Star Trac, USC and Dumbell Man Tackle Childhood Obesity

Irvine, CA – July 10, 2007 – Star Trac, an international leader in the commercial fitness industry, is working together with USC and The Dumbell Man, a premier Los Angeles-area fitness equipment dealer, to fight childhood obesity through the SANO LA (Strength and Nutrition Outcomes in Los Angeles) study, a program designed to provide minority youth and their families a new attitude toward health through exercise and culturally appropriate nutritional education while reducing the effects of obesity-related illness, specifically among minority youth in the United States.

SANO LA hopes to prove that a change in lifestyle can help combat the ever-increasing prevalence of Type II Diabetes and other obesity-related illnesses by teaching children how to make smart food choices at mealtime and incorporate exercise into their daily routines. The program and study, conducted primarily at the USC Veronica Atkins Lifestyle Intervention Lab, is supported by The Dumbell Man and Star Trac.

The Dumbell Man President and CEO Michael Garvey donated several pieces of Star Trac fitness equipment to SANO LA, including a Pro Series treadmill, a MaxRack® and several Instinctâ„¢ strength pieces. Through Garvey’s involvement, Star Trac was introduced to the SANO LA program, and Western Regional Territory Manager Rick Nelson donated an additional two Pro Series total body trainers to the Lab.

“Star Trac’s mission is based on the concept of promoting lifelong habits for health and fitness, and we believe the SANO LA program is an outstanding way to reach individuals that may not traditionally have access to fitness equipment, education and resources. We hope the program allows these young people and their families the opportunity to learn healthy habits they can carry through into the future,” said Randy Bergstedt, Vice President of Marketing for Star Trac. “We are proud to be associated with SANO LA and to work with The Dumbell Man to positively impact the lives of these children and their families.”

Garvey further elaborated on Bergstedt’s sentiments. “The Dumbell Man became involved in the project because it was a great opportunity for our business to make a difference. There is overwhelming evidence of the childhood obesity problem in this country and as an industry supplier, we felt obligated to be involved in efforts to help. Our partnership with Star Trac and the SANO LA program made this possible for us.”

Dr. Louise Kelly, a lead researcher on the project, stated that the donation of the equipment by Star Trac and The Dumbell Man was crucial to the project’s success.

“Without the donation of the equipment from Michael Garvey [and Star Trac], we [at the SANO LA project] would not have been able to do the lifestyle intervention,” said Kelly. “USC did not have any funds for us to buy the equipment. If we had not received the equipment, there was a strong possibility that the funding might have been pulled, we would not have been able to conduct the study, and the fantastic children that went through the program would not have been able to reap the benefits.”

The program recruits children in groups of 30-40 per 16-week session. Each group is then broken down into three smaller groups of 10-15 adolescents, who are then assigned to a specific test methodology. The first group was provided educational pamphlets about living a healthier life. The second group was brought to the Veronica Atkins Lifestyle Intervention Lab to learn about nutrition, how to choose healthier options at mealtime, how to cook more well-rounded meals, and most importantly how to increase their dietary fiber and reduce sugar intake. The third group combined the hands-on nutritional learning with a strength training regimen designed specifically for adolescents. The group meets twice a week (on non-consecutive days) for 16 weeks in 60 or 90-minute sessions. The participants exercise on Star Trac cardiovascular and strength equipment, donated by The Dumbell Man and Star Trac.

The goal of the study is to evaluate which activities can motivate the behavioral change necessary to begin to eliminate childhood obesity, specifically among minority adolescents. The initial results are positive; participants have been making healthier decisions at meal and snack times, there has been significant weight loss among some participants, and others are reporting higher grades, improved self-esteem, and increased focus and attention spans. While there is still one year remaining in the initial four-year pilot study, SANO LA has begun seeking additional funding in order to open up the program to other minority populations. With the help of other socially-conscious parties like Michael Garvey and Star Trac, and funding from organizations like the National Cancer Institute and National Institute of Health, Dr. Kelly and her team will continue in their efforts to instill healthy habits in children and their families.

About Star Trac
Star Trac offers a complete line of user-focused cardiovascular and strength equipment including Impact Strengthâ„¢ with LockNLoadâ„¢ technology, the Instinctâ„¢ Circuit Programâ„¢, the new E Series treadmills, bikes, steppers and total body
trainers with SelectFit™, featuring Made for iPod® connectivity and user-controlled cooling fans. In addition, the company offers the HumanSport™ line of dual functional cable-based strength training equipment. The company is also partnered
with Mad Dogg Athletics, the creators of Spinning®, as the manufacturer for all three Spinner® bikes including the groundbreaking Spinner® NXT. More than 3 million people in over 70 countries use Star Trac exercise equipment daily. For more information about Star Trac call 1-800-228-6635 or visit www.startrac.com.

About SANO LA and The Dumbell Man
The SANO LA program is funded by the National Institute of Health and housed on the University of Southern California Health Sciences Campus. For more information about the SANO LA program, contact lead researcher Dr. Louise Kelly at louiseke@usc.edu or 323-442-2385. The Dumbell Man has been a leading provider of commercial exercise equipment in the greater Los Angeles-area for more than 15 years. For more information about The Dumbell Man, please visit dumbellman.com or contact Michael Garvey at mgarvey@dumbellman.com or 800-432-6266.

SPIN®, Spinning®, Spinner® and the Spinning® logo are registered trademarks of Mad Dogg Athletics, Inc. LockNLoad is a trademark of Innovative Strength Technology, LLC. iPod is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc. Impact Strength, Instinct, Instinct Circuit Program, SelectFit and HumanSport are trademarks of Unisen, Inc. Star Trac and the Star Trac logo are registered trademarks of Unisen, Inc.

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