ATLANTA, GA and SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire -03/26/12)- In an effort to help millions of Americans avoid the onset of life-threatening diseases such as obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease and cancer caused by poor nutrition, SharecareNow, powered by WCG, today announced "SharecareNow 10 - Nutrition," a comprehensive list of the most influential online voices -- ranging from healthcare professionals and journalists to celebrity chefs -- who drive the conversation around nutrition. The list features some of the top names in nutrition today, including: Dr. Andrew Weil, a leader in integrative medicine; Jamie Oliver, television personality and founder of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution; and Michael Pollan, author of four New York Times bestsellers.

The release of the list corresponds with the close of National Nutrition Month, sponsored annually by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association) to raise awareness about the importance of making healthy food choices and adopting physical activity habits.

"Maintaining a balanced, daily nutrition plan is essential for a long, healthy life; however, as dietary recommendations frequently change, it may be difficult for most Americans to stay on top of the most accurate and up-to-date information," said Jeff Arnold, chairman and CEO of Sharecare. "Our goal is to quickly connect individuals with experts online who can empower them to develop a personalized plan for themselves and their loves ones early in life to prevent a lifelong struggle with their weight, which can lead to the development of severe, deadly conditions."

In the United States alone, 33.9 percent of adults aged 20 years and over are obese, while 34.4 percent of adults in the same age group are overweight.(1) However, these unhealthy habits can begin at an early age. In fact, approximately 17 percent (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents in the U.S. aged two to 19 are obese,(2) which can lead to health consequences in both the immediate and long term.

The SharecareNow 10 -- Nutrition list aims to help reduce the increasing rates of unhealthy Americans, particularly for those living in specific U.S. cities with poor nutritional habits. According to RealAge -- the leading consumer health assessment website centered around the groundbreaking RealAge Test and recently acquired by Sharecare -- the top five cities in the U.S. that are not eating the recommended 10 servings of fruits and vegetables are (1) Oklahoma City, OK (2) Louisville, KY (3) Knoxville, TN (4) Cincinnati, OH, and (5) Greenville, SC. Additionally, the top five cities that are not eating the proper amount of grains (at least 5 servings), includes: (1) Greenville, SC (2) Jacksonville, FL (3) Knoxville, TN (4) Memphis, TN, and (5) Greensboro, NC.

In order to be included in the SharecareNow 10 -- Nutrition list, influencers must have demonstrated a consistent impact on nutrition-specific conversations online over the past year. An individual's influence is measured and quantified through a proprietary algorithm based on more than 40 individual metrics, including nutrition relevance, syndication, presence and reach. These influencers are then ranked from most to least influential based on a unique scoring structure.

The following top influencers make up the SharecareNow 10 -- Nutrition list:

1. Andrew Weil, MD - http://www.drweil.com/ 2. Jamie Oliver - http://jamieoliver.com/ 3. Nanci Hellmich - http://yourlife.usatoday.com/ 4. Tara Parker-Pope - http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/ 5. Mitzi Dulan, RD - http://nutritionexpert.com/blog/ 6. Nicole German, RD - http://www.diet-blog.com/ 7. Lisa Lillien - http://www.hungry-girl.com/ 8. Rebecca Scritchfield, RD - http://rebeccascritchfield.wordpress.com/ 9. Michael Pollan - http://michaelpollan.com/ 10. William Davis, MD - http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/

A downloadable version of the SharecareNow 10 -- Nutrition list can be found here: http://www.sharecare.com/static/sharecare-now-nutrition-top-ten-infographic. Additional information, including bios and the methodology behind the influencer list, is available at http://now.sharecare.com.

In support of raising awareness around healthy nutritional habits, @SharecareNow will host a Twitter Chat on Sunday, April 1st from 8-9pm EDT. Participants must use #DietDbate to participate in the conversation, where nutritional experts will answer questions related to a healthy diet, including dieting facts vs. fiction and low carb vs. low fat diets.

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SharecareNow Names the Top 10 Influencers of Online Nutrition Conversation