CNN Launches ‘Fit Nation Challenge’ at Finish Line of Tour de Georgia on Sunday, April 22, in Atlanta

Harvard researchers revealed recently that for every hour of regular exercise Americans add to their regimen, they add two hours to their life. With that in mind, CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta this week encourages Americans to take his “Fit Nation Challenge” and pledge to gain one million hours of life. Related “Fit Nation” segments and materials will appear across CNN/U.S. and Headline News programming, including Anderson Cooper 360º, American Morning and Robin & Company, as well as on CNN.com.

CNN’s cross-country “Fit Nation Challenge” launches on Sunday, April 22, in Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park at the finish line of the Tour de Georgia, a seven-day state-wide bicycle race. Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong and Olympian and world class runner Jeff Galloway will also be on hand to support the challenge.

This year, the Fit Nation tour includes a custom-designed airstream trailer that serves as a venue where visitors can share their health lifestyle choices through video, online interaction and on-site activities such as a fit photo, health trivia and cycling. Other tour stops this year include:

· April 27-29: French Quarter – New Orleans;

· May 5 – 6: Celebrate Culture Festival – Denver;

· June 2 – 3: Rock & Roll Marathon – San Diego; and

· June 29 – July 1: Taste of Chicago and the 5K Race to the Taste – Chicago.

After constant reporting on the obesity epidemic, Gupta launched Fit Nation in 2006 as an ongoing multi-platform initiative to stop obesity and encourage healthier lifestyles. With former President Bill Clinton, Lance Armstrong, Maria Shriver and others, Gupta traveled across the country engaging people in their own communities to get more active and develop local programs to meet the challenges of being overweight.

Fit Nation segments are featured on House Call with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, which airs on Saturdays and Sundays at 8:30 a.m.; American Morning, which airs every weekday from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.; Headline News’ Robin & Company, which airs every weekday from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.; the afternoon edition of CNN Newsroom, which airs every weekday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.; and Anderson Cooper 360°, which airs each weeknight from 10 p.m. to midnight. All times Eastern.

In addition, an online report (www.CNN.com/fitnation) features tools for users to log their extra hours of life, podcasts from the Fit Nation events and user-generated iReports to allow users to share success stories and submit health tips.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta is chief medical correspondent for the health and medical unit at CNN. Gupta, a practicing neurosurgeon and an assistant professor of neurosurgery, plays an integral role in the network’s medical coverage, which includes American Morning, the weekend show House Call with Dr. Sanjay Gupta and coverage of breaking medical news. Based in Atlanta, he also co-hosts Accent Health for Turner Private Networks, contributes health news stories to CNN.com, writes a column for TIME magazine, is a contributor to CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, and authored his first book this year, Chasing Life: New Discoveries in the Search for Immortality to Help You Age Less Today.

CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is one of the world’s most respected and trusted sources for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; four Web sites, including CNN.com, the first major news and information Web site; CNN Pipeline, CNN.com’s premium live video news service; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news service; and partnerships for four television networks and two Web sites.