IDEA And KASHI® Form Partnership To Inspire The World To Fitness®

San Diego – IDEA Health & Fitness Association and the Kashi Company today announced a partnership in which the two organizations will work together to give fitness professionals the nutritional products and information they need to help their clients achieve their health and fitness goals.

"Smart and healthy eating is a key component in fighting the twin health care challenges of obesity and sedentary living. As IDEA members work to Inspire the World to Fitness, they need to be able to give their clients sensible and practical advice about the right ways to eat,@ said Kathie Davis, Executive Director of IDEA. "Because Kashi is a leader in developing healthy and nutritious food products and in providing useful information about good health, wellness and weight management, IDEA can now help our members advise their clients on important nutritional issues."

"Heart disease and obesity are two of the leading health concerns in the United States. However, these two diseases are preventable, to a large extent, through positive lifestyle changes such as eating better and becoming more physically active," said Jeff Johnson, Director of Nutrition for the Kashi Company. "At Kashi, our mission is to help people make those changes by offering great-tasting and nutritious natural foods. Through our partnership with IDEA, we are able to address these problems head on and help fitness professionals Inspire the World to Fitness."

Inspire the World to Fitness is a major initiative recently launched by IDEA and the goal of this program is to have IDEA's 19,000-plus membership reach over one-half million inactive people over the next five years. Through its educational conferences, four publications and educational products, IDEA is committed to giving fitness professionals the resources and tools they need to bring effective health and fitness programs to the physically inactive.

Founded in 1984, Kashi Company's mission is to provide great tasting, all-natural and innovative foods that enable people to achieve their health, wellness and weight management goals. As proponents of "whole foods," Kashi strives to develop foods with healthy and nutritious ingredients that are less processed and free of artificial sweeteners, colors and preservatives. Kashi brands include: Kashi® Good Friends and Kashi® Good Friends Cinna-Raisin Crunch cereal; Kashi® GoLEAN® Natural Slimming System Cereals, Bars, Shakes and Waffles; Puffed Kashi® and Honey Puffed Kashi® cereals, Kashi® Medley cereal, Kashi® Heart to Heart , Kashi® TLC - Tasty Little Crackers, Kashi® Seven in the Morning and Kashi® Organic Promise cereals. For more information, visit www.kashi.com or call the Kashi Company at (858) 274-8870.

Kashi will be a major exhibitor at the IDEA World Fitness & Personal Trainer Convention -- being held in Anaheim, California, July 17-20, 2003 - where they will introduce these exiting new products to fitness professionals:

New Kashi GOLEAN Crunchy! Bars:
GOLEAN Crunchy! bars are full of soy protein and are high in fiber - so you stay energized and feel satisfied longer. They are also fortified with a specific blend of nutrients including vitamin E, folic acid and calcium, to help meet daily needs. Our new GOLEAN Crunchy! bars come in three delicious flavors, Sublime Lemon-Lime, Chocolate Peanut Bliss and Chocolate Caramel Karma.

New Kashi Organic Promise Autumn Wheat Cereal:
Enjoy the true taste of these abundantly delicious organic whole-wheat biscuits with a kiss of natural sweetness. Organic Promise Autumn Wheat is made with whole grain wheat, is high in fiber with 6 grams per serving and is low fat and sodium free. Just like all Organic Promise cereals, Autumn Wheat provides true taste, true nourishment and is true to nature.

New Kashi Cheese TLC Crackers: Kashi is thrilled to introduce Country Cheddar flavored Cheese TLCs! These great-tasting snack crackers are made by combining real cheddar cheese with our heritage blend of Seven Whole Grains & Sesame. And Cheese TLCs are made without any saturated fat, partially hydrogenated oils or trans fats!

IDEA Health & Fitness Association is the world's leading membership organization of health and fitness professionals with more than 19,000 members in over 80 countries. Since 1982, IDEA has provided health and fitness professionals with pertinent information, educational opportunities, career development programs and industry leadership while helping them enhance the quality of life worldwide through safe, effective fitness and healthy lifestyle programs. For more information on IDEA events, publications, educational products, member services or other activities, visit the IDEA website at: www.IDEAfit.com.

MEMBERS OF THE NEWS MEDIA: To receive a IDEA World Fitness & Personal Trainer Convention brochure and schedule of events, or to receive a registration form for a complimentary press pass, contact David Gilroy at: (858) 535-8979, ext. 262, or e-mail: gilroyd@IDEAfit.com