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Rite Aid Partners With Lindora, Leading Medical Weight Control Program, to Offer Programs and Information on Healthy Weight Management

Posted on: Wednesday, 27 December 2006, 09:00 CST

Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE:RAD) announced today that starting January 1, the company will launch a free month-long healthy weight management program in all Rite Aid stores that includes a free healthy weight guide, the Rite Weigh Challenge weight loss program, a Rite Weigh planner and access to a special website with additional valuable weight management tools. At any Rite Aid store, or on Rite Aid's website, www.riteaid.com, customers can sign up for the Rite Weigh Challenge, a 10-week program that provides the tools and motivation needed to lose 10% of your body weight and make major improvements in your health and wellness. Rite Aid is conducting the program in partnership with Lindora, Inc., a long established and leading medical weight control program based in Southern California.

Earlier this year Rite Aid announced a partnership with Lindora, to open in Orange County, CA, the first in-store health care clinics that also offer medically supervised treatment for weight management. Lindora opened their first health care clinic in a Rite Aid store in Costa Mesa, CA on October 2, 2006, with two more scheduled to open in Newport Beach and Laguna Nigel, CA in February 2007. The partnership has now expanded to offer Rite Aid customers nationwide information on weight management and to challenge America to lose weight and become healthier. Lindora has been safely helping people lose weight rapidly for over 35 years and with Lindora's expertise, Rite Aid has developed valuable weight management tips and information and the Rite Weigh Challenge, a safe and effective step-by-step weight loss program.

"Over the past 20 years, obesity in the United States has increased by an astonishing 36 percent," said Mark de Bruin, Rite Aid's senior executive vice president of pharmacy. "Being overweight can contribute to over fifty other health problems including heart disease, diabetes and arthritis. The Healthy Weight initiative is part of Rite Aid's commitment to offering programs to help people live healthier lives. Our pharmacists are specially trained as healthcare experts and through our unique and growing partnership with Lindora, we can offer an easy and safe way for people to reach weight loss goals."

"With nearly two-thirds of all Americans classified as either overweight or obese, the need is growing for easy access to effective and long-term weight control. Our programs are designed to help the public safely achieve their weight loss goals," said Cynthia Stamper Graff, Lindora president and chief executive officer. "We look forward to a long collaboration with Rite Aid so that, together, we can reach out to more Americans and help them achieve our ultimate goal of improving the health of those in the communities we serve with more programs like the Healthy Weight Management initiative."

The 16-page comprehensive Healthy Weight Guide provides information on the growing obesity epidemic, helpful advice on weight management, a Body Mass Index calculator, information on healthy diet, weight loss success strategies, stress busters, information on the importance of exercise and, compliments of Fitness Magazine, an exercise routine to get started. Fitness, published by Meredith Corp., is a leading women's magazine targeting womens' wellness interests.

The travel-size Rite Weigh Planner, available at Rite Aid stores, accompanies the Rite Weigh Challenge 10-week weight loss program and includes a step-by-step outline of the 10-week weight loss plan complete with daily and weekly goals diet and exercise goals, weekly charts to record success, sample menus and coupons on Rite Aid products. A similar version of the Rite Weigh Planner can be printed for tracking use from the Rite Aid website.

Exclusive online weight loss tools are also available on the Rite Aid website, www.riteaid.com complete with more menu plans, daily motivational emails and tips, and an online weight tracker. Upon program completion, participants are encouraged to submit their feedback and five lucky Rite Weight Challengers will win their choice of a $500 Rite Aid Gift Card, a $500 SpaFinder Gift Certificate or a one-year membership to Bally Total Fitness.

The Rite Weigh Challenge is part of Rite Aid's larger weight management initiative, part of the company's overall commitment to patient health and wellness. Other company health and wellness initiatives include diabetes care, vitamin education, summer skincare, allergy awareness and maintaining a healthy heart.

Established in 1971, Lindora offers a multi-faceted, medically supervised program combining diet, moderate exercise and motivational tools to help patients become Lean for Life®. Emphasizing the philosophy of "Eat Better, Move More, Stress Less™" the program helps 4,000 patients each day at its 35 Southern California medical clinics and thousands more through its online programs and best-selling books. Lindora is a member of the Partnership for Healthy Weight Management, a coalition composed of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Federal Trade Commission, Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health. For more information, visit www.lindora.com.

Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE, PCX:RAD) is one of the nation's leading drugstore chains with annual revenues of $17.3 billion and approximately 3,320 stores in 27 states and the District of Columbia. Information about Rite Aid, including corporate background and press releases, is available through the company's website at www.riteaid.com.

Source: Business Wire

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