On the Road With Discovery Health Channel's TOTAL FAMILY HEALTH Initiative

On the Road With Discovery Health Channel's TOTAL FAMILY HEALTH Initiative

- Network Plans Multi-tiered Initiative to Include Traveling Health Big Rig, Quarterly Television Specials and Online Information Geared to Family Health -

SILVER SPRING, Md., Aug. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- This summer, Discovery Health Channel takes families on a road trip toward better health. Announcing its TOTAL FAMILY HEALTH initiative, Discovery Health Channel is committed to educating families about the full range of family health issues necessary in living healthy lives -- including fitness, nutrition, finance, parenting and preventative health care.

TOTAL FAMILY HEALTH consists of three components: an interactive mobile tour (traveling interactive big rig); quarterly television specials; and a strong online presence at http://www.discoveryhealth.com/. Each component complements the others, bringing families vital, relevant and fun information about their health and well-being and giving them the resources to make healthy lifestyle decisions. The network is partnering with the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) on the interactive mobile tour and online component of this initiative.

"TOTAL FAMILY HEALTH is another way the network ventures beyond television," says Eileen O'Neill, senior vice president and general manager of Discovery Health Channel. "By going on the road, Discovery Health Channel reaches out to families in their communities to provide resources about the most relevant health issues and empowers families to achieve healthier, longer and more fulfilling lives."

Traveling Interactive Big Rig

Beginning August 5, Discovery Health Channel is taking its TOTAL FAMILY HEALTH big rig on the road for eight weeks stopping at festivals throughout the United States. Designed to share positive health information through hands-on experience, the custom-designed, 53-foot big rig features educational and entertaining activity kiosks, health advisors and taped segments with renowned Discovery Health Channel personalities, including nutrition expert Dr. Pamela Peeke, bestselling author of Body for Life for Women, and Dr. Mehmet Oz, Discovery Health Channel's senior medical contributor and bestselling co-author of You: The Owner's Manual.

The mobile tour offers families a fun, interactive and engaging experience that provides resources and information to achieve a higher level of total health. Families are encouraged to take advantage of complimentary giveaways, games and health information focused on nutrition, fitness, preventative health care, family balance, parenting, disease and conditions and more. The kiosks, which contain information from the AAFP and ADA, provide healthy lifestyle demonstrations for adults and fun games to help children understand the basics of good health.

The truck features a welcome area where an emcee conducts quizzes, offers fun health facts and introduces regional speakers and non-profit partners to talk about health. In addition, families can jump on a NeXfit "exergaming" fitness bike to see how they perform against Lance Armstrong's cycling pace.

Sister networks, FitTV and Discovery Kids, as well as the Discovery Channel Store have an active presence within the mobile tour.

Quarterly Television Specials

Hosted by well-known Discovery Health Channel personality Lu Hanessian, each quarterly television special highlights health issues common to all families, with each hour tackling a different health challenge including obesity, childrearing and personal financial health.

On September 13, at 10 PM ET/PT, Discovery Health Channel premieres FIT FAMILY, a one-hour FitTV special providing viewers an inside look at the Pitts, a family that undergoes a total lifestyle, fitness and nutrition overhaul. High-energy trainers Brett Hoebel and Nikki Kimbrough have taken on the challenge of reversing the Pitts' bad habits, but they're given only six weeks. Cameras follow the Pitts and their trainers to grocery stores, restaurants, the gym and school as the trainers whip the entire family into shape.

Online Component

The TOTAL FAMILY HEALTH online component leverages existing "Health Centers" and tools that enhance the television specials and complement information available on the tour. Specifically, the online site provides health quizzes, self-assessments and information tailored to men and women's health and relationship advice. In addition, Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Web site's family health doctor, gives advice and facts about health and wellness. Television previews and information about the traveling interactive big rig tour stops are available at http://www.discoveryhealth.com/.

Sponsorship

Discovery Health Channel's Total Family Health is sponsored by Smart Spot(TM) from PepsiCo.

PepsiCo is one of the world's largest food and beverage companies, with annual revenues of $29 billion. Through its Smart Spot(TM) program, PepsiCo offers more than 100 products that contribute to healthier lifestyles. This includes brands like Quaker Oatmeal, Tropicana Pure Premium, Gatorade thirst quencher, Propel Fitness Water, Aquafina, Baked! Lay's and Diet Pepsi. Smart Spot designation means products meet nutrition criteria based on authoritative statements from the US Food and Drug Administration and the National Academy of Sciences. Consumers can find the green symbol with the words "Smart Choices Made Easy" on the front of all qualifying products. For more information on the Smart Spot program and to get started towards a healthier lifestyle, log on to http://www.smartspot.com/.

Partnerships

Founded in 1947, the American Academy of Family Physicians represents more than 94,000 physicians and medical students nationwide. It is the only medical specialty society devoted solely to primary care. Please visit http://www.aafp.org/ for more information about AAFP.

The American Diabetes Association is the nation's premier voluntary health organization supporting diabetes research, information and advocacy. The Association's mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. Founded in 1940, the Association provides services to hundreds of communities across the country. For more information, please call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342- 2383) or visit http://www.diabetes.org/. Information from both these sources is available in English and Spanish.

About Discovery Health Channel

Discovery Health Channel takes viewers inside the fascinating and informative world of health and medicine to experience firsthand, compelling, real-life stories of medical breakthroughs and human triumphs. Currently in 58 million homes, Discovery Health Channel is the only 24-hour network and Web site -- discoveryhealth.com -- devoted to what matters most -- health.

Source: Discovery Health Channel

CONTACT: Tahli Kouperstein of Discovery Health Channel, +1-240-662-2221, tahli_kouperstein@discovery.com

Web site: http://www.discoveryhealth.com/ http://www.smartspot.com/ http://www.aafp.org/ http://www.diabetes.org/

------- Profile: Ent