Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan takes his health seriously. Khans daily fitness routine starts early5 am. He begins with 20 minutes of stretching and then exercises for an hour on his Bowflex Revolution Machinea system that mimics traditional weights through the use of various discs with built-in tension coils. Khan also incorporates dumbbells into his workout, because Im getting old, he said.

Although there is a gym both at the Parliament and the Ministry of Health, Khan says he prefers to workout on his own. Hes even thinking of resuming karate in the near future. On August 12, the minister will host an event organised by the Fight

the Fat Campaign at the Queens Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain, to encourage people to follow his example, get active, eat healthy diets and lead more fulfilling lives. The event, part of a campaign launched by the ministry in November 2011, is open to the public and is free.

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Health minister gets physical at Savannah fitness challenge

(CBS News) First Lady Michelle Obama is preparing to lead the presidential delegation at the kick-off of the 2012 Olympic Games Friday and, she said, this is an opportunity to encourage kids to improve their health and fitness.

"Leading our nation's delegation and traveling to London is truly a dream come true," Obama said on a conference call with reporters Monday. "Some of my fondest memories when I was young and not so young involved watching the Olympics on TV and cheering on Team USA."

Obama will lead a delegation that includes past U.S. Olympians such as Brandi Chastain, Dominique Dawes, Grant Hill and Summer Sanders.

The first lady, who has made fighting childhood obesity a priority with her "Let's Move" initiative, said the games are an opportunity to promote health and fitness.

"I decided I wanted to turn that Olympic spirit and inspiration into action by using these games as a way to get more kids up and moving."

Obama said she is excited to host a "Let's Move!" event for 1,000 American military children and American and British students Friday. The event, co-sponsored by the State Department and by Nickelodeon, will include sports stations, entertainment and appearances by Olympic and Paralympic legends.

She also declared July 28 "Let's Move! Olympic Fun Day," encouraging children and communities to cheer on Team USA and participate in athletic events across the country. At least 200 communities have signed up, and the number is expected to grow throughout the week.

While in London, in addition to her fitness campaign, Obama will also attend a reception for heads of state and hold a private meeting with Samantha Cameron, the wife of British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Deputy National Security Adviser for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes said the trip is an important way for the first lady to continue building the special relationship between the U.S. and the U.K.

"While this visit is about the Olympics, its also about advancing the close ties between the U.S. and the United Kingdom," Rhodes said.

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Michelle Obama says Olympics can promote health and fitness

Los Angeles, CA : Largest Olympic Inspired Let's Move Meet-Up Fitness event to rock Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade this Saturday

O2 MAX Fitness and Mega-Celeb Trainer Dion Jackson are Teaming Up to Bring the largest national Let's Move Meetup, Olympic inspired Event to Los Angeles

The 2012 Summer Olympic games are just days away and First Lady Michelle Obama has declared Saturday, July 28th as National Let's Move/Meet Up Day to support our very own Team USA and encourage individuals all across the country to be active.

O2 MAX & Mega Celeb Trainer Dion Jackson are teaming up once again from 8:30-1 on July 28th to help get Los Angeles moving in what will be the largest Let's Move/Meetup inspired event across the country.

O2 MAX's mission is to change the way youth experience fitness through innovative programs and events that integrate social media, technology and of course fitness. O2 MAX and Dion have teamed up before in youth inspired fitness events such as O2 MAX's Tour de Fitness and most recently CAHPERD's initiative to break the Guiness Book World Record of the most number of people doing jumping jacks at once. Michelle Obama kicked this off at the White House last October and O2 MAX worked with CAHPERD on the social media and Los Angeles grand finale event which was held at Equinox.

Dion Jackson will kick off the day of events at LA Fitness at Universal City Walk at 8:30am. O2 MAX founder, Karen Jashinsky and Dion Jackson will rally on stage for a dynamic workout finale at Santa Monica's Health and Fitness Festival which will take place on The Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica from 12-1. In true KJ and Dion style the workout will include moves inspired from all fitness modalities that everyone can do and co-led by students themselves-many from Cal State Northridge) . From Jack LaLanne inspired jumping jacks to BOSU crunches to kickboxing, the workout which is open to all ages and levels will make everyone want to get moving and keep moving!

You can visit MeetUp.com and Facebook.com/o2max to stay up to date with details for Saturday July 28th Let's Move Meetup event.

O2 MAX is a fitness + media company that creates hybrid fitness solutions for busy students. Programs are designed around milestone events (prom, bat mitzvah, college, etc.), students' schedules, goals, body types, fitness preferences and interests. Workouts can include a mix of private training, nutrition coaching, shared workouts at fitness facilities and online coaching. By integrating fitness, technology and social media O2 MAX stays connected even after the workout is over to provide a longer term, lifestyle change.

Dion Jackson is a health and fitness trainer with a built-in kinetic surge and boundless creativity, AFAA certified personal trainer and aerobic instructor, Dion Jackson went from South Central Los Angeles to Hollywood to take the Entertainment and Health & Fitness industry world by storm. His ideologies have shaped and influenced many of today's multimedia trends for fitness from the concept of fitness in hotels and rooms, to visualizing a 24-hour All-Fitness TV network. Over the course of a thrilling career trajectory, he has created an enviable insider's niche of high powered celebrity and executive clientele, yet makes his secrets and services available to all.

Health Festival in Santa Monica: Takes place on July 28th from 11am-4pm with a focus on lifestyle fitness on theThird Street Promenade.

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Health and Fitness: Largest Olympic Inspired Let's Move/MeetUp Event to be held in Los Angeles

Capitalizing on the soaring interest in all things health tech, Wired magazine plans to host its first conference on digital health this fall and launch an online content vertical.

In an announcement Monday, the Cond Nast title said it was partnering with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for a conference on the intersection of health, technology and science, and the future of healthcare. The Living by Numbers event will be in the same vein as Wireds 4-year-old Wired Business Conference, and comes as investments and innovation in the sector continue to rise.

Earlier this month, we reported that, according to a recent study from digital health startup accelerator Rock Health, investments in health tech are up 73 percent over the same time last year. In the past year, the Quantified Self movement has also gained momentum, as consumers turn to fitness- and health-tracking devices, such as the Nike Fuel Band and the FitBit, to track their steps, calories burned and other physical activity.

There are new opportunities to share data and collect data and analyze it, said Brian Quinn, a senior program officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. We see this data as a tool for helping us achieve [better health].

In addition to the conference, Wired said it will launch a new health-focused vertical on Wired.com to give the titles health tech coverage a dedicated destination. A Wired spokesman said the site is in the midst of a redesign and plans to launch the health vertical close to the conference. As readers migrate away from traditional platforms, the new vertical and conference gives Wired alternative ways to earn revenue.

Some of the conference speakers include Craig Venter, founder and president of the J. Craig Venter Institute in Rockville, Md. and leader of a team that mapped the human genome; world record holder Ashton Eaton, who will represent the U.S. at the 2012 Summer Olympics; Stephen Wolfram, CEO and founder of Wolfram Research; and Timothy Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Workweek and The 4-Hour Body.

(Image by Christos Georghiou via Shutterstock.)

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Wired cashes in on health tech boom with new conference, online vertical

WINDSOR, Conn., July 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --ING U.S., a leading financial services provider, announced today a new mobile game app designed to help build investment and retirement planning awareness for consumers of all ages. Available for free on the App Store(SM) for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, the app, called STRUCT, leverages the power of "gamification" integrating game elements such as points, levels and a leader board while it simultaneously exposes players to fundamental investing concepts and terms. To learn more, visit http://structgame.com.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please visit: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/54454-ing-u-s-struct-mobile-game-app-investment-retirement-planning

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120724/MM43128 )

The premise of the game is for players to work with various building materials that symbolize different investment categories steel (cash), wood (bonds) and glass (stocks) as they build increasingly complex towers or "structs." Three main characters, called the build crew, correspond to a unique investor style: aggressive, moderate and conservative. A fourth crewmember is a wild card, representing both market opportunity and risk. Through crew selection and game objectives, metaphors about saving and investing are conveyed that parallel the concepts of risk, diversification, goals and achievement. Crew selection, a diversified strategy, and material handling are critical to a player's success.

"We know many individuals need to do more when it comes to preparing for their retirement. Gaining greater awareness about accepted investing and saving principles is a critical part of that process," said Rick Mason, president of Corporate Markets for ING U.S. Retirement. "ING U.S. is committed to developing effective ways that promote financial literacy and help consumers achieve positive retirement outcomes. By leveraging the popularity of mobile game apps, we believe STRUCT will entertain users while exposing them to important concepts."

Research shows that game apps are the most downloaded items by smartphone owners, and iPhone users are playing games an average of 14.7 hours a month.(1) Industry data also suggests that there are more people in the U.S. who meet the definition of active gamers than who save for retirement.(2)Feedback from ING U.S.'s own retirement plan customers further showed that a game app like STRUCT would be a fun and unique way to engage employees and heighten their awareness of saving and investing concepts.

"In the retirement market, innovation often occurs when providers and large corporate employers collaborate on ways to make saving easier for their employees. We saw this with the introduction of automated plan features and options, such as auto-enrollment, auto-escalation and target-date funds(3)," added Mason. "In developing STRUCT, we worked with several of our large plan customers on the concept of a mobile game. Their insights underscore how technology can be a critical tool to inform, engage and inspire positive savings action."

Players of STRUCT are introduced to each of the 12 game levels by an instruction guide who provides tips that challenge the player to work with different building material and crewmembers. Each level brings new complexity, and the right combination of crew, material placement and speed helps the player score points and unlock achievements. There are also surprise moves one can discover as they engage in play including breakage, bonus points and the ability to discard a crewmember's building material. The "Build School" brings the metaphors to life, demonstrating how investor style and asset classes can impact the outcome, while the game's glossary helps to build knowledge of key financial terms.

To learn more, visit http://structgame.com.

Press inquiries:Phil Margolis ING U.S. Office: (860) 580.2676 Cell: (860) 805.7642 Twitter: ING_US_PR Phil.Margolis@us.ing.com

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ING U.S. Introduces Game App that Teaches Investing and Retirement Saving Concepts

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Fitch Ratings assigns an 'AAA' rating to the following State of Minnesota retirement system building revenue bonds:

--$20,660,000 series 2012 retirement system building revenue refunding bonds.

The bonds are scheduled to be sold through competitive bid on July 31, 2012.

In addition, Fitch affirms the 'AAA' rating on the $22.9 million outstanding building revenue bonds, series 2000 that will be fully refunded with this transaction.

The Rating Outlook is Stable.

SECURITY

The bonds are special obligations of Minnesota, issued by the state through the Commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB), payable from separate semiannual payments made from each of the retirement systems under a joint agreement under which each system further grants the commissioner a security interest in its respective system's available assets in the event of non-payment.

KEY RATING DRIVERS

--OVERWHELMING COVERAGE OF DEBT SERVICE: The 'AAA' rating reflects the enormous coverage on the small amount of debt that is provided from pension contributions as well as the magnitude of the available system assets that could be tapped if needed.

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Fitch Rates $21MM Minnesota Retirement Sys Bldg Revs 'AAA'; Outlook Stable

There are various ways to plan and save for retirement, but for some, that advice is about 40 years too late. Even if you're starting late or have faced numerous setbacks, retirement is possible. Here are some tips from industry professionals on how to make your last-minute retirement dreams a reality.

The most important thing is taking the first step and sticking with it, according to Catherine Collinson, president of the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies in Los Angeles.

"Achieving a sense of retirement readiness is a lot of small steps that can lead to a quantum leap," she says.

The first step

To prepare for retirement, Collinson first suggests taking "a financial look in the mirror." Understand what your personal balance sheet is and calculate a savings goal. Collinson notes that this needs to be a real, calculated goal and not just a spitball estimate.

Wade Mayo, president and CEO of Life Insurance Company of the Southwest in Dallas, says that the amount of money a person needs to retire varies depending on the person, the type of lifestyle they want to live, medical expensesand their dependents.

"It is important to estimate Social Security benefits and other sources of income and what a person expects to spend annually in retirement," Mayo says.

Many experts say it takes about 70 to 85% of your pre-retirement income in order to maintain your lifestyle during retirement, according to Mayo.

People should also plan on having enough to live on for another 25 to 30 years when estimating what they'll need to retire, he adds.

Start saving

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It's Never too Late to Plan for Retirement

COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Nationwide Retirement Solutions (NRS), Nationwide Financials public-sector retirement plan business, today announced that it will continue to serve the Cook County, Illinois, deferred compensation plan for another five years. Under the agreement, NRS will provide the recordkeeping, marketing and education for the plans nearly 18,000 participants.

Nationwide looks forward to continuing our successful partnership with Cook County, said Anne Arvia, president of retirement plans for Nationwide Financial. We place the highest priority on providing our plan partners with a comprehensive defined contribution plan that provides their participants with the service, support and resources they need to prepare for a financially secure retirement.

Since 1997, NRS has served as the exclusive administrator for Cook County and the new contract extends this partnership until 2017, with two one-year optional extensions. The Cook County plan has approximately $961 million in assets.

Nationwide offers robust education for participants in all stages of retirement planning, including personalized account information available through one-on-one conversations with licensed financial professionals.

Weve had a successful relationship with Nationwide for the past fifteen years, and we look forward to continuing to work side-by-side with them to ensure our participants have the resources they need to prepare for retirement, said Tariq Malhance, the Countys Chief Financial Officer.

About Nationwide

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the U.S. and is rated A+ by both A.M. Best and Standard & Poors. The company provides customers a full range of insurance and financial services, including auto insurance, motorcycle, boat, homeowners, pet, life insurance, farm, commercial insurance, annuities, mortgages, mutual funds, pensions, long-term savings plans and specialty health services. For more information, visit http://www.nationwide.com.

Nationwide, Nationwide Financial, the Nationwide framemark and On Your Side are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.

Information provided by licensed financial professionals is for educational purposes only and not intended as tax, legal, or investment advice. Retirement Specialists are registered representatives of Nationwide Investment Services Corporation, member FINRA.

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Nationwide Retirement Solutions Renews Contract with Cook County

WD 2go Mobile App Combines Collaboration Benefits of Dropbox with Performance, Security and Capacity of WD Personal Cloud Solutions

THAILAND, Bangkok July 25, 2012 WD (NASDAQ:WDC), a world leader in external storage and connected home solutions, today introduced powerful new collaboration and file management features, including Dropbox integration, in the next generation of its popular WD 2go mobile app for their personal cloud products, the My Book Live and My Book Live Duo.

WDs personal cloud products provide shared storage on the home network, letting customers centralize their important documents, photos, videos and music in one place as well as automatically backup all the computers in their home. With the WD 2go app customers can access and share that content from outside the home on their mobile devices.

The new version of WD 2go lets customers move, copy and share content between their mobile device, their Dropbox and their WD personal cloud combining the benefits of personal and public cloud storage into one, easy-to-use app. For example, if a user has a small number of photos they want to share with their friends, they can copy them from their personal cloud into their Dropbox using the WD 2go app. But if they have a very large number of photos, or files that are too big for their Dropbox, they can use WD 2go to send a secure link to the files via email. WD 2go is available for iPad, iPhone, iPod touch or Android compatible mobile devices.

WD is committed to providing consumers with secure storage of digital content and access to it on any screen, on-the-go or at home, said Jim Welsh, executive vice president for WD's branded products and consumer electronics groups. By combining access to Dropbox and personal cloud storage into a single intuitive mobile app, WD is empowering consumers with the flexibility and control of anytime, any-device management of their growing libraries of digital content.

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PR Center

Devices record diet, sleep and exercise patterns The US track cycling team are using glucose monitors, sleep trackers and genetic reports Data will be used to improve products for the amateur health and fitness market

By Emma Reynolds

PUBLISHED: 07:14 EST, 23 July 2012 | UPDATED: 03:34 EST, 24 July 2012

Olympic athletes are providing fitness data in exchange for high-tech gadgets that record sleep, diet and exercise patterns to help improve their performance.

Health technology companies are using the athletes results to develop tracking devices for the burgeoning fitness and weightloss markets.

The track cycling team from the US are testing a sleep monitor, a glucose monitor - which can help diabetics manage blood sugar - and genetic reports on their nutritional needs and muscular capacity.

Setting records: Athletes taking part in the Games are sharing information on their sleep, diet and exercise patterns to help improve fitness gadgets

The companies are hoping the Games will increase the exposure for their products, many of which have only been recently developed.

Sky Christopherson is a consultant to the team and founder of the Optimized Athlete - which analyses patterns in health data to improve athletes' results.

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London 2012: Olympic athletes swap personal fitness data for latest gadgets in bid for 2012 edge