Weight Watchers Continues Push for `Pick of the Season¿ for 2005

WOODBURY, N.Y. - Weight Watchers International will reprise its Pick of the Season campaign in 2005, and is inviting produce suppliers to recommend participants. Launched last year, Pick of the Season was designed to champion the importance and dietary benefits of fresh produce. It spotlights seasonal fruits and vegetables, and provides nutrition information as well as delectable recipes that incorporate the Pick of the Season selection.

The 2005 Pick of the Season campaign will kick off in January with carrots as the selected food. In 2004, the program’s quarterly picks were potatoes, spinach, bananas, and pears.

The goal of the program is to communicate that fruits and vegetables are not only an important part of a healthy lifestyle, but are also great choices when trying to lose weight or maintain a desired weight. The Weight Watchers program recommends eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

"Weight Watchers has always believed that a healthy and well-balanced diet is inclusive of all food groups, but we single out fruits and vegetables for their notable contributions to good health," said Maria Walls, senior nutritionist at Weight Watchers International, Inc. "They are widely available either canned, frozen, or fresh, and provide many of the nutrients needed for a healthy lifestyle, without the fat and high calories found in many other foods."

Program components in this year's initiative will include:

-- More than one million three-panel informational cards, which include four recipes and facts on a chosen fruit or vegetable, to be distributed and discussed in Weight Watchers meeting rooms.

-- A RecipeWire press release sent to food editors nationwide, as part of a larger publicity campaign that could include a satellite media tour, matte release or video news release.

-- Information about the chosen food on WeightWatchers.com, which depicts the Pick of the Season selection under the "Market Fresh" section.

-- The Weight Watchers Pick of the Season logo on the point-of-sale material, packaging, advertising, and public relations efforts during the promotion time period. Many versions of carrot bags will carry the Pick of the Season logo from January to March 2005.

-- Promotion in Weight Watchers Magazine.

The weight loss organization also encourages retailers to support the effort by displaying the available materials and running circular ads for produce partner's products. Interested parties should contact Sharyn O'Mara at 516-390-1429 or omaras@weight-watchers.com.