| News & Know How | News


Equinox Launches Blink, a Budget-Friendly Club Brand First three clubs are open, already luring New York City area customers


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all it a sign of these economically challeng- ing times: Aware that some fitness-minded folks are also budget-minded, the Equinox


Fitness Clubs, the trendy upscale chain based in New York City, has launched a new affordable club model called Blink Fitness. The firm recently opened three locations in


the metropolitan New York area—in Manhattan; Yonkers, New York; and Paramus, New Jersey—for cost-conscious club goers. “People who are shop- ping for value…no longer need to compromise,” claims Dos Condon, Blink’s vice president. “Blink is an affordable gym that doesn’t look or feel cheap.” To be sure, the pristine, well-appointed facilities


belie the modest membership fee—just $15 per month for single-club access, and $20 for a multi- club membership inclusive of guest privileges. The sleekly modern, 17,000-square-foot clubs


offer brand-name cardiovascular and strength- training equipment, free weights, designated stretching and functional-training areas, locker rooms, and “stash” lockers by the entrance. Other features include The Front Porch, a lounge where members can recoup, regroup, and


| Obesity Update | The Good, Bad, and Worse News


> Underscoring the severity of the ever-escalating obesity epidemic, the American Council on Exercise (ACE) recently launched a nationwide campaign to eliminate obesity in America. The organization will encourage the public to engage in physical activity and help edu- cate them about healthy lifestyle choices. “Because obesity is the cause of so many


life-threatening diseases, we’ve pledged to take a bolder stance to position fitness and health at the center of American culture and, ultimately, eliminate obesity in our country,” explains Scott Goudeseune, ACE’s president and CEO. “We realize it’s our responsibility to do everything in our power to create a healthier America.” The initiative will be supported by ACE’s


research, resources, and network of nearly 50,000 certified fitness professionals throughout the U.S. The timing couldn’t be better: a new


Harvard study predicts that the obesity epidemic in the U.S. will continue to expand for another 40 years before it finally


22 Club Business Internat ional


plateaus. Data from the 40-year Framing- ham Heart Study projects that, by 2050, 42% of American adults will be considered obese; today, the figure stands at 34%. The Harvard scientists also suggest that obesity is, in a sense, contagious; they’ve identified the condition as a “behavioral phenome- non” that spreads interpersonally through social relationships. In other words, non-obese individuals who socialize with obese people may eventually assume their peers’ behaviors and ultimately become overweight themselves. To make matters worse, another new


study calculates that nearly 17% of all U.S. medical costs are obesity-related— nearly double the previous estimate. According to researchers from Cornell and Lehigh Universities, that percentage represents $168 billion a year. Beyond U.S. borders, a number of


other countries are trying to contain this major public health threat:


• Mexico is the “fattest” country in the world, according to the Organization for Economic


| FEBRUARY 2011 | www. ihrsa.org


Cooperation and Development, based in Paris. In response, Mexico’s government has initiated a national weight-loss program, enlisting the aid of 535 trainers who will teach state education officials about exercise and healthy eating.


• Hoping to end a 25-year rise and near- tripling of childhood obesity rates, Canada has launched research initiatives on physi- cal activity and childhood obesity that will be conducted by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. “This research will help more children become physically active and help us curb childhood obesity in Canada,” says Leona Aglukkaq, the country’s minis- ter of health.


• Singapore has developed a four-pronged plan to tackle obesity called “Let’s Get Healthy Together,” as part of its National Healthy Lifestyle Campaign. The program’s components are: Policies and Guidelines; Education and Empowerment; Creating Supportive Environments; and Monitoring and Surveillance. —|


congregate with friends, and sign-up kiosks in the lobby that patrons can use to pick a membership plan, log in, etc. In a charitable nod, 10% of all sales from the HUMAN Healthy Vending machines are donated to organizations battling obesity and malnutrition. —|


Architect’s rendering of a Blink front desk


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