UN Unilever NV

Michigan Native Wins Online Contest Sponsored By Slim-Fast and iVillage ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Dec. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- This past summer hundreds of women heard supermodel Rachel Hunter loud and clear: Find the Weight that's Right for YOU! Rachel joined forces with Slim-Fast and iVillage, the #1 destination for women online, to help women achieve realistic and healthy weight loss and challenged them to "find their slim". This effort was part of the launch of a new communications campaign called, 'Find Your Slim,' for the Slim-Fast brand. The campaign is a new point of view for the brand based on the guiding principle that there is no one ideal weight or size that suits everyone, and that each individual should set their own personal weight loss goal that is realistic and achievable. Rachel Hunter challenged women across America to join her in a 10-week "Find Your Slim" contest. Hunter encouraged consumers to set a simple and doable weight loss goal of between 10 and 20 pounds, and she incorporated Slim-Fast into her own life to reach her personal goal of losing 10 pounds for an upcoming photo shoot. Over 300 women responded to the challenge, as inspirational stories and before-and-after photos demonstrating weight loss poured in. Michigan native Melinda Simon has been chosen as the winner of the 10-week "Find Your Slim" contest. Simon had to first submit her story explaining why she wanted to 'Find her Slim,' along with a photo of herself. She weighed 204 pounds at the beginning of the 10-week contest and while setting a long term goal weight of 150 pounds, Melinda knew that just getting started and experiencing any level of weight loss would be a success. In 10 weeks she lost a total of 14 pounds bringing her current weight down to 190 pounds. The "Find Your Slim" contest has begun to create a change in Melinda that goes beyond the numbers on the scale or size of her jeans. "I've found my slim by no longer making excuses," said Melinda at the contest's conclusion. "Though I have a while before reaching my goal, I've started the healthy lifestyle I always intended to live. Now, instead of avoiding people, I walk with my head held a little higher. I'm no model, but that doesn't mean I can't strut like one!" Throughout the 10-week contest, Melinda received tips and advice on iVillage.com, as well as a Slim-Fast starter kit to help her on her weight loss journey. When asked about her motivation to lose the weight, Melinda said that her 'before' picture was enough of a motivation. She also explained that while she had always been familiar with Slim-Fast products, she never made a commitment to the program in the past. With a renewed sense of personal accountability and a newfound commitment to use Slim-Fast along with a healthy diet and exercise, Melinda now has her weight loss goal in sight. As part of her prize Melinda will receive a trip for two to Los Angeles or New York for a consultation with a stylist and cash for a shopping spree. In the past year, the fashion industry has come under increased scrutiny for fostering unrealistic images of beauty, and it's evident that the stage is set for a major shift in cultural perceptions of how society views size and weight. In a society where two out of every three American adults are overweight, promoting realistic expectations for weight loss is critical to helping consumers lead healthier lives, and the Slim-Fast brand has taken a clear stance in driving this change. Consumers can go to http://www.slim-fast.com/ to learn more about how the Slim-Fast products and proven approach can help "Find Your Slim". They can create a customized meal plan based on their individual goals and take advantage of free online tracking tools, advice, tips and support. About Slim-Fast Foods Company Slim-Fast, a business unit of Unilever, offers a proven and effective way to lose weight that includes delicious and nutritionally-balanced weight loss shakes, meal bars and portion-controlled snacks, meal planning and tracking tools, physical activity suggestions, and expert advice and support. There are over 35 published clinical studies which show that following the Slim-Fast plan promotes effective weight loss and weight maintenance as well as improvement in the health risks associated with obesity. The Slim-Fast product line includes an affordable range of Shakes, Powders, Meal Bars and Snack Bars that are available in retail outlets nationwide. Visit slim-fast.com or call 1 800 SLIMFAST for more information. About Unilever Unilever (NYSE:ULNYSE:UN), one of the world's largest consumer products companies, aims to add vitality to life by meeting everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care. Each day, around the world, consumers make 160 million decisions to purchase Unilever products. The company has a portfolio of brands that make people feel good, look good and get more out of life. In the United States these brands include recognized names such as: Axe, "all," Ben & Jerry's, Bertolli, Breyers, Caress, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, Hellmann's, Knorr, Lipton, Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Snuggle, Suave, Sunsilk and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies. Dedicated to serving consumers and the communities where we live, work and play, Unilever in the United States employs approximately 13,000 people in more than 60 office and manufacturing sites in 24 states and Puerto Rico -- generating nearly $10 billion in sales in 2006. For more information, visit http://www.unileverusa.com/. About iVillage Inc. iVillage Inc., a division of NBC Universal, is the first and largest media company dedicated exclusively to connecting women at every stage of their lives. Ranked the #1 online destination for women with 27 million unique visitors (comScore MediaMetrix), iVillage.com offers an authentic community infused with compelling content from experts on health, parenting, pregnancy, beauty, style, fitness, relationships, food and entertainment. The site's interactive features include thousands of message boards and a wide variety of social networking tools, allowing women around the world to connect, share ideas, and seek advice and support about everything from fertility to fashion. Established in 1995, iVillage's brand extensions include iVillage UK, iVillage Total Health and owned sites Astrology.com, GardenWeb and gURL.com, in addition to the Newborn Channel. The company, acquired by NBC Universal in May 2006, is based in New York. DATASOURCE: Slim-Fast Foods Company CONTACT: Milly Navarro of Ogilvy PR Worldwide for Slim-Fast Foods Company, +1-214-704-7504, Web site: http://www.slim-fast.com/ http://www.unileverusa.com/ http://www.ivillage.com/

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