65,000 Free Health Club Memberships Have Already Been Donated to Teens Across the Country for This Summer Program

According to the American Council on Exercise, the percentage of children and adolescents who are defined as overweight or obese has tripled since the early 1970s. This alarming rise in the overweight and obesity epidemic is due in part to the more modern society that we live in, but mostly because we have not been confronting this problem where it starts, in our early years. Today, 15 percent of Americans ages six to 19 are clinically obese and another 15 percent are considered at risk of becoming obese. That is why Lady of America, Ladies Workout Express and Workout Express Fitness Centers are kicking off the third season of its FitTEEN program. In two previous seasons of FitTEEN, approximately 65,000 teenagers ages 13-19 signed up all over the country for the program, which allows them to have access to a health club for the entire summer at no charge. Beginning June 1, teens will again be able to sign up to use any Lady of America, Ladies Workout Express or Workout Express free of charge until September 1.

Now, with more then 1,000 locations in 47 states and six countries, these facilities have been motivating more than a million exercisers to get in shape since 1984.

"We want to provide a place for teens to be able to acclimate themselves to a healthy lifestyle at a young age," says Scott Breault, spokesman for Lady of America, Ladies Workout Express and Workout Express. "We feel it is important to offer them this opportunity so that they can begin to develop positive living habits in their teenage years that can start them out on the right path for a healthy life as they grow older. We've seen the studies and have seen the rise in the overweight epidemic facing the youth of America. We want to make sure that our younger generation of Americans has the opportunity to experience the thrill of working out in a safe, comfortable environment and improve their lives through fitness."

The decision to develop this program for teens was an easy one when confronted with the startling statistics. According to the American Heart Association, nearly 300,000 people die each year due to obesity-related causes, making obesity the second leading cause of death behind smoking. Combine that with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' fact that nearly 50% of students in grades 9 through 12 watch television more than 2 hours per day once they get home from school. Combined with the failing efforts of our nation's physical education programs, our children aren't receiving the necessary tools to become healthy adults. Our teenagers are in desperate need of direction to keep healthy.

The process to eliminate the overweight and obesity epidemic must and should begin with our children. The first step in successfully combating this epidemic is to make access to fitness readily available.

Through easy access to fitness, we have an opportunity to confront these conditions and prevent unnecessary disease and disability that obesity brings about for their future. Through additional education and awareness, we have the ability to empower them to make healthy lifestyle choices. Taking action at this age will have a profound effect on increasing the quality and years of healthy living and on eliminating health disparities in America.

"Our goal here is simple," says Breault. "We want them to have a place to go to begin what we hope will be a long and successful relationship with the health and fitness industry that will make them healthy, energetic and productive adults."

For more information on the FitTEEN program and to find the nearest location, call (800) 833-5239 or visit http://www.ladyofamerica.com/ , http://www.ladiesworkoutexpress.com/ or http://www.workoutexpress.com/ and click on Worldwide Locations. To take advantage of the offer, go to any Lady of America, Ladies Workout Express or Workout Express and bring along a parent or guardian for initial consent.

Source: Lady of America

CONTACT: Scott Breault, Lady of America Franchise Corporation,
+1-954-527-5373, ext. 220, or scott@ladyofamerica.com

Web site: http://www.ladyofamerica.com/
http://www.ladiesworkoutexpress.com/
http://www.workoutexpress.com/