Study Finds Women Pay More Attention to Their Hair Than Their Hearts

CINCINNATI, Feb. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- A new survey reveals that for American women, beauty isn't necessarily on the inside. According to the poll by Harris Interactive and Metamucil, 41 percent of women see their hair stylist three to four times per year, while one in four women has never had her cholesterol checked. To encourage women to beautify their hearts and start lowering cholesterol, Metamucil has teamed up with Brenda Strong, otherwise known as Mary-Alice Young from ABC's hit television show "Desperate Housewives," to create the Metamucil 30 Day Difference for heart health.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080204/AQM017-b) (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080204/AQM017LOGO-a)

Strong's personal connection to heart health sparked her interest in the Metamucil 30 Day Difference. Strong's mother has lived through a stroke and two heart attacks and her uncle underwent triple bypass surgery. Both family members are now well, but the cause remains close to Strong's heart.

"Many of us, including myself, have struggled with hearth health issues in our families," said Strong. "Coronary heart disease is the number one killer of women, but many women don't know that coronary heart disease is largely preventable and women can take steps to lower their risk."

One easy way to start on a path to a heart healthy lifestyle is to enroll in the Metamucil 30 Day Difference during the months of January through April 2008. Metamucil, made with 100% natural psyllium fiber, is shown to help start lowering cholesterol when part of a fitness program and a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Fiber supplements (like Metamucil) have been recommended by the American Heart Association as a way to lower 'bad' LDL cholesterol.

Those who sign up for The Metamucil 30 Day Difference can take the following simple steps:

-- Take Metamucil (powder or capsules) every day -- Create a profile on http://www.beautifyyourheart.com/ to get tips from the fitness and nutrition experts at Core Performance, a fitness and training center for elite athletes and everyday people -- Develop a personalized fitness routine (2-3 days per week) using the tools provided on http://www.beautifyyourheart.com/

To begin the program and start feeling strong and healthy inside and out, participants are encouraged to log on to http://www.beautifyyourheart.com/ to follow four real women on their journey to begin a heart healthy lifestyle. Women can read about their experiences and see how they felt via video diaries and weekly blogs while interacting with other women taking part in the program.

In addition to finding fitness and nutrition tips, personalized Web pages and community support, women can register for the "Beautify Your Heart" sweepstakes* to win fitness-related daily prizes at the conclusion of the Metamucil 30 Day Difference in April 2008. The grand prize is a five day, four night stay at a spa resort in the city of the winner's choice.

"If women are concerned about their cholesterol levels, joining the 30 Day Difference is a great way to start to beautify their hearts," said Mauricio Troncoso, Metamucil Marketing Director. "While Metamucil has been on store shelves for more than 70 years, women today are surprised to learn that it can help begin to lower cholesterol when used as a daily fiber supplement."

The Metamucil 30 Day Difference was created through a partnership with Core Performance. Registered Dietician Amanda Carlson and founder/president Mark Verstegen, both of Core Performance, have recommended Metamucil for years as a way to keep the world's top athletes in peak shape by consuming the recommended daily amount of fiber.

Metamucil is available at retailers nationwide in powdered drink mixes, fiber wafers, and fiber capsules. For more information on Metamucil or fiber, log onto: http://www.metamucil.com/.

Metamucil Beautify Your Heart Sweepstakes

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to residents of the 50 U.S. or D.C., 18 and older at time of entry. Void where prohibited. Sweepstakes begins 5:00 PM (ET) on 11/30/07. Entries must be received by 11:59 PM (ET) on 03/31/08. For Official Rules (by which all entrants are bound), click here. Sponsor: The Procter & Gamble Distributing LLC, One P&G Plaza, Cincinnati, OH 45202, USA.

About Brenda Strong

Brenda Strong can be seen (and heard) as Mary-Alice Young, the recently-departed narrator of ABC's award-winning smash hit "Desperate Housewives." Strong also recently starred in the Lifetime telefilm "Family in Hiding." She will also be seen in the upcoming independent films "Ocean of Pearls," "A Plumm Summer" and "You." Previously, Strong was perhaps most recognizable to television audiences for her role as Sue Ellen Mishkie (a.k.a. "The Braless Wonder") on the award-winning series "Seinfeld." She has also recurred on such acclaimed series as "Nip/Tuck," "Everwood," "Sports Night," "7th Heaven" and "Party of Five." Other television credits include "CSI," "Ally McBeal," "Gilmore Girls" and "ER." Strong is a certified yoga instructor in Los Angeles and a native of Portland, Ore.

About Metamucil

Created and marketed for the first time in 1933 by G.D. Searle & Co., Metamucil powder was purchased by Procter & Gamble in 1985. Made with 100% natural psyllium fiber, Metamucil is the only leading brand marketed as both a fiber laxative and a dietary fiber supplement. Metamucil comes in a variety of forms (powder, wafers and capsules) and flavors (regular, Orange and Berry Burst!) to fit any lifestyle when you are looking to increase your fiber intake. Metamucil is the number one recommended doctor and pharmacy fiber product. For more information, visit http://www.metamucil.com/.

About Procter & Gamble

Three billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers(R), Tide(R), Ariel(R), Always(R), Whisper(R), Pantene(R), Mach3(R), Bounty(R), Dawn(R), Gain(R), Pringles(R), Folgers(R), Charmin(R), Downy(R), Lenor(R), Iams(R), Crest(R), Oral-B(R), Actonel(R), Duracell(R), Olay(R), Head & Shoulders(R), Wella(R), Gillette(R), and Braun(R). The P&G community consists of 138,000 employees working in over 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

Sources 1. Omnibus survey conducted by Harris Interactive for Procter & Gamble, August 2007 2. *GoRedForWomen.org (American Heart Association statistics) Media Contacts: Velvet Gogol Bennett Gogolbennett.vc@pg.com (513) 622-4734 Kristen Fields Kristen.Fields@mslpr.com (312) 861-5257