BET Foundation Beats the Battle of the Bulge With

the 2006 'A Healthy BET' Fitness Challenge

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a successful second year,
the BET Foundation along with General Mills brand Honey Nut
Cheerios(R), BET Networks and BET.com announced today their plans to
again sponsor the 3rd Annual A Healthy BET Fitness Challenge. This
year, Canyon Ranch, the country's premier life enhancement company,
also joins the effort as a sponsor, and will provide their invaluable
expertise and famed health and wellness facilities to assist this
year's winning teams in achieving their fitness goals. The national
weight-loss and fitness competition launches today, and will
handsomely reward the teams that meet their objectives at the end of
the "challenge phase."

A Healthy BET Fitness Challenge is one of several health-focused
components of the BET Foundation which strongly encourages and
motivates individuals to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Beginning January
9 through February 6, interested persons can go to
http://www.ahealthybet.com to complete the required online
registration process, including submitting a 150- word essay and team
photo. On February 13, four teams made up of eight finalists will be
chosen to participate in the fitness challenge phase, and a special
six-day fitness program. Also, BET.com will feature online updates on
the teams' progress, interactive health-focused content, and online
chats with Jeanette Jenkins on http://www.ahealthybet.com to
complement the fitness challenge efforts. The teams will also receive
fitness materials and clothing provided by The Hollywood Trainer and
Lady Foot Locker.

To help jumpstart their fitness challenge, the finalists will attend a
six-day fitness preparation program at Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona
from February 26 - March 4. Canyon Ranch health and wellness
professionals will work closely with the teams as they take part in
the Life Enhancement Program which includes personal fitness and
medical evaluations, nutrition counseling, and healthy meal
preparation, physical activities, and advice on developing positive
practices in everyday living. "Canyon Ranch is an environment that
inspires people to make a lasting commitment to a wellness lifestyle,"
stated Canyon Ranch Life Enhancement Center Director Jim Eastburn. "We
are excited to partner with the BET Foundation in this program and
look forward to working with the participating teams to help them
achieve their goals."

Enlisting her expertise and assistance throughout the 2006 A Healthy
BET Fitness Challenge is renowned Hollywood fitness expert and A
Healthy BET spokesperson, Jeanette Jenkins. Jenkins will help the
teams identify and establish their fitness goals, and provide them
with the necessary information to adopting a healthier lifestyle. The
2006 A Healthy BET Fitness Challenge concludes on June 5, 2006 and
teams that meet their collective fitness goals will receive an
all-expense paid trip to the 2006 BET AWARDS in Los Angeles, including
airfare and hotel. The winning teams will also receive an opportunity
to walk the famed BET AWARDS red carpet, get a Healthy BET makeover,
and a gift package, including a cash reward.

Coinciding with this year's national A Healthy BET Fitness Challenge
kick- off is a special BET Employee Fitness Challenge which offers an
opportunity for employees of the cable network to get fit. Employees
will have from January 9 until April 3 to lose unwanted pounds and
inches while incorporating a healthier way of life. The winner will
receive an all-expense paid trip to Canyon Ranch, including airfare
and hotel.

The BET Foundation's goal is to promote healthy eating and lifestyle
habits to reduce the occurrence of obesity among African-Americans.
"The BET Foundation is dedicated to its healthy lifestyle campaign and
this fitness challenge provides an excellent platform for both the
contestants and BET employees in achieving a healthy and balanced
lifestyle," states Lynda Dorman, executive director of the BET
Foundation. "We look forward to working with General Mills, Honey Nut
Cheerios and our new sponsor, Canyon Ranch, this year in offering an
invaluable resource to obtain the vital information and motivation
necessary for successful results."

ABOUT BET FOUNDATION

The BET Foundation is a non-profit organization created to raise
public awareness to the numerous health-related challenges within
African-American communities. Established in 2003, the Foundation
takes a pioneering step in addressing one of the leading
behavioral-attributed health concerns among African-American women and
families, obesity-related health concerns. Through
specifically-tailored initiatives and targeted campaigns, the BET
Foundation aims to insure that African Americans live longer and
healthier lives. The BET Foundation includes public service
announcements (PSAs); targeted programming segments; seminars and
health forums; health brochure materials; a dedicated toll-free
hotline and website; and a nationwide Healthy BET Fitness Challenge
contest to provide the tools and knowledge necessary for communities
to develop long lasting healthy lifestyle habits. For more
information, please visit http://www.ahealthybet.com.

ABOUT GENERAL MILLS

General Mills, with annual net sales of $10.8 billion, is a leading
global manufacturer and marketer of consumer food products. Its global
brand portfolio includes Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant,
Haagen-Dazs, Old El Paso and more. It also has more than 100 U.S.
consumer brands, more than 30 of which generate annual retail sales in
excess of $100 million. General Mills is also a leading supplier of
baking and other food products to foodservice and commercial baking
industries.

ABOUT CANYON RANCH

Mel and Enid Zuckerman founded the original Canyon Ranch in Tucson,
Arizona in 1979 and ten years later followed it with a second
destination wellness resort in Lenox, Massachusetts. For over 25
years, they have guided the growth of the organization designed to
help individuals meaningfully improve the quality of their lives.
Canyon Ranch consistently receives top rankings in national surveys,
readers' polls, and editors' selections and has been voted best in its
class by the readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine ten times.
http://www.canyonranch.com

ABOUT JEANETTE JENKINS / THE HOLLYWOOD TRAINER

Jeanette Jenkins is one of the country's leading fitness experts. Her
passion for fitness began as a teenager and her dedication has never
wavered. She is the president of a successful company, The Hollywood
Trainer, LLC, which produces and distributes home fitness videos. She
has motivated and inspired thousands of people across country to
improve the quality of their lives through health and fitness. She has
appeared on Extra, Good Day Live, Best Damn Sports Show ... Period,
VH1, The Food Network, and been featured in the L.A. Times, Self,
Fitness, People, Us Weekly, In-Style, Women's Health and Fitness, etc.
For more information about Jeanette Jenkins visit
http://www.thehollywoodtrainer.com. SOURCE BET Foundation