BET Premieres the Second Hardhitting Topic of the Cousin Jeff Chronicles and It's a Big Deal

BET Premieres the Second Hardhitting Topic of the Cousin Jeff Chronicles and It's a Big Deal

Host Jeff Johnson Explores the Dangers of Obesity in Black America on July 14 at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT

NEW YORK, July 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The CDC States that 60% of African- American men and 80% of African-American women can be considered overweight or obese. Studies go further to show that both Black and Latino youth are becoming obese at three times the rate of non-minority children. On July 14 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT, host Jeff Johnson reveals the disturbing statistics and personal stories of African Americans battling obesity. Episode III of THE COUSIN JEFF CHRONICLES follows the everyday struggles of a 14-year old teenager who weighs over 300 pounds, capturing every step of her overwhelming battle with weight loss. Tune in to gain expert advice from Lynn Swann, Chairman of the Presidents Council of Physical Fitness and Sports; Stephan Thomas, Director of Minority Health at the University of Pittsburgh; and others as we take a first-hand look at health implications connected with obesity and what can be done as a community to help solve it.

Dubbed as the voice for a new generation, Jeff Johnson raises social and political awareness in young people by touching on subjects relevant to their culture and environment. Whether sharing his political expertise on BET or elsewhere, Jeff captivates audiences with his distinctive ability to fuel dialogue and examine various points of view. Jeff was first introduced to BET viewers as a frequent guest on the popular music program RAP CITY. But Jeff is no stranger to political forums. He is the former Vice President of Russell Simmons' Hip Hop Summit Action Network and the former National Director of the NAACP Youth and College Division. Jeff has been seen on BET TONIGHT and C-SPAN; and been featured in the Washington Post, USA Today and New York Times. He has lectured at colleges and universities around the country and continues to conduct leadership training sessions for young people and adults.

ABOUT BET

BET, a subsidiary of Viacom, Inc. (NYSE: VIA; VIA.B), is the nation's leading television network providing quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs programming for the African-American audience. The BET Network reaches more than 80 million households according to Nielsen media research, and can be seen in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. BET is a dominant consumer brand in the urban marketplace with a diverse group of branded businesses: BET.com, the Number 1 Internet portal for African Americans; BET Digital Networks - BET Jazz, BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Event Productions, specializing in a full range of event production services, including event management, venue selection, talent recruitment, sound, lighting and stage production; and BET Books, the nation's leading publisher of African-American themed romance novels under the Arabesque imprint which also publishes compelling fiction under the Sepia imprint and inspirational fiction and nonfiction under the New Spirit imprint.

Source: BET (Black Entertainment Television)

CONTACT: Marcy Polanco, +1-212-975-3327, marcy.polanco@bet.net, or Tricia Newell, +1-212-975-8230, tricia.newell@bet.net, both of BET

Web site: http://www.bet.com/

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