''South Beach Diet Recommended'' Kraft Products Make It Easy to Stick to New Year's Resolutions; New Kraft South Beach Diet Booklet Offers Great Tasting Recipes, Tips and More

Business Wire, Jan 3, 2005

NORTHFIELD, Ill. -- Trying to lose weight in 2005? For millions of overweight Americans, New Year's weight-loss resolutions often come down to a simple, but extreme, answer - no fat, no carbs, no fun. But now, at a time of year when many people are looking for an effective way to lose weight, a recent study suggests that following an eating plan that includes lean protein, monounsaturated fats and, yes, carbohydrates - the complex carbs from vegetables, fruits and whole grains - can lead to greater weight loss than a low-fat diet.

That eating plan is The South Beach Diet(TM). The study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, showed that people who followed the The South Beach Diet, lost nearly twice as much weight than people who followed a low-fat diet.

New Year - New You

It is projected that by March only one in five people will keep their New Year's resolution to lose weight. By teaming up with the author and creator of the best selling The South Beach Diet, Kraft(R) is making weight management convenient and enjoyable. And, The South Beach Diet is a lifestyle that will make it easier to keep those resolutions.

"The New Year is an ideal time to start fresh and make a commitment to a healthy lifestyle," said Dr. Arthur Agatston. "My goal is to change the way America eats. And to do that, you need a variety of nutritious foods that appeal to everyone."

The South Beach Diet is not a traditional low-carb diet. Instead, it encourages people to eat a variety of foods, such as lean sources of protein, reduced fat cheeses and dairy products, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, while decreasing saturated fat and trans fats.

Life is Better on the Beach(TM)

A variety of Kraft products have a "South Beach Diet Recommended" button to indicate that the foods fit within the diet, making shopping easier and meal planning more convenient for many people. The "button" appears on favorites such as Boca Burgers, Kraft 2% Milk and Fat Free Singles, certain Oscar Mayer Deli Meats, Planters assorted nuts, and Light N' Lively Cottage Cheese, to name a few. For a complete list of "South Beach Diet Recommended" Kraft products, visit www.krafthealthyliving.com.

"Our 'South Beach Diet Recommended' products provide consumers the added convenience necessary to make their New Year's resolutions stick," said Howard Brandeisky, Vice President, Health & Wellness, Kraft. "These products are among people's favorites - some of the great tasting foods they regularly add to their cupboards."

Kraft & The South Beach Diet Booklet

In January 2005, a new Kraft South Beach Diet booklet featuring delicious recipes, easy tips for choosing convenient, great-tasting products and more than seven dollars in money-saving coupons will be available at participating retailers.(1) The 14-page booklet is FREE with purchase of two participating Kraft products while supplies last and is a great tool to help maintain those New Year's resolutions.

Win a Trip to South Beach, Miami

Find out first hand how Life is Better on the Beach(TM). Celebrate the New Year and New You with a trip for two to South Beach, Miami. Beginning December 9th through February 28, 2005, visit www.krafthealthyliving.com to enter to win the "Life is Better on the Beach(TM)" Sweepstakes. Or, hand-print your name, complete address and daytime and evening telephone numbers on a 3" x 5" piece of paper, and mail to: Kraft "Life is Better on the Beach(TM)" Sweepstakes, P.O. Box 1872, Elgin, IL 60121-1872. Mail-in entries must be postmarked by February 28, 2005 and received by March 6, 2005. Limit one entry per registered user/e-mail address/stamped envelope per day. No purchase necessary to win.

About Kraft

Kraft Foods markets many of the world's leading food brands, including Kraft cheese, Yuban and Maxwell House coffees, Planters nuts, Triscuit Reduced Fat crackers, Philadelphia cream cheese, Oscar Mayer meats, Post cereals and Breyers yogurt in more than 150 countries.

About The South Beach Diet

The South Beach Diet by Dr. Arthur Agatston debuted in April of 2003 and has more than 8 million copies in print. It was #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list for 38 weeks. Its successor, The South Beach Diet Good Fats/ Good Carbs Guide has 3.5 million copies in print after 7 printings and spent 18 weeks at #1 on the Publishers Weekly Bestseller list. Dr. Agatston's latest book, The South Beach Diet Cookbook printed more than 1.5 million copies in its first print run, the largest first printing for a cookbook in publishing history.

Debuting at #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list, The South Beach Diet Cookbook has nearly 2 million copies in print after 4 printings.

(1) Editor Note: Please contact 312/988-2368 for a list of participating retailers and high-res images.