Weight Loss Buddy opens new health and fitness portal with a free matching service.

At Weight Loss Buddy, thousands have found a supportive resource to face the life style changes needed to face what our nations Surgeon General warned could soon be our leading cause of preventable death and disease. In the six months since the first notice went out over a Usenet newsgroup, over 2,200 dieters seeking support and local exercise partners have signed up to discretely find each other with Weight Loss Buddys exclusive search engine.

(PRWEB) June 21, 2004 -- In the six months since the first notice went out over a Usenet newsgroup, over 2,200 dieters seeking support and local exercise partners have signed up to discretely find each other with Weight Loss Buddys exclusive search engine. Over 200 members have chosen to introduce themselves in the full-featured message board, where the Emergency Room waits for those who need to put down that cookie" and Success Stories offers hope and encouragement. 80 members have formed teams with an average of 3 participants and there are currently four Challenges running, using WLBs unique scoring method to monitor a teams progress while protecting individual privacy.

The Challenge is the cornerstone of the Weight Loss Buddy organization. This creative twelve-week program of exercise, nutrition and behavior modification is praised by its members, who speak of it as the turning point" when they knew beyond a doubt that this time theyd succeed.

Underlying the Challenge is a basic truth about losing weight: emotional support is powerful. In fact, studies have shown that when friends follow a weight loss program together - they lose more weight and keep it off longer - than those who try it alone.

Losing weight and getting into shape can often be a lonely and frustrating process", said Joe Dweck, CEO and Founder of Weight Loss Buddy. Too often people go on fad diets or buy into the latest gimmicks only to be let down when they gain all the weight back. Our company aims to offer a no frills, supportive solution for weight loss. The Weight Loss Buddy Challenge will provide a comfortable, stress free environment that promotes dedication and support to those seeking weight loss and healthier lifestyles."

A new community-building site, WeightLossBuddy.com offers visitors a wealth of current information, motivational newsletters and nutritious recipes. Members, who can register with just a username, have the option of leaving detailed profiles – as much as they care to share. Registrants enjoy access to content for managing stress and bolstering self-esteem, as well as activities designed to make permanent lifestyle changes easier, excerpted from The Weight Loss Buddy® 12-Week Challenge Activity Book, as well as ideas from another WLB exclusive offering, 50 Weight Loss Tips and Tricks – available only at the online Buddy Shop.

Weight Loss Buddys board of expert advisors include Dr. Robert Epstein, the former Editor-in-Chief of Psychology Today whose most recent book is The Big Book of Stress-Relief Games; Marion Nestle, Ph.D., M.P.H., professor and Chair of the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at New York University and author of Food Politics; Dr. Alan Gettis, a nutritionist and clinical psychologist and author of Seven Times Down, Eight Times Up: Landing On Your Feet In An Upside Down World and weight loss success coach Wendy Hearn, whose weekly Weight Loss Success Newsletter" is sent to Weight Loss Buddys membership.

In an online poll, two thirds of WLB respondents said they wanted it all: someone to encourage them, a sympathetic ear to talk to in a responsive environment as well as someone to share a walk or a work out. At Weight Loss Buddy, thousands have found a supportive resource to face the life style changes needed to face what our nations Surgeon General warned could soon be our leading cause of preventable death and disease.

For more information or review copies of The Weight Loss Buddy® 12-Week Challenge Activity Book or 50 Weight Loss Tips and Tricks please contact:

Joe Dweck
(877) BUDDYUP (283-3987)
http://www.weightlossbuddy.com