Iconic Superstar Janet Jackson Unveiled as the New Face of Nutrisystem

FORT WASHINGTON, Pa., Dec. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Nutrisystem, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTRI), the leading home delivery weight loss program, announces today its association with superstar Janet Jackson for the launch of SUCCESS, the Company's most comprehensive weight loss program to date and its most substantial reformulation in years.  The program will include a national advertising campaign showcasing Ms. Jackson's Nutrisystem weight loss success to date and her journey to sustainable, healthy eating.

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Reformulated Menu with Increased Protein, New Chef's Table™ Steamer Entrees and Programs to Support Sustained Success

The Nutrisystem® SUCCESS™ approach is designed to help take the weight off and keep it off through frequent, portion-controlled, balanced nutrition and low Glycemic Index eating.  The SUCCESS program offers the Company's largest ever assortment of signature artisanal fresh-frozen meals including new Chef's Table™ dinner entrees, developed by Nutrisystem's Celebrity Chef Culinary Council using revolutionary advanced steamer technology; new chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and coffee advanced protein shakes; the introduction of a personalized "My Daily 3™" physical activity program; and increased personalization and flexibility through transition and maintenance plans that help consumers manage their weight on their own.

Janet Jackson Succeeds With Nutrisystem

Having written one of 2011's biggest bestsellers which dealt in large part with her own on-going efforts to maintain a healthy body, Ms. Jackson enjoys a special position as an inspirational role model for women everywhere who are struggling with weight loss and body image issues. In her first effort as an author, the international superstar described her life-long efforts to address weight loss and fitness in True You, which went to number one on The New York Times bestseller list. True You and Ms. Jackson have inspired millions of people to face their concerns about weight, fitness and feeling healthy. True You is launching in soft cover to coincide with the announcement of the partnership with Nutrisystem.

In this new role, Ms. Jackson will be the iconic new face for the Nutrisystem brand, the focal point of the SUCCESS campaign and the co-founder of a new initiative to help combat hunger. A fresh and inspiring role model for Nutrisystem, Ms. Jackson has never before endorsed a weight loss product and has done little in the endorsement arena.  She is very open about her personal weight struggles and will be appearing in a substantial national advertising campaign to help inform and motivate consumers.  The ads, which were shot on location in Australia during Ms. Jackson's recent worldwide tour, will debut before the end of the year.  Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Jake Nava, the campaign features Ms. Jackson in a documentary style format answering a series of questions in her own words. With the tagline "Get On It," the commercials emphasize the importance of taking that first step toward success and Ms. Jackson's own admission that the key to effective weight loss was accepting she "couldn't do it alone."

"Dieting never worked for me, counting calories never worked for me, and denying myself the foods I love never worked for me. I needed a better plan, and I found it with Nutrisystem," shares Ms. Jackson. "With Nutrisystem I am seeing results already, and I am so impressed by both the thought and the nutritional science behind the program. There are millions of women like me who want to be successful but don't have the tools to do it on their own.  I hope I can help inspire them." 

"Success is our most complete program ever, and we're really proud of it.  There's no better spokesperson to join us than Janet Jackson," says Joe Redling, Chairman and CEO of Nutrisystem. "Janet's story is one of a lifelong struggle with weight management and the journey to gain control and acceptance.  She has an authentic voice we believe will resonate with consumers, and we've never been more excited heading into a new campaign than we are right now."

According to Mr. Redling, Nutrisystem will also announce a new marquee spokesperson in the men's market, where the Company leads the category, as a part of its 2012 diet season campaign.

NutriBank™: Solving Hunger. One Meal at a Time.

Nutrisystem and Ms. Jackson are also announcing the creation of NutriBank (www.nutribank.org), an innovative new philanthropic effort dedicated to nutrition and solving hunger around the world. NutriBank will work closely with national and international organizations to donate nutritious food and raise funds and awareness for this important cause. Ms. Jackson will serve as co-founder along with Mr. Redling.

"Hunger is an issue that is so meaningful to me," says Ms. Jackson. "I've had the opportunity to travel around the world during my career, and I've seen first hand the desperation on children's faces who do not have enough to eat. I believe as a society we have to do better and NutriBank is going to allow me to work not only to provide food for the neediest, but also to use my voice to raise awareness of an issue that simply must be solved."

For every pound lost on Nutrisystem in 2012, the Company will match it with one dollar's worth of nutritious Nutrisystem® food to be delivered through NutriBank to those in need. The Company has committed to donating up to $10 million in food contributions to NutriBank in 2012. "NutriBank wouldn't be possible without our customers," adds Redling. "They are taking weight off for all the right reasons, and we're matching that loss with balanced nutrition delivered to the neediest. It's a win-win situation and we're honored to be working with Janet Jackson to have what we hope will be a real impact on one of the most serious issues of our day."

SUCCESS: The Most Comprehensive Nutrisystem Program Ever

The SUCCESS program is built on the following four fundamental pillars:

• Great Taste = Great Results – Fresh-frozen offerings will nearly double as the Company has worked with its esteemed Celebrity Chef Culinary Council to develop an exclusive line of Chef's Table dinner entrees using a patented new microwaveable steamer bag technology. These signature dishes carry the name of the Chef who created the recipe.
• It Works - Nutrisystem's reformulation involves advanced nutritional science to deliver a high level of satiety. Macro-nutrient reformulations optimize weight loss and help avoid pitfalls of typical low calorie diets such as hunger, cravings and eliminating entire food categories. The SUCCESS program's simplified meal planner helps improve adherence and efficacy; those who adhere to the program can expect to lose between 1 –2 pounds per week.  Initial weight loss may be more. Importantly, clinically meaningful weight loss can take place in as little as a month, with reductions in the waistline and other markers of health.
• Flexibility and Maintenance - For the first time ever and as a direct result of customer feedback, Nutrisystem will offer a portfolio of flexible transition and maintenance plans including a la carte menu pricing for customers who want to personalize their programs from over 130 menu items.  Nutrisystem's transition and weight loss maintenance plans were created to guide consumers through different phases of weight loss and maintenance.  These phases are now supported by an "At Home Tool Kit" that includes a Nutrisystem Meal Measure, a Healthy Steps™ Portion Control Serving Set, as well as a low Glycemic Index cookbook, "The Low GI Cookbook—Nutrisystem Edition." With SUCCESS transition and maintenance plans, customers are now able to create a truly customizable program, combining their own meals with perfectly proportioned Nutrisystem meals delivered right to their door, ready in minutes with no counting points, weighing portions or attending meetings. 
• Exercise Counts – Nutrisystem is also introducing "My Daily 3," comprised of three 10-minute intervals of physical activity or 30 minutes of moderate daily exercise. Customers can take a short assessment quiz on www.nutrisystem.com and receive a personalized two-week sample "My Daily 3" program to get started.  The Nutrisystem website offers other valuable information to personalize fitness goals.

"In developing the Nutrisystem® Success™ program, we wanted to provide customers with personal empowerment while also addressing common dieting pitfalls," explains Dr. Bruce Daggy, Senior Vice President of Research and Development and Chief Science Officer at Nutrisystem. "People learn by doing, and behavioral and attitudinal changes occur if we repeatedly gravitate toward decisions that are good for us and produce the result we're looking for. That's why Nutrisystem's approach and the science behind its satisfying nutrition is so successful -- both short- and long-term."

In the future, Nutrisystem looks forward to partnering with Ms. Jackson's culinary consultant, Chef Andre Carthen of ACafe, to develop diet compliant, low glycemic meals that are specifically tailored to Ms. Jackson's tastes and will become part of the menu items offered through the program. In addition, the Company will be working with Tony Martinez, a noted fitness expert who's worked with Ms. Jackson for many years, to enhance the "My Daily 3" activity portfolio to include more tips, exercise routines and instructional videos.

With each new Nutrisystem SUCCESS auto-delivery program order, customers will receive an exciting limited time introductory offer, including a money back guarantee. To order the new Nutrisystem SUCCESS program and other Nutrisystem® products, visit www.nutrisystem.com/success4u or call 1-888-841-2572.

About Nutrisystem, Inc.

Nutrisystem, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTRI) is the number one home delivery weight-loss company. Nutrisystem® products are sold direct to the consumer through nutrisystem.com, by phone, and at select retailers, with convenient home delivery. The Company offers proven nutritionally balanced weight loss programs designed for women, men, and seniors, as well as the Nutrisystem® D® program, specifically designed to help people with type 2 diabetes who want to lose weight and manage their diabetes. The Nutrisystem program is based on 40 years of nutrition research and the science of the low glycemic index, and offers a variety of great tasting, satisfying, good carbohydrate meals that are designed to be heart healthy. The program was named the "Least Expensive Home Delivery Program" by CBS Money Watch in January 2011. The program has no membership fees and provides weight management support and counseling by trained weight-loss coaches and online and mobile weight management tools free of charge. Nutrisystem proudly supports the American Diabetes Association in its movement to Stop Diabetes™, as well as to help in increasing awareness of the correlation between weight loss and improvements in diabetes control. For more information or to become a customer, visit http://www.nutrisystem.com or call 1-800-435-4074. For the healthcare professional, please visit http://www.nutrisystem.com/hcp. Follow Nutrisystem on Twitter @nutrisystem and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/nutrisystem.

SOURCE Nutrisystem