Curves Founder Gary Heavin signed a $1 million grant at the grand opening of the Exercise & Sport Nutrition Lab (ESNL) at Texas A&M University Thursday. The grant is a two-year extension of the Curves Women's Health and Fitness Initiative, previously a five-year, $5 million grant to study the efficacy of the Curves diet and exercise programs. While the programs will continue to be studied, the extension's primary goal is to develop an open database which will allow researchers to monitor the long-term effects of participation in Curves on health outcomes.

More than 1,500 women have already participated in the ESNL studies. In 2008, Curves launched a new technology, CurvesSmart, which allows for data collection at the club level. Currently, more than a million women in several countries are using the CurvesSmart technology, and the number continues to grow. All of their data will be available to help researchers understand the role of exercise, diet, and weight management on health markers, disease prevention, and quality of life.

The grand opening reflects the end of the lab's move from Baylor University in Waco to Texas A&M in College Station. According to laboratory director and head of the Department of Health and Kinesiology, Dr. Richard Kreider, "While I enjoyed my time at Baylor, I simply could not pass up an opportunity to lead one of the nation's largest, most prestigious, and most influential health and kinesiology departments. The opportunities to collaborate with world class faculty and make an impact on the nation's health are unparalleled. It is a perfect home for our lab to continue our work on investigating the role of exercise and nutrition on health, disease, and performance."

Texas A&M College of Education and Human Development dean Douglas J. Palmer, university faculty, administrators, students, as well as all ESNL collaborators attended the event. Researchers from Houston, Dallas and San Antonio were part of the over 100 guests at the grand opening.

Special guests included Curves Founders Gary and Diane Heavin, President Mike Raymond, VP of Continuing Education and Research Cassie Findley, and Curves' Registered Dietitian Nadia Rodman.

Heavin, Findley, and Rodman also signed complimentary copies of their new book, "The Curves Fitness and Weight Management Plan," which is based on the most recent findings of the ESNL's research. Notable findings include the scientific basis for a shorter Phase I-the lowest-calorie phase of most programs when dieters are most vulnerable to cheating-and the revolutionary idea that taking a regular break from dieting can actually help you lose weight and maintain it.

About The ESNL
The Exercise & Sport Nutrition Laboratory (ESNL) in the Department of Health and Kinesiology (HLKN) at Texas A&M University is dedicated to evaluating the interaction between exercise and nutrition on health, disease, and human performance. Moreover, to help disseminate research findings to the scientific and lay communities through research presentations, publications, media interviews, and individual and group counseling. The ESNL consists of a training center, a patient/subject reception area, a stress testing area, a medical exam area, a body composition/bone density assessment area, a phlebotomy/muscle biopsy area, a resting energy expenditure study area, an isotonic and isokinetic strength testing area, an anaerobic capacity analysis area, work stations for nutrition/data analysis, and wet labs for biochemical analyses of muscle, blood, and/or urine samples. For more information, please visit http://esnl.tamu.edu/.

About Curves
Curves works to help women lose weight, gain muscle strength and aerobic capacity, and raise metabolism with its groundbreaking, scientifically proven method that ends the need for perpetual dieting. Curves works every major muscle group with a complete 30-minute workout that combines strength training and sustained cardiovascular activity through safe and effective hydraulic resistance. Founders Gary and Diane Heavin are considered the innovators of the express fitness phenomenon that has made exercise available to over 4 million women. With more than 10,000 locations in 73 countries, Curves is the world's largest fitness franchise. For more information, please visit: www.curves.com. CurvesSmart is powered by MyTrak.