holding a half-eaten package of Lunchables in her hands. That heartbreaking moment was the defining moment in her life. Bell is determined to lose 100 pounds so her daughter, who will start kindergarten in the Fall, will not have to endure years of teasing by peers.
On June 1, DVC Weight Loss Buddies, a free Internet support group, will launch its First Annual 2001 Survival of the Getting Fit Healthy Diet and Exercise Marathon for Life. This positive, life-changing event is open to individuals 18 years or older who have a desire to lose unhealthy excess weight through a proper, gradual weight loss diet and exercise program. The qualifying round deadline is Thursday, May 31, 2001.
Marathon hostess, Shay Bell, will share online her Diary of a Weight Loss Buddy, as she strives for a healthier body, alongside the registrants, who are to submit via e-mail their statement of purpose, including weight loss goals, current weight and body measurements and a photo. Twelve competitors, in both individual and team categories, will be chosen from the registrants to participate in the three-month to year-long marathon. On a daily, weekly, and monthly basis, participants will document their weight loss journey on the DverCITY.com Web site. Winners will be chosen by Internet People's Choice polls and an accumulation of points from various challenges (dietary and weight log entries, trivia, etc.).
Team participation by church groups, neighborhood and community groups, clubs and organizations, sororities, fraternities, athletic clubs, and weight loss support groups is encouraged. The Beginners Marathon, for those at least 100 pounds overweight, lasts for 12 months; the Intermediate Marathon, for those at least 50 pounds overweight, lasts 6 months; the Advanced Marathon, for those at least 20 pounds overweight, lasts 3 months; and the Champions' Marathon, for those with a healthy body image who would like to add muscle definition and lower their body fat composition, lasts 3 months.
"This marathon can be the answer to many people's weight loss woes," says Bell. "I've been struggling with my excess weight since motherhood five years ago. I realize I can't do this alone, and I have to do it. I don't want diabetes, or heart disease, or any other physical ailment that can take me away from my child prematurely."
DVC Weight Loss Buddies' mission is to promote healthier lifestyles through proper diet and exercise. Obesity is an ever-growing problem. Diet fad shortcuts are the norm and produce short-lived results that, in the end, add extra pounds on and can harm you health. DVC Weight Loss Buddies believes that the only way to properly maintain a healthier body weight is through a healthy diet and exercise. Anorexic and bulimic tendencies and diet pills are strongly discouraged. Participants should strive to lose one to two pounds a week, in order to have a better chance of keeping the weight off for years and years to come.
Bell encourages people to participate. She says, "there are many reasons to do this. A weight struggle is just like any other addiction. People won't attempt to change until they are ready, and in their time. Well, I don't want my child to have to endure fat jokes because of me." For more information and registration/marathon guidelines visit the official Web site at www.dvercity.com/buddies.html or e-mail weightbuddies@dvercity.com. Sponsorship opportunities are available.
E-mail:speedypaperz@dvercity.com Snail-mail:DverCITY, Inc., P.O. Box 0733, Niceville, FL 32588 Toll-Free 1-877-421-2504 FAX IT! (850)402-9826 Questions /Comments: Webmaster Revised --May 21, 2001 |